Senate passes education budget bill, delays electric school bus mandate five years

The New York State Senate on May 19 approved a supplemental education budget bill, Assembly 10006C (Calendar 1284), that delays parts of the state's electric school-bus mandate and requires school districts to verify that K-5 math instruction aligns with evidence-based best practices. The chamber passed the bill 59-2; Senators O'Mara and Walczyk voted no.

Senator Mayer, the bill sponsor for the education provisions, said the measure "delays the bus requirement for purchasing or leasing to July 1, 2032, and the deadline by which school[s] may only operate to July 1, 2040," and defended funding elements included in the package. The bill also directs the State Education Department to produce guidance on "evidence-based instructional best practices" for early grade math and requires districts to verify alignment by Sept. 1, 2027. Mayer said the provision is not a curriculum mandate but a state-developed set of best practices districts must attest to following.

Opponents and skeptical senators raised two central objections. Senator O'Mara criticized the process and the timing, saying senators and constituents lack information about the remaining nine budget bills and that moving significant spending without a finalized revenue bill was "disconcerting." Senator Borrello and other members pressed for an independent study and additional funding assurances for the electric-bus transition, calling it an "unfunded mandate" for many rural districts. "If we're going to take five years, and we're going to delay it, let's actually make sure we do something productive in that five years to ensure that this truly will work," Borrello said on the floor.

Major funding details discussed during debate included an all-funds budget figure cited by senators of about $268 billion and an indicated state-funds total near $161.4 billion; sponsors said the draft financial plan showed a roughly 3.8% increase over fiscal 2026 and that state operating funds were expected to grow by about 8.5% in the bill (and about 21% across two years). Senators noted tax receipts were expected to increase and that the revenue bill had not yet been printed; the sponsor said revenue details were expected mid-week but argued voting on some budget bills before the final revenue bill followed past practice.

On electric-bus funding, Mayer and supporters cited prior appropriations and programs including a $500 million allocation via the Environmental Bond Act and roughly $100 million from the Sustainable Futures Fund, as well as federal grants and NYSERDA resources that had supported earlier bus purchases and planning. Opponents said those sums do not cover the full additional capital and infrastructure costs; several senators warned that districts could face large retrofitting bills for charging infrastructure if additional support is not provided.

On math instruction, sponsors said the State Education Department (SED) will draft the recommended evidence-based best practices and that the bill gives SED discretion to determine the guidance and implementation timeline; senators repeatedly asked whether SED would supply funding for curriculum replacement, teacher retraining or instructional materials, and how outcomes would be measured.

The bill also contains housing-related provisions (Part P) that expand the statutory definition and penalties for tenant harassment in rent-regulated housing so that coordinated harassment of multiple tenants can constitute aggravated conduct; sponsors said the change was intended to respond to cases developed by prosecutors. That provision prompted questions about whether public housing authorities such as NYCHA would be affected.

After extended debate and multiple floor explanations of votes, the Secretary announced the result: Ayes 59, Nays 2. The Senate accepted the message of necessity and passed Assembly 10006C. Leaders said remaining budget bills would be taken up in the coming days; the Senate adjourned until May 21.

The bill amends the Education Law and will move to the governor for consideration. The Senate recorded multiple floor explanations from both supporters and critics; the two recorded no votes were by Senators O'Mara and Walczyk.