Bill > S08740

This bill requires school districts to collect and report specific information about manifestation determination reviews (MDRs), which are conducted to determine if a student's disability caused their misconduct, to the state's department of education annually. The bill defines an MDR as a review of a student's behavior to see if it's a manifestation of their disability or presumed disability, as required by federal and state laws. A "qualifying student" is defined as a child with a disability or a student presumed to have a disability for disciplinary purposes. School districts must use an "MDR worksheet," a documentation tool, to record details such as the final determination of the review, the number of suspension days proposed versus imposed, the student's disability classification, demographic data, attendance at the review, and whether a functional behavioral assessment or behavior intervention plan was in place. Districts must also attach a copy of the MDR worksheet to any prior written notice for an MDR meeting. The department of education will then publicly report this information for each school district, broken down by demographic categories like race, gender, English language learner status, and disability classification, to promote transparency and equity in how students with disabilities are disciplined.

Education

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S8740