S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
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                                   8388
 
                        2019-2020 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               June 15, 2019
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. GUNTHER -- read once and referred to the Commit-
   tee on Higher Education
 
 AN ACT to amend the  mental  hygiene  law  and  the  education  law,  in
   relation  to  establishing  a  direct  service professional credit and
   career ladder tuition assistance grant program

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Section  13.23  of  the  mental hygiene law is amended by
 adding a new subdivision (d) to read as follows:
   (D) THE COMMISSIONER SHALL WORK COOPERATIVELY WITH THE STATE UNIVERSI-
 TY BOARDS OF TRUSTEES AND THE CITY  UNIVERSITY  BOARDS  OF  TRUSTEES  TO
 ESTABLISH  A  GRANT  PROGRAM  PURSUANT  TO  SECTION  SIXTY-THREE HUNDRED
 THREE-B OF THE EDUCATION LAW IN ORDER TO DEVELOP TRAINING  PROGRAMS  AND
 IMPROVE  EXISTING  WORKFORCE  DEVELOPMENT  PROGRAMS  FOR  THE PURPOSE OF
 TRAINING DIRECT SUPPORT PROFESSIONALS AND ESTABLISHING A  CAREER  LADDER
 FOR  INDIVIDUALS  WORKING  WITH INDIVIDUALS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILI-
 TIES. WITHIN FUNDS APPROPRIATED FOR SUCH PURPOSE, THE  COMMISSIONER  MAY
 ESTABLISH A DIRECT SERVICE PROFESSIONAL CREDIT AND CAREER LADDER TUITION
 ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAM.
   §  2.  The  education law is amended by adding a new section 6303-b to
 read as follows:
   § 6303-B. DIRECT SERVICE PROFESSIONAL CREDIT AND CAREER LADDER TUITION
 ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAM. 1. FOR PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, THE FOLLOWING
 TERMS SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOWING MEANINGS:
   (A) "DIRECT SERVICE PROFESSIONAL CREDIT PROGRAM" SHALL MEAN THE COMMU-
 NITY COLLEGE PROGRAMS ESTABLISHED PURSUANT TO  A  MEMORANDUM  OF  UNDER-
 STANDING BETWEEN THE COMMISSIONER OF THE OFFICE FOR PEOPLE WITH DEVELOP-
 MENTAL  DISABILITIES  AND  THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE STATE UNIVERSITY
 AND THE CITY UNIVERSITY TO  DEVELOP  TRAINING  PROGRAMS  AND  A  COLLEGE
 CERTIFICATE  PROGRAM  THAT LINKS THEORY WITH PRACTICE FOR THE PURPOSE OF
 TRAINING DIRECT SUPPORT PROFESSIONALS EMPLOYED BY AGENCIES WHO ARE FUND-
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD11876-01-9

 A. 8388                             2
 
 ED BY THE OFFICE FOR PEOPLE WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES AND  PROVID-
 ING  SUPPORTS  AND  SERVICES TO INDIVIDUALS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILI-
 TIES.
   (B)  "CAREER LADDER PROGRAM" SHALL MEAN THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE PROGRAMS
 ESTABLISHED PURSUANT  TO  A  MEMORANDUM  OF  UNDERSTANDING  BETWEEN  THE
 COMMISSIONER  OF  THE  OFFICE FOR PEOPLE WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES
 AND THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE STATE UNIVERSITY AND THE CITY UNIVERSI-
 TY TO DEVELOP A CAREER LADDER SUPERVISOR/MANAGER PROGRAM LEADING  TO  AN
 ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE IN HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES OR A RELATED MAJOR AND ASSO-
 CIATED   CREDIT-BEARING  CERTIFICATE  PROGRAMS  IN  COMMUNITY  RESIDENCE
 MANAGEMENT OR DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES FOR  PARTICIPANTS  WHO  DO  NOT
 ELECT TO OBTAIN AN ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE.
   (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 AT A  STATE-OPERATED  COMMUNITY  COLLEGE,  EXCLUDING
 MANDATORY FEES, BOOK CHARGES AND ROOM AND BOARD.
   (E) "GRANT PROGRAMS" SHALL MEAN THE DIRECT SERVICE PROFESSIONAL CREDIT
 PROGRAM AND THE CAREER LADDER PROGRAM.
   2.  THE  STATE  UNIVERSITY  BOARDS OF TRUSTEES AND THE CITY UNIVERSITY
 BOARD OF TRUSTEES MAY ESTABLISH GRANT PROGRAMS FOR COMMUNITY COLLEGES TO
 DEVELOP TRAINING PROGRAMS AND  IMPROVE  EXISTING  WORKFORCE  DEVELOPMENT
 PROGRAMS  FOR  THE  PURPOSE OF TRAINING DIRECT SUPPORT PROFESSIONALS AND
 ESTABLISHING A CAREER LADDER FOR INDIVIDUALS  WORKING  WITH  INDIVIDUALS
 WITH  DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES PURSUANT TO A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTAND-
 ING WITH THE COMMISSIONER OF THE OFFICE FOR  PEOPLE  WITH  DEVELOPMENTAL
 DISABILITIES.
   3.  PURSUANT  TO  A  MEMORANDUM  OF  UNDERSTANDING  WITH THE COMMUNITY
 COLLEGE AND THE COMMISSIONER OF THE OFFICE FOR PEOPLE WITH DEVELOPMENTAL
 DISABILITIES AND WITHIN FUNDS APPROPRIATED FOR SUCH PURPOSE, THE  OFFICE
 FOR  PEOPLE  WITH  DEVELOPMENTAL  DISABILITIES SHALL ESTABLISH A TUITION
 ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAM TO PROVIDE TUITION ASSISTANCE TO DIRECT SUPPORT
 PROFESSIONALS EMPLOYED BY AGENCIES WHO ARE FUNDED  BY  SUCH  OFFICE  AND
 PROVIDING  SUPPORTS AND SERVICES TO INDIVIDUALS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISA-
 BILITIES OR FOR INDIVIDUALS WORKING WITH INDIVIDUALS WITH  DEVELOPMENTAL
 DISABILITIES  ENROLLED  ON  AT  LEAST  A  PART-TIME BASIS AT A COMMUNITY
 COLLEGE AS DEFINED IN SECTION THREE HUNDRED FIFTY OF THIS CHAPTER.
   ANY PROGRAM ESTABLISHED PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION SHALL PROVIDE TUITION
 ASSISTANCE GRANTS TO SUCH DIRECT SUPPORT PROFESSIONALS EMPLOYED BY AGEN-
 CIES WHO ARE FUNDED BY THE OFFICE FOR PEOPLE WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABIL-
 ITIES AND PROVIDING SUPPORTS AND SERVICES TO INDIVIDUALS  WITH  DEVELOP-
 MENTAL  DISABILITIES  OR  FOR  INDIVIDUALS WORKING WITH INDIVIDUALS WITH
 DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES IN AN AMOUNT  UP  TO  FIFTY  PERCENT  OF  THE
 TUITION  REQUIRED TO BE PAID TO SUCH STATE-OPERATED COMMUNITY COLLEGE BY
 SUCH DIRECT SUPPORT PROFESSIONALS EMPLOYED BY AGENCIES WHO ARE FUNDED BY
 SUCH OFFICE AND PROVIDING SUPPORTS  AND  SERVICES  TO  INDIVIDUALS  WITH
 DEVELOPMENTAL  DISABILITIES  OR FOR INDIVIDUALS WORKING WITH INDIVIDUALS
 WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES.
   4. UPON SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF EITHER  THE  DIRECT  SERVICE  PROFES-
 SIONAL CREDIT PROGRAM OR THE CAREER LADDER PROGRAM THE OFFICE FOR PEOPLE
 WITH  DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES CERTIFIED PROVIDER EMPLOYING THE DIRECT
 SUPPORT PROFESSIONAL OR INDIVIDUALS WORKING WITH INDIVIDUALS WITH DEVEL-
 OPMENTAL DISABILITIES SHALL REIMBURSE THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOR ONE-HALF
 OF THE COST OF SUCH EMPLOYEE TRAINING OR TUITION.

 A. 8388                             3
 
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to academ-
 ic semesters, quarters and classroom hours beginning on or after January
 1, 2021.