Requiring the DOE to distribute information regarding educational rights and departmental policies related to interactions with non-local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities.

A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to requiring the department of education to distribute information regarding educational rights and departmental policies related to interactions with non-local law enforcement

The proposed legislation would require the Department of Education (DOE) to annually distribute information related to students’ and parents’ educational rights and the DOE’s policies and procedures related to interactions with non-local law enforcement. Such information would include information on: available legal resources to help students and parents understand their rights and options regarding their educational rights, privacy rights, circumstances under which students may have the right to refuse to speak with non-local law enforcement, immigration legal assistance, and DOE’s protocol and policies with regard to interactions with non-local law enforcement, including procedures for when a student’s parent has been detained or otherwise separated from a family; the number of staff trained on such policies; and the method by which parents may update a student’s emergency contact information. The bill would require the DOE to notify any student whose directory information may be released pursuant to the family educational rights and privacy act what information may be released, and to whom, and how students or their parents may opt out of such release of information. The bill would also require the DOE to, upon any request by non-local law enforcement for access to a student or student’s records, notify the student’s parent of such request (unless notification is prohibited by law) and provide information to the student and student’s parent about available resources for seeking legal assistance.