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Senate bill · S79 (2025-26)

Requires that all special education students attending schools scheduled to be closed or to undergo a significant change be assigned to new schools prior to…

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Requires that all special education students attending schools scheduled to be closed or to undergo a significant change be assigned to new schools prior to the implementation of the closing or change

The heading above is this same sentence with its legal opening removed. No words were added, changed or reordered.

Latest action May 28, 2026

New York State Senate

Same as A10649, the matching bill in the Assembly.

Sponsor

John Liu

State Senator, District 16 · Democratic

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Summary

Requires that all special education students attending schools scheduled to be closed or to undergo a significant change be assigned to new schools prior to the implementation of the closing or change.

Summary from NY Open Legislation. How we handle summaries

Amends the Education Law.

From NY Open Legislation, the NY Senate and Assembly, and official rosters. This record was last updated Oct 29, 2026. About our data

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Purpose, from the sponsor's memo

Requires that all special education students attending a New York City public school scheduled to be closed or to undergo a significant change, be assigned to a new school within New York City with comparable services prior to the implementation of the closing or change.

Filed with the bill. Read it on nysenate.gov (opens in a new tab)

Where it stands

Passed one of the two chambers; it still needs the other.

  1. Introduced
  2. In committee
  3. Up for a vote
  4. Passed one chamber
  5. Passed
  6. Enacted

Committee

Education · New York State Assembly

Also referred to Education · New York State Senate, New York City Education · New York State Senate.

The sponsor's argument

Why John Liu says this is needed

Over 100,000 special education children attend New York City schools (about 101. of all students). For these vulnerable children, school closures can mean a space crunch that translates into a significant decline in speech, occupational or physical therapy. Many of the new schools that opened in their place do not provide mandated ELL or special education classes and cannot admit students in these categories. Reduction of these services results directly in increased student drop- out rates or significant academic and developmental regressions.

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.

Recorded votes

  • Vote: Floor vote

    NY SenateMay 28, 2026Result: passed

    (60) (0) (0) (3)

  • Vote: Committee vote · New York City Education

    Senate New York City EducationMay 19, 2026Result: passed

    (7) (0) (0) (0)

  • Vote: Floor vote

    NY SenateJun 4, 2025Result: passed

    (58) (0) (0) (5)

  • Vote: Committee vote · New York City Education

    Senate New York City EducationMay 27, 2025Result: passed

    (6) (0) (0) (0)

Full history

  1. May 28, 2026

    Sent to the executive

    DELIVERED TO ASSEMBLY

    NY Senate

  2. May 28, 2026

    Passed a chamber

    PASSED SENATE

    NY Senate

  3. May 28, 2026

    Referred to committee

    REFERRED TO EDUCATION

    NY Assembly

  4. May 21, 2026

    Advanced to Third Reading

    ADVANCED TO THIRD READING

    NY Senate

  5. May 20, 2026

    2ND Report CAL.

    2ND REPORT CAL.

    NY Senate

Show full history (13 earlier events)
  1. May 19, 2026

    1ST Report CAL.1168

    1ST REPORT CAL.1168

    NY Senate

  2. Mar 19, 2026

    Referred to committee

    REFERRED TO EDUCATION

    NY Assembly

  3. Jan 7, 2026

    Died in Assembly

    DIED IN ASSEMBLY

    NY Assembly

  4. Jan 7, 2026

    Referred to committee

    REFERRED TO NEW YORK CITY EDUCATION

    NY Senate

  5. Dec 8, 2025

    Enacting Clause Stricken

    ENACTING CLAUSE STRICKEN

    NY Assembly

  6. Jun 4, 2025

    Sent to the executive

    DELIVERED TO ASSEMBLY

    NY Senate

  7. Jun 4, 2025

    Passed a chamber

    PASSED SENATE

    NY Senate

  8. Jun 4, 2025

    Referred to committee

    REFERRED TO EDUCATION

    NY Assembly

  9. May 29, 2025

    Advanced to Third Reading

    ADVANCED TO THIRD READING

    NY Senate

  10. May 28, 2025

    2ND Report CAL.

    2ND REPORT CAL.

    NY Senate

  11. May 27, 2025

    1ST Report CAL.1303

    1ST REPORT CAL.1303

    NY Senate

  12. Jan 8, 2025

    Referred to committee

    REFERRED TO EDUCATION

    NY Assembly

  13. Jan 8, 2025

    Referred to committee

    REFERRED TO NEW YORK CITY EDUCATION

    NY Senate