Lawmakers amended legislation this week to halve the number of annual lockdown drills required for New York schools, including removing a provision that allowed parents to opt students out of participating altogether.

With 13 scheduled session days remaining for the year, lawmakers Tuesday said lockdown drill reform remains a top priority. Sen. Andrew Gounardes sponsors legislation to reduce the number of annually required school lockdown and active shooter drills from four to two.

"Lockdown, lockdown, lock the door; shut the lights off, say no more," Sen. Andrew Gounardes said Tuesday, reciting a nursery rhyme commonly taught to school children before a lockdown or active shooter drill. "Go behind the desk and hide, wait until it's safe inside. Lockdown, lockdown it's all done — now it's time to have some fun.

"...That is a nursery rhyme that is being taught to kids in schools today in 2024 in the United States of America about how they need to prepare for their own death in a classroom," the senator continued. "That is absolutely sickening."

State law requires four school lockdown or active shooter drills per year — or higher than 46 other U.S. states.

"This is a very traumatizing experience for kids, so we feel like two is a very balanced number," Gounardes added.

Lawmakers negotiated with State Education Department leaders, who worked with parents, mental health and school safety experts and law enforcement for months as the Legislature has pushed reform since last year.

Lawmakers used the department's new drill guidance to update the legislation, which mandates parents and guardians be notified of a drill at least one week in advance.

Gounardes and Assemblywoman Jo Anne Simon, both Brooklyn Democrats, have led the effort after receiving calls from several upset parents who say their children were traumatized by an active shooter simulation at school.

A provision was removed from the bill that would have allowed parents to opt out of the drills. It was not recommended in the department guidelines.

Mental health professionals have joined the fight, and rallied with lawmakers in the Capitol on Tuesday. They argue fewer drills will help reduce student stress and the ongoing youth mental health crisis.

"Our students, they have too many factors coming at them that are compromising their mental health," said Matthew Shapiro, senior director government affairs with the National Alliance on Mental Illness N.Y. "In trying to do good, we shouldn't do harm."

Lawmakers negotiated the proposal with state Education Department officials through last week, but the bill is expected to be met with hurdles to clear both chambers of the Legislature by June 6.

It's expected to easily pass the Senate for the second year in a row, but support is more uncertain in the Assembly after it stalled in the lower house last year after it failed to clear the Education Committee.

Assembly Education Committee chair Michael Benedetto declined to be interviewed Monday and said he's not ready to discuss the issue. Several lawmakers said he's expected to meet with State Education Department Commissioner Betty Rosa about the proposal in the coming days.

Simon said every bill is a negotiation and she's committed to getting it to the floor for a vote before session ends. But the assemblywoman added it does not mean pieces that underwent changes, like removing the ability to opt students out of drills, will not be done in future legislation.

"We have agreed to take out, for now, that opt out provision, but we know there are states increasingly doing that," Simon said. "And there are best practices about how to do that effectively, so that's something we'll keep looking at in the future."