NY State Senate Bill 2017-S1813

Senate Bill S1813

2017-2018 Legislative Session

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

download bill text pdf

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

View Actions

	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 03, 2018	referred to higher education
Jun 06, 2017	reported and committed to rules
Jan 11, 2017	referred to higher education

Votes

- Jun 6, 2017 - Higher Education Committee Vote
  S1813
  
  18
  
  Aye
  
  0
  
  Nay
  
  0
  
  Aye with Reservations
  
  0
  
  Absent
  
  1
  
  Excused
  
  0
  
  Abstained
  - - Higher Education Committee Vote: Jun 6, 2017
      
      aye (18)
      
      Alcantara
      
      Bailey
      
      Breslin
      
      Croci
      
      Funke
      
      Gallivan
      
      Griffo
      
      Helming
      
      Krueger
      
      LaValle
      
      Ortt
      
      Parker
      
      Peralta
      
      Ritchie
      
      Rivera
      
      Robach
      
      Seward
      
      Stavisky
      
      excused (1)
      
      Serino

2017-S1813 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A6902
Current Committee:: Senate Higher Education
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Add §609-a, Ed L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2009-2010: S2697
2011-2012: S4724
2013-2014: S534
2015-2016: S650
2019-2020: S577, A4423

2017-S1813 (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.

2017-S1813 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 BILL NUMBER:  S1813

 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 :

Section 1 adds a new section 609-a to the education law, to allow
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.

Section 2 establishes the effective date.

 JUSTIFICATION :

During the last several years it has become increasingly difficult for
local volunteer fire and EMS departments to recruit and retain new
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 :

2008: S.7094/A.1194
2009: S.2697/A.6029
2011-12: S.4724/A.5147 Referred to Higher Education
2013-14: S.534 Referred to Higher Education
2015-16: S.650 Referred to Higher Education

 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, 2019.

2017-S1813 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   1813
 
                        2017-2018 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 11, 2017
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. KENNEDY -- 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-a
 to read as follows:
   § 609-A. VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL  SERVICE  VOLUN-
 TEER  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
 GRANT    PROGRAM    TO   PROVIDE   TUITION   ASSISTANCE   TO   VOLUNTEER
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.

                                                            LBD00654-01-7

 S. 1813                             2
 
 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 TITLE.
 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.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to academ-
 ic semesters, quarters and classroom hours beginning on or after January
 1, 2019.

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