BILL NUMBER: S2280

SPONSOR: KENNEDY
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the education law, in relation to academic credit for
veterans

 
PURPOSE:

To amend education law to allow veterans, who have completed military
coursework and training, to receive academic credit for that coursework
at state operated institutions.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 adds a new section 6355 entitled the "Veterans Education
Through SONY Credits Act."

Section 2 defines the term "veteran" to mean a person, male or female,
who has served in the active military or naval service of the United
              

States during a war in which the United States engaged and who has been
released from such service otherwise than by dishonorable discharge, or
who has been furloughed to the reserve. Section 2 further requires the
SUNY Board of Trustees to develop a policy requiring each state univer-
sity of New York and city university of New York including colleges and
community colleges, to award academic credit to a student, who is also a
veteran, enrolled in the university, for courses that were part of the
student's military training or service and that meet the standards of
the American Council on Education or equivalent standards for awarding
the academic credit.

Section 3 establishes the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

According September 2012 statistics from the U.S. Department of Veterans
Affairs National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics, just under
one million veterans reside in New York State.  Across the nation, over
two million U.S. troops have deployed to Operation Iraqi Freedom and
Operation Enduring Freedom. It is the duty of the nation and the state
to understand and address our responsibilities to our returning service
members.

Data derived from a 2011 report to the New York State Health Foundation
by the RAND Corporation reported that 36 percent of sampled
veterans(n.913) in New York State were enrolled in higher education, and
77 percent of veterans expressed that additional training or college
would help to advance their career. Accordingly, colleges and universi-
ties have formed veterans affairs-specifics offices, often hiring veter-
ans as staff, to accommodate the rising number of veteran students.

Veteran students have different backgrounds, experiences, and skills
than traditional students, and as such have different needs. Often times
veterans, while attending school, have other obligations including work
and supporting a family. For many, the goal is to complete their degree
as quickly as possible in order to expedite the transition from soldier
to civilian.

This bill seeks to ensure that veterans receive higher education credits
for relevant military coursework and training. The American Council on
Education, in collaboration with the Department of Defense, evaluates
military transcripts from each branch of service and makes recommenda-
tions for appropriate academic credit. Veterans, throughout their mili-
tary careers, have received valuable and translatable education that
should be acknowledged at institutions of higher learning. By giving
credit where credit is due, New York State and its public university
system can accelerate veterans' transition into, and increase marketa-
bility in, a competitive labor force. In addition, the state will
continue its longstanding tradition of honoring our veterans and promot-
ing the State of New York as a welcoming place to live, work and learn.

War, for the purposes of this legislation, includes but is not limited
to, the Persian Gulf conflicts that took place on or after August 2,
1990 until 2011, and the war in Afghanistan after September 11, 2001 to
present and any future wars in which the United States engages in.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

01/08/14 REFERRED TO VETERANS, HOMELAND SECURITY AND MILITARY AFFAIRS
2015-16: S.752 REFERRED TO VETERANS, HOMELAND SECURITY AND MILITARY
AFFAIRS

2017-18: S.1837 REFERRED TO HIGHER EDUCATION

2019-20: S.2997 Referred to Veterans, Homeland Security and Military
Affairs

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.