NY State Senate Bill 2019-S4847

Senate Bill S4847

2019-2020 Legislative Session

Establishes the volunteer firefighters of New York higher education learning plan

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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 08, 2020	referred to higher education
Mar 27, 2019	referred to higher education

co-Sponsors

2019-S4847 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A6969
Current Committee:: Senate Higher Education
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Add §669-i, Ed L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2013-2014: S5374
2015-2016: S1829, A5162
2017-2018: S755, A3234
2021-2022: S4417, A1191
2023-2024: A1397

2019-S4847 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Establishes the volunteer firefighters of New York higher education learning plan.

2019-S4847 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                
 
BILL NUMBER: S4847

SPONSOR: MAY
 
TITLE OF BILL:  An act to amend the education law, in relation to the
volunteer firefighters of New York higher education learning plan

 
PURPOSE:

This act creates the Volunteer Firefighters of New York Higher Education
Learning Plan.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 amends the education law by adding new section 669-i.
Subsection one of § 669-i establishes the eligibility requirements for
undergraduate students at the State University of New York who are
members in good standing of one of New York's Volunteer fire companies
to participate in the program. Subsection two of § 669-i provides that
the awards shall be granted to applicants that the corporation has
certified are eligible based on the amount of funds appropriated.
Subsection three of § 669-i provides that awards shall be limited to not

more than four academic years of full time undergraduate study.
Subsection four of § 669-i establishes that the maximum award shall be
either one hundred percent of annual tuition charged to state residents
at the State University of New York or the actual tuition charged,
whichever is less. Subsection five of § 669-i provides the criteria by
which the corporation shall convert the award to a student loan.

Section 2 is the effective date.  sk 1  
JUSTIFICATION:

New York's Volunteer Fire Companies provide fire and emergency response
services to New Yorkers all across the Empire State. The provision of
these important and essential services would not be possible without the
thousands of New Yorkers who volunteer their time and energy to serve as
volunteer firefighters in their community. In recent years, recruiting
and retaining enough individuals to adequately provide volunteer fire
and emergency response services has been proven very difficult in many
communities.

As a way to attract and retain new members, the Firemen's Association of
the State of New York has launched the Higher Education Learning Plan
which provides active volunteer firefighters with tuition reimbursement
for the successful completion of courses at a nearby community college.

Many communities throughout New York State do not have a community
college nearby. Instead, many have a four-year State University of New
York College nearby.

This bill would create a state-wide program allowing active volunteer
firefighters to receive tuition reimbursement for the successful
completion of undergraduate courses at a State University of New York
College. Creation of this program will provide New York's volunteer fire
companies with a valuable incentive to use in the recruiting and retain-
ing of individuals to serve as volunteer firefighters in their communi-
ty.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2017-2018: S. 755A / A3234A
2015-2016: S1829A / A5162
2013-2014: S5374 /

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

Subject to budgetary appropriation.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

2019-S4847 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   4847
 
                        2019-2020 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              March 27, 2019
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  MAY  --  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  the  volunteer  fire-
   fighters of New York higher education learning plan
 
   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  669-i
 to read as follows:
   §  669-I. VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS OF NEW YORK HIGHER EDUCATION LEARNING
 PLAN. 1. ELIGIBILITY. UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS WHO ARE MATRICULATED IN  AN
 APPROVED  UNDERGRADUATE  PROGRAM AT THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AND
 ARE MEMBERS IN GOOD STANDING IN ONE OF NEW YORK'S VOLUNTEER FIRE  COMPA-
 NIES  SHALL  BE  ELIGIBLE  FOR AN AWARD UNDER THIS SECTION, PROVIDED THE
 APPLICANT: (A) SIGNS A CONTRACT WITH THE CORPORATION  AGREEING  TO  WORK
 FOR  A  NEW  YORK  VOLUNTEER  FIRE COMPANY ON A FULL-TIME BASIS FOR FIVE
 YEARS; AND (B) COMPLIES WITH THE APPLICABLE PROVISIONS OF  THIS  ARTICLE
 AND  ALL  REQUIREMENTS  PROMULGATED  BY THE CORPORATION FOR THE ADMINIS-
 TRATION OF THE PROGRAM.
   2. WITHIN THE AMOUNTS APPROPRIATED THEREFOR, AWARDS SHALL  BE  GRANTED
 TO APPLICANTS THAT THE CORPORATION HAS CERTIFIED ARE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE
 SUCH  AWARDS. SUCH AWARDS SHALL BE MADE TO RECIPIENTS AFTER THE SUCCESS-
 FUL COMPLETION OF EACH ACADEMIC YEAR, AS DEFINED BY THE CORPORATION.
   3. AN AWARD SHALL ENTITLE THE RECIPIENT TO  ANNUAL  PAYMENTS  FOR  NOT
 MORE THAN FOUR ACADEMIC YEARS OF FULL-TIME UNDERGRADUATE STUDY.
   4.  RECIPIENTS  SHALL  RECEIVE  AN  ANNUAL  PAYMENT FOR THE SUCCESSFUL
 COMPLETION OF AN ACADEMIC YEAR, EQUAL TO UP TO ONE  HUNDRED  PERCENT  OF
 THE  ANNUAL  TUITION  CHARGED  TO  STATE  RESIDENT STUDENTS ATTENDING AN
 UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM FULL-TIME AT THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK,  OR
 ACTUAL TUITION CHARGED, WHICHEVER IS LESS.
   5.  THE CORPORATION SHALL CONVERT TO A STUDENT LOAN THE FULL AMOUNT OF
 THE AWARD GIVEN PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION PLUS INTEREST, ACCORDING  TO  A
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.

                                                            LBD10488-01-9

 S. 4847                             2
 
 SCHEDULE  TO  BE DETERMINED BY THE CORPORATION IF: (A) A RECIPIENT FAILS
 TO COMPLETE THEIR COURSE OF STUDIES AS AGREED TO WITH THE CORPORATION OR
 IS NOT A MEMBER IN GOOD STANDING IN A NEW YORK  VOLUNTEER  FIRE  COMPANY
 WHILE OBTAINING HIS OR HER DEGREE; OR (B) TWO YEARS AFTER THE COMPLETION
 OF THEIR COURSE OF STUDIES AS AGREED TO WITH THE CORPORATION IT IS FOUND
 THAT THE RECIPIENT IS NOT WORKING FOR A NEW YORK VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY;
 OR  (C) A RECIPIENT HAS NOT WORKED FOR A NEW YORK VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY
 FOR FIVE OF THE SEVEN YEARS AFTER THE  COMPLETION  OF  THEIR  COURSE  OF
 STUDIES  AS  AGREED TO WITH THE CORPORATION; OR (D) A RECIPIENT FAILS TO
 RESPOND TO REQUESTS BY THE FIREMAN'S ASSOCIATION OF  THE  STATE  OF  NEW
 YORK FOR THE STATUS OF HIS OR HER ACADEMIC OR PROFESSIONAL PROGRESS.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

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Senate Bill S4847

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Sponsored By

Rachel May