NY State Senate Bill 2009-S2697

Senate Bill S2697

2009-2010 Legislative Session

Establishes the volunteer firefighters and emergency medical service volunteer tuition assistance grant program

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Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Higher Education Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Actions

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 06, 2010	referred to higher education
Feb 26, 2009	referred to higher education

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2009-S2697 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A6029
Current Committee:: Senate Higher Education
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Add §609, Ed L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2011-2012: S4724, A5148
2013-2014: S534, A5519
2015-2016: S650
2017-2018: S1813
2019-2020: S577

2009-S2697 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Establishes the volunteer firefighters and emergency medical service volunteer tuition assistance grant program; provides that counties shall have the option to establish such program by the enactment of a local law; provides for state reimbursement to counties for fifty percent of tuition assistance costs.

2009-S2697 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 BILL NUMBER:  S2697

 TITLE OF BILL :

An act to amend the education law, in relation to establishing a
volunteer firefighters and emergency medical service volunteer tuition
assistance grant program


 PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL :

This legislation would help to address the continuing difficulty local
volunteer fire and emergency medical service (EMS) departments have
had recruiting and retaining volunteers. This difficulty is
particularly true for young people who are hard pressed to pursue
their careers and their education while volunteering for these
critically important services.

 SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS :

This bill allows counties to establish a local tuition grants program
for active volunteer firefighters and EMS personnel at state operated
institutions. The grant can be for up to fifty percent of tuition
required at state operated institutions or community colleges.

This legislation also provides that, where a county has created a

tuition grants program, the state would reimburse the county at
one-half the actual tuition grant established by the county for each
eligible volunteer.

 JUSTIFICATION :

During the last several years it has become increasingly difficult for
local volunteer fire and EMS departments to recruit and retain hew
members. The demands on young people to meet various responsibilities
in their family and personal lives continue to grow. Family life,
career development and other demands limit people's ability to
volunteer their time. This is particularly true for volunteer firemen
and EMS personnel, who need special training in light of the
life-threatening situations they are exposed to and confronted at any
given time.

Over the last decade, the legislature has taken a variety of steps to
protect volunteers and their families. This includes special insurance
protection and retirement benefits for these volunteers.  However,
these incentives lend themselves to long tenured members and provide
little, if any, incentive for young people to become involved.

This legislation attempts to provide some direct help by focusing on
education. This should help local fire and EMS departments recruit
young people who are attending college but are willing to volunteer
their time to become part of a local firefighter or emergency medical
services organization.

 PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :

A.822a (2005-06), A.1798 (2003-04), S.7094 (2008)

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :

At county option.

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to academic
semesters, quarters and classroom hours beginning on or after January
1, 2011.

2009-S2697 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  2697

                       2009-2010 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                            February 26, 2009
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sens.  AUBERTINE,  ADDABBO,  C. JOHNSON, KLEIN, ONORATO,
  SAMPSON, SAVINO -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to
  be committed to the Committee on Higher Education

AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to establishing a  volun-
  teer  firefighters  and  emergency  medical  service volunteer tuition
  assistance grant program

  THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 609 to
read as follows:
  S  609. VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE VOLUNTEER
TUITION ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAM. 1. FOR PURPOSES OF THIS  SECTION,  THE
FOLLOWING TERMS SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOWING MEANINGS:
  A.  "VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTER" SHALL MEAN AN ACTIVE VOLUNTEER MEMBER OF A
FIRE COMPANY OF A COUNTY, A FIRE COMPANY OF  A  CITY,  TOWN  OR  VILLAGE
LOCATED  WITHIN  SUCH COUNTY, OR A FIRE DISTRICT FIRE DEPARTMENT LOCATED
WITHIN SUCH COUNTY, WHETHER OR NOT  ANY  SUCH  COMPANY  IS  INCORPORATED
UNDER ANY GENERAL OR SPECIAL LAW.
  B.  "VOLUNTEER  EMERGENCY  MEDICAL  SERVICE  PERSONNEL"  SHALL MEAN AN
ACTIVE VOLUNTEER MEMBER OF ANY EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE AS  ESTABLISHED
WITHIN A COUNTY, TOWN, VILLAGE OR CITY OR LOCAL TAX DISTRICT, WHETHER OR
NOT ANY SUCH SERVICE IS INCORPORATED UNDER ANY GENERAL OR SPECIAL LAW.
  C. "AT LEAST A PART-TIME BASIS" SHALL MEAN ENROLLMENT FOR AT LEAST SIX
HOURS PER SEMESTER OR FOUR HOURS PER QUARTER.
  D.  "TUITION" SHALL MEAN THE TOTAL SEMESTER, QUARTER OR CLASSROOM HOUR
COST OF INSTRUCTION TO THE STUDENT AT A  STATE-OPERATED  INSTITUTION  OR
COMMUNITY COLLEGE, AS DEFINED PURSUANT TO SECTION THREE HUNDRED FIFTY OF
THIS CHAPTER, EXCLUDING MANDATORY FEES, BOOK CHARGES AND ROOM AND BOARD.
  2.  ANY COUNTY WITHIN THE STATE IS HEREBY AUTHORIZED, BY THE ENACTMENT
OF   A   LOCAL   LAW,   TO   ESTABLISH   AND   IMPLEMENT   A   VOLUNTEER
FIREFIGHTERS/EMERGENCY  MEDICAL  SERVICE  VOLUNTEER  TUITION  ASSISTANCE

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD02474-01-9

S. 2697                             2

GRANT   PROGRAM   TO   PROVIDE   TUITION   ASSISTANCE    TO    VOLUNTEER
FIREFIGHTERS/EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE VOLUNTEERS ENROLLED ON AT LEAST A
PART-TIME  BASIS AT STATE-OPERATED INSTITUTIONS OR COMMUNITY COLLEGES AS
THOSE  TERMS ARE DEFINED IN SECTION THREE HUNDRED FIFTY OF THIS CHAPTER.
ANY PROGRAM ESTABLISHED PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION SHALL  PROVIDE  TUITION
ASSISTANCE  GRANTS  TO  SUCH  VOLUNTEER  FIREFIGHTERS/EMERGENCY  MEDICAL
SERVICE VOLUNTEERS IN AN AMOUNT UP  TO  FIFTY  PERCENT  OF  THE  TUITION
REQUIRED  TO  BE  PAID  TO  SUCH STATE-OPERATED INSTITUTION OR COMMUNITY
COLLEGE BY SUCH FIREFIGHTER/EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE VOLUNTEER.
  3. ANY COUNTY WHICH  ESTABLISHES  A  VOLUNTEER  FIREFIGHTERS/EMERGENCY
MEDICAL  SERVICE  VOLUNTEER TUITION ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAM PURSUANT TO
THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION SHALL BE ENTITLED TO  REIMBURSEMENT  FROM
THE  STATE FOR ONE-HALF OF THE ACTUAL COST OF TUITION ASSISTANCE PAID BY
SUCH COUNTY TO  VOLUNTEER  FIREFIGHTERS  OR  EMERGENCY  MEDICAL  SERVICE
PERSONNEL.
  S 2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to academ-
ic semesters, quarters and classroom hours beginning on or after January
1, 2011.

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