S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
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                                  1757

                       2013-2014 Regular Sessions

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                               (PREFILED)

                             January 9, 2013
                               ___________

Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  ENGLEBRIGHT,  RIVERA,  SCHIMMINGER, ORTIZ --
  Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. CLARK, CURRAN, CYMBROWITZ, GALEF, HOOP-
  ER, JACOBS, MAGEE, MILLMAN,  PERRY,  ROBINSON,  SCARBOROUGH,  SWEENEY,
  WEISENBERG, WRIGHT -- read once and referred to the Committee on High-
  er Education

AN  ACT  to amend the education law, in relation to enacting the "higher
  education community service act"

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

  Section  1.    Legislative  findings. The legislature hereby finds and
declares that the American tradition of volunteer community  service  is
essential  to  the  common good and is vital to the success  of not-for-
profit agencies, institutions and  organizations  dealing  with  a  vast
array of critical social problems. It recognizes growing support for the
idea that postsecondary students should receive recognition for substan-
tial  commitment  to  volunteer  service,  and  should  be given greater
encouragement to participate in volunteer community service  activities.
Volunteers and volunteer programs should be praised for their efforts in
helping  and  serving  others,  which  result  in changes in the way the
community views young people and in the  way  young  people  view  their
responsibilities to the community.
  The  legislature  further declares its desire to promote further inte-
gration of community service at  institutions  of  higher  education  by
encouraging  student-initiated  and student-designated community service
projects.
  S 2. The education law is amended by adding a new section 319 to  read
as follows:
  S  319.  HIGHER EDUCATION COMMUNITY SERVICE ACT. 1. SHORT TITLE.  THIS
SECTION SHALL BE KNOWN AND MAY BE CITED AS THE "HIGHER EDUCATION  COMMU-
NITY SERVICE ACT".

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

                                                           LBD04215-01-3

A. 1757                             2

  2.  ESTABLISHMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION COMMUNITY SERVICE ACT.  THERE IS
HEREBY ESTABLISHED A HIGHER EDUCATION  COMMUNITY  SERVICE  ACT  FOR  THE
PURPOSE  OF  PROMOTING  AND RECOGNIZING VOLUNTEER SERVICE INVOLVEMENT BY
STUDENTS IN HIGHER EDUCATION.  ACTIVITIES  CONDUCTED  UNDER  THE  HIGHER
EDUCATION COMMUNITY SERVICE ACT SHALL INCLUDE:
  A.  A CAMPUS BASED SCREENING PROCESS TO IDENTIFY AND NOMINATE SUCCESS-
FUL AND PROMISING COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECTS AND INITIATIVES FOR  RECOG-
NITION;
  B.  IDENTIFICATION  OF  EXISTING  QUALITY  COMMUNITY SERVICE PROGRAMS,
PROJECTS AND INITIATIVES INVOLVING POSTSECONDARY STUDENTS THAT PRODUCE A
SENSE OF SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND COMMITMENT TO THE COMMUNITY;
  C. INCENTIVES FOR INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION, STUDENTS AND OTHER
MEMBERS OF THE COLLEGE COMMUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN LONG  TERM  COMMUNITY
SERVICE PROGRAMS;
  D.  ENCOURAGEMENT OF INSTITUTIONS TO FORMULATE A SYSTEMATIC PROCESS TO
DISSEMINATE INFORMATION CONCERNING PROSPECTIVE VOLUNTEER PROJECTS TO THE
PARTICIPANTS OF GENERAL VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS ON OR OFF CAMPUS;
  E. ESTABLISHMENT OF A FOUNDATION TO RECEIVE PRIVATE FUNDS TO  BE  USED
TO  PROMOTE  A  WIDE  VARIETY OF SERVICE RELATED PROJECTS. PRIVATE FUNDS
SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO DONATIONS, GRANTS AND  FUNDRAISERS;
AND
  F.  ESTABLISHMENT OF A THREE-YEAR PROGRAM OF IMPLEMENTATION, INCLUDING
PILOT PROGRAMS AND ONGOING REVIEW AND EVALUATION.
  3.  ESTABLISHMENT  OF  VOLUNTEER  CONNECTIONS.  THE  COMMISSIONER,  IN
CONSULTATION WITH THE CHANCELLOR OF THE STATE UNIVERSITY, THE CHANCELLOR
OF  THE  CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AND THE PRESIDENT OF THE COMMISSION
ON INDEPENDENT COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES  SHALL  DEVELOP  A  PROGRAM  TO
ESTABLISH EFFECTIVE VOLUNTEER CONNECTIONS BETWEEN INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER
EDUCATION AND THEIR RESPECTIVE COMMUNITIES.
  4.  COUNCIL  FOR  HIGHER EDUCATION COMMUNITY SERVICE. A. A COUNCIL FOR
HIGHER EDUCATION COMMUNITY  SERVICE  SHALL  BE  ESTABLISHED  WITHIN  THE
DEPARTMENT  FOR  THE  PURPOSE  OF CONDUCTING ACTIVITIES PURSUANT TO THIS
SECTION. THE COUNCIL SHALL BE COMPOSED OF ELEVEN MEMBERS,  ONE  OF  WHOM
SHALL  BE  THE  COMMISSIONER,  EX  OFFICIO,  AND  TEN  OF  WHOM SHALL BE
APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR: TWO ON THE RECOMMENDATION  OF  THE  TEMPORARY
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE, TWO ON THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE SPEAKER OF THE
ASSEMBLY,  ONE  ON  THE  RECOMMENDATION  OF  THE  MINORITY LEADER OF THE
SENATE, AND ONE ON THE RECOMMENDATION OF  THE  MINORITY  LEADER  OF  THE
ASSEMBLY.  SUCH  MEMBERS  SHALL  INCLUDE  REPRESENTATIVES  OF  THE STATE
UNIVERSITY, CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK, THE  INDEPENDENT  COLLEGES  AND
UNIVERSITIES  OF  NEW  YORK  AND THE NEW YORK CAMPUS COMPACT. TWO OF THE
COUNCIL MEMBERS SHALL BE STUDENTS, SELECTED BY THE GOVERNOR.  THE  COUN-
CIL SHALL SELECT FROM AMONG ITS APPOINTED MEMBERS A CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR
WHO  SHALL SERVE IN OFFICE FOR TERMS OF ONE YEAR AND WHO SHALL BE ELIGI-
BLE FOR REELECTION FOR SUCCESSIVE TERMS.
  B. THE COUNCIL SHALL OVERSEE THE CREATION OF A STATEWIDE POSTSECONDARY
COMMUNITY SERVICE CENTER TO DISSEMINATE INFORMATION REGARDING   EXISTING
VOLUNTEER  ACTIVITIES,  MAKE  VOLUNTEER CONNECTIONS BETWEEN STUDENTS AND
THE COMMUNITIES, INTEGRATE PUBLIC AND COMMUNITY SERVICE INTO THE CURRIC-
ULUM, PROVIDE GUIDANCE AND COORDINATION, MONITOR AND EVALUATE  VOLUNTEER
PROGRAMS  AND  ACTIVITIES  AND  PROMOTE  THE  CONTINUATION OF PUBLIC AND
COMMUNITY SERVICE.
  C. THE COUNCIL SHALL MEET AT LEAST FOUR TIMES EACH  YEAR.  MEMBERS  OF
THE  COUNCIL  SHALL RECEIVE NO COMPENSATION FOR THEIR SERVICES BUT SHALL
BE REIMBURSED BY THE HIGHER EDUCATION COMMUNITY SERVICE  FOUNDATION  FOR

A. 1757                             3

REASONABLE  EXPENSES  ACTUALLY  AND  NECESSARILY INCURRED BY THEM IN THE
PERFORMANCE OF THEIR DUTIES PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION.
  D. THE COUNCIL SHALL REPORT BY SEPTEMBER FIRST EACH YEAR TO THE GOVER-
NOR, THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEM-
BLY  ON THE PROGRESS OF IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS SECTION, WITH RECOMMENDA-
TIONS FOR FUTURE ACTIVITIES.
  5. PETITIONING BY COUNCIL. THE COUNCIL SHALL, WITHIN  NINETY  DAYS  OF
ITS  APPOINTMENT, PETITION THE REGENTS TO INCORPORATE AS A PRIVATE, NOT-
FOR-PROFIT EDUCATION CORPORATION UNDER THIS CHAPTER, THE NEW YORK  FOUN-
DATION  FOR  HIGHER  EDUCATION COMMUNITY SERVICE, TO RECEIVE FUNDS TO BE
USED AS REQUESTED BY THE COUNCIL TO SUPPORT  AND  ADMINISTER  ACTIVITIES
AUTHORIZED IN THIS SECTION, AND OTHER PROJECTS THAT ENCOURAGE AND ASSIST
COMMUNITY SERVICE ACTIVITIES.
  S  3.  This  act  shall  take  effect  on  the first of September next
succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law.