Int. No. 1330
By Council Members Salamanca, Koslowitz and Ampry-Samuel
A Local Law in relation to establishing a task force to study accessibility and compliance with the Americans with disabilities act in the city’s public schools
Be it enacted by the Council as follows:
Section 1. There is hereby established a task force to study accessibility and compliance with the Americans with disabilities act in the city’s public schools, and to make recommendations as to how the city can achieve full accessibility in at least one elementary school, one middle school, and one high school in each community school district within five years.
§ 2. The task force shall include the following members:
1. The commissioner of the mayor’s office for people with disabilities, or such commissioner’s designee, who shall serve as chair of the task force;
2. The chancellor of the city school district of the city of New York, or such chancellor’s designee;
3. The chairperson of the New York city commission on human rights, or such chairperson’s designee;
4. The speaker of the council, or such speaker’s designee;
5. At least one school principal from each borough, appointed by the mayor;
6. At least one teacher employed by the department of education from each borough, appointed by the mayor; and
7. At least five advocates who specialize in working with students with disabilities, appointed by the speaker of the council.
§ 3. The task force shall:
1. Hold at least one meeting every three months;
2. Issue a report which shall include, but need not be limited to, the following:
(a) An analysis of the structural changes necessary to achieve full accessibility in at least one elementary school, one middle school, and one high school in each community school district within five years of the issuance of such report;
(b) A timeline for each community school district to achieve full accessibility in at least one elementary school, one middle school, and one high school, within five years;
(c) The costs associated with achieving full accessibility in at least one elementary school, one middle school, and one high school in each community school district within five years; and
(d) Recommendations on how the city can address the needs of students with disabilities, how the city can further assist students with disabilities, and any other recommendations that the task force deems appropriate; and
3. Make a good faith effort to procure relevant information from any state or city agency or organization that may possess such information, and, to the extent made available, to include such information in the report required by subdivision 2 of this section.
§ 4. The task force shall submit the report and accompanying recommendations required by section 3 of this local law to the mayor, the council, the chancellor of the city school district, and the commissioner of the mayor’s office for people with disabilities no later than July 1, 2020.
§ 5. The task force shall dissolve upon submission of the report required by section 3.
§ 6. This local law takes effect immediately and expires and is deemed repealed upon the dissolution of the task force in accordance with section 5 of this local law.
AM
LS #8575
12/3/18