BUFFALO, N.Y. — Assemblyman David DiPietro, R-East Aurora, said the gravity of the situation really landed for him when he got a letter from a social worker with Attica Central School District.

She described a single day in February when she made phone calls to four separate families of students that wanted to commit suicide.

"When I read this at my desk last month, I started crying," DiPietro said. "This should never happen."

The social worker told him hardships for students at home can be far worse than the risk of COVID-19 at school. She described seeing parents drunk or fighting, small children responsible for their younger siblings, and issues with sexual abuse and mental health.

"Counselors I talk to, don't have enough time in the day to see all the children that they're getting put on their caseload," DiPietro said.

He said superintendents have told him the solution is to get all students fully back in school buildings, and they said there's a simple way to do it. He is proposing reducing the social distancing requirements in classrooms.

"At six feet to three feet in the classroom, we can open up schools," he said. "Every school will have the opportunity to open up 100 percent."

The Republican assemblyman said he got medical opinions before drafting the bill, including from the chief medical officer of Oishei Children's Hospital in Buffalo.

In a statement, Oishei did not endorse the legislation outright, pointing out schools need individualized solutions. However, the hospital did reference guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics that suggests three feet spacing of desks can be acceptable, especially if remote learning is the only alternative.

Meanwhile, private nurse practitioner Linda Blazier said DiPietro's plan is sound.

"The percentage of children who have had severe illness from COVID-19 is exceptionally low, and there's no good reason to keep the schools closed even for one minute longer," Blazier said.

Republican Congressman Chris Jacobs said getting children back in school is one of the most important issues facing the state. He said DiPietro's ask is more than reasonable.

"The science says it is safe to open for the children and for the teachers," Jacobs said. "That is clear. The data is also clear how devastating this is. (It's) far more devastating than any minimal COVID-19 risk to the children."

DiPietro doesn't believe this is a partisan issue, and said he has no problem with a Democrat becoming the primary sponsor of his bill.

"Any Democrat in the majority who wants to take this. Locally, our two senators Sean and Tim, Sean Ryan and Tim Kennedy, they can have it. Anyone on the Assembly side can have this bill," he said. "It's written generically and there's no number on it yet."

The state Department of Health did not return Spectrum News’ request for a statement, although the commissioner indicated last month the department was looking at possible changes to the social distancing rules.