Local Law 231 

By Council Members Kallos, Dromm, Cohen, Rosenthal, Gentile, Rodriguez, Menchaca, Reynoso, Chin, Rose, Eugene and Koo

A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to requiring the department of education to report on gay-straight or gender-sexuality alliance organizations

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

Section 1.  The administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new chapter 14 to title 21-A to read as follows:

Chapter 14. Reporting on GSAs

§ 21-976 Reporting on GSAs. a. For the purposes of this chapter, the following terms have the following meanings:

GSA. The term “GSA” means student-led groups that focus on issues of sexual and gender orientation, including but not limited to, combating homophobia and transphobia. These groups are commonly referred to as gay-straight alliances or gender-sexuality alliances.

LGBTQGNC training. The term “LGBTQGNC training” means training or professional development provided by the department that relates to supporting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning and gender non-conforming students.

School. The term “school” means a school of the city school district of 
the city of New York that contains any combination of grades from grade six up to and including grade twelve.

b. No later than June 1, 2019, and annually thereafter on or before June 1, the department shall submit to the council and post online a report for the current academic year regarding the status of GSAs at each school. The report shall contain the following information for each school:

1. Whether such school has a GSA;

2. The number of teachers at such school that have received LGBTQGNC training;

3. The number of administrators, including the principal, at such school that have received LGBTQGNC training; and

4. A narrative description of the LGBTQGNC training offered to teachers and administrators, including whether any such training includes training related to GSAs.

c. No information that is otherwise required to be reported pursuant to this section shall be reported in a manner that would violate any applicable provision of federal, state or local law relating to the privacy of student information or that would conflict with the interests of law enforcement or the safety of students. 

§ 2. This local law takes effect immediately.

Previous bill version 

A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to requiring the department of education to report on gay straight, or gender sexuality, alliance organizations

 Be it enacted by the Council as follows: 

Section 1.  The administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new chapter 12 to title 21-A to read as follows:

Chapter 12. Reporting on GSAs

§ 21-974 Report on GSAs. a. For the purposes of this chapter, the following terms have the following meanings:

GSA. The term “GSA” means student lead groups with the primary purpose of providing a safe space for students to discuss issues of sexual and gender orientation and combating homophobia and transphobia. These groups may be referred to as gay straight alliances or gender sexuality alliances.

School. The term “school” means a public school of the city school district of 
the city of New York that contains any combination of grades from and including pre-kindergarten through grade twelve.

Meetings. The term “meetings” means all meetings conducted by GSAs, including both ordinarily scheduled and recurring meetings for and between members, and meetings conducted with members acting as representatives of GSAs, with other parties, including but not limited to school officials, local politicians, or GSAs from other schools or other community groups.

Members. The term “members” means students who attend GSA meetings or are otherwise involved in the governance or functioning of GSAs.

b. No later than December 1, 2017, the department shall submit to the council and post online a report for the preceding academic year regarding the status of GSAs at each school. The report shall contain the following information for each school:

1. Whether such school has a GSA;

2. Whether such GSA has an allotted budget, and if so the amount of such budget;

3. Additional supports, including but not limited to, the use of school facilities, provided by such school to such GSA, as applicable;

4. The number of meetings held by such GSA;

5. The number of members of such GSA;

6. Whether teachers or parents are involved with such GSA;

7. The number of teachers at such school that have received training related to GSAs;

8. Whether such GSA has a mission statement or other stated goals, and if so, a description of such mission statement or stated goals; and

9. If such school does not have a GSA, whether such school has plans for creating a GSA.

c. The times, dates, and locations of meetings; the names or other personal information of members in attendance at such meetings or otherwise involved in GSAs and the names or other personal information of school staff who are involved with GSAs, shall not be reported. Additionally, no information that is otherwise required to be reported pursuant to this section shall be reported in a manner that would violate any applicable provision of federal, state or local law relating to the privacy of student information or that would conflict with the interests of law enforcement or the safety of students. If a category contains between 1 and 5 students, or contains an amount that would allow the amount of another category that is five or less to be deduced, the number shall be replaced with a symbol.

§ 2. This local law takes effect immediately.

EC

LS #10010

6/26/18