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Prohibits the use of biometric identifying technology in schools for any reason other than certain specified purposes.

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New York Senate Bill 9643 amends Section 106-b of the State Technology Law to make permanent the existing ban on public and nonpublic elementary and secondary schools (including charter schools) purchasing or using biometric identifying technology for any purpose, including school security. Previously, the ban was temporary and subject to being lifted by the Commissioner of Education following a formal review process. This bill removes both the expiration date (July 1, 2022) and the entire commissioner authorization pathway, making the prohibition indefinite. Three narrow exceptions remain: (1) fingerprint identification of prospective school employees for compliance with Education Law or commissioner regulations; (2) fingerprint identification of teachers, administrators, and students for securely logging into digital devices for academic or administrative purposes; and (3) identification of employees who have provided written consent, or whose union under Article 14 of the Civil Service Law has provided written consent. The bill also eliminates the prior requirement (former subdivision 3) that the director issue a public report with stakeholder consultation before authorization could be granted, as well as the related public hearing requirement (former subdivision 4). The act takes effect immediately upon passage.

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