S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   4337
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             February 14, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. GUNTHER, WEPRIN -- read once and referred to the
   Committee 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-
 ED BY THE OFFICE FOR PEOPLE WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES AND  PROVID-
 ING  SUPPORTS  AND  SERVICES TO INDIVIDUALS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILI-
 TIES.
 
              

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD07355-01-3
 A. 4337                             2
 
   (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.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to academ-
 ic semesters, quarters and classroom hours beginning on or after January
 1, 2025.