S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7232
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               May 15, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M. of A. SIMON, COLTON, CRUZ, DARLING, LUPARDO, RAMOS --
   read once and referred to the Committee on Higher Education
 
 AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to establishing the  "New
   York Teach Program" conditional tuition waiver
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and be  cited  as  the
 "New York Teach Program".
   §  2.  The  education  law is amended by adding a new section 679-k to
 read as follows:
   § 679-K. NEW YORK TEACH  PROGRAM.  1.  PURPOSE.  THE  PRESIDENT  SHALL
 ESTABLISH  A  CONDITIONAL TUITION WAIVER FOR ACCELERATED FIVE-YEAR BACH-
 ELOR'S AND MASTER'S PROGRAM IN EDUCATION FOR ELIGIBLE  PUBLIC  UNIVERSI-
 TIES FOR THE PURPOSE OF INCREASING THE NUMBER OF TEACHERS SERVING UNDER-
 SERVED DISTRICTS IN THE STATE.
   2. ELIGIBILITY. TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR A CONDITIONAL TUITION WAIVER PURSU-
 ANT  TO THIS SECTION, APPLICANTS SHALL (A) BE ACCEPTED IN AN ACCELERATED
 FIVE-YEAR BACHELOR'S AND MASTER'S DEGREE PROGRAM AT A PUBLIC  UNIVERSITY
 IN  THE  STATE;  (B) SIGN A CONTRACT TO AGREE TO TEACH AT THEIR ASSIGNED
 HARD TO STAFF CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR AT LEAST FOUR YEARS AFTER  GRADU-
 ATION;  (C)  COMPLETE  THE ACCELERATED FIVE-YEAR BACHELOR'S AND MASTER'S
 DEGREE PROGRAM WITHIN FIVE YEARS OF ENROLLMENT; (D) BE A NEW YORK  STATE
 RESIDENT;  AND  (E)  MAINTAIN A MINIMUM 3.0 GRADE POINT AVERAGE FOR EACH
 ACADEMIC YEAR ENROLLED IN THE PROGRAM.
   3. DEFINITIONS. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, THE TERM (A) "ELIGI-
 BLE PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES" SHALL MEAN A  PUBLIC  UNIVERSITY  IN  NEW  YORK
 STATE WITH BOTH A BACHELOR'S AND MASTER'S DEGREE IN EDUCATION; (B) "HARD
 TO  STAFF  CITY  SCHOOL DISTRICTS" SHALL MEAN SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN A CITY
 THAT HAVE A SHORTAGE OF TEACHERS, AS DESIGNATED BY THE  DEPARTMENT;  AND
 (C)  "ACCELERATED  FIVE-YEAR BACHELOR'S AND MASTER'S PROGRAM" SHALL MEAN
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD06179-01-3
 A. 7232                             2
              

 
 AN ACADEMIC COURSE OF STUDY WHICH ALLOWS A  STUDENT  TO  COMPLETE  THEIR
 BACHELOR'S AND MASTER'S DEGREES IN EDUCATION IN FIVE ACADEMIC YEARS.
   4.  PRIORITY.  PRIORITY  FOR  THIS CONDITIONAL TUITION WAIVER SHALL BE
 GIVEN TO APPLICANTS WHO ARE ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED AS DETERMINED  BY
 THE CORPORATION.
   5. WAIVER AMOUNT DETERMINATION. THE CORPORATION SHALL GRANT FIVE THOU-
 SAND  CONDITIONAL  WAIVERS  PURSUANT  TO THIS SUBDIVISION IN EACH OF THE
 FIRST TEN ACADEMIC YEARS AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF  THIS  SUBDIVISION.
 UPON  COMPLETION  OF  THE TEN ACADEMIC YEARS AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF
 THIS SUBDIVISION, THE CORPORATION SHALL STUDY THE EFFECTIVENESS OF  THIS
 TUITION  WAIVER  PROGRAM.  SUCH  STUDY SHALL INCLUDE THE SUCCESS RATE OF
 PARTICIPANTS, INCLUDING TEST SCORES FOR THE STUDENTS TAUGHT  BY  PROGRAM
 PARTICIPANTS  AND  SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR REVIEWS OF PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS.
 UPON COMPLETION OF THE STUDY, THE CORPORATION SHALL DETERMINE THE NUMBER
 OF CONDITIONAL WAIVERS THAT SHALL BE GRANTED IN THE ACADEMIC YEARS THER-
 EAFTER.
   6. ASSIGNMENT OF GRADUATES. PRIOR TO GRADUATION, THE CORPORATION SHALL
 ASSIGN STUDENTS THAT HAVE BEEN GRANTED A CONDITIONAL TUITION WAIVER TO A
 HARD TO STAFF CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT. THE ASSIGNMENT SHALL BE MADE  PURSU-
 ANT TO THE NEED FOR TEACHERS AT SUCH SCHOOL DISTRICTS. THE STUDENT SHALL
 BE  ELIGIBLE  TO  APPEAL  THE  ASSIGNED  DISTRICT AND REQUEST A SPECIFIC
 PLACEMENT IN THE CASE OF EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES  INCLUDING,  BUT  NOT
 LIMITED TO, AN ILLNESS IN THE STUDENT'S FAMILY.
   7.  FAILURE  TO COMPLY. THE CONDITIONAL TUITION WAIVER SHALL BE VOIDED
 BY THE CORPORATION, AND SUCH PERSON SHALL OWE THE TUITION AMOUNT FOR THE
 FIVE-YEAR ACCELERATED PROGRAM TO THE  CORPORATION  IN  THE  FORM  OF  AN
 EDUCATIONAL  LOAN  IN  THE  EVENT  A  PERSON  RECEIVING THIS CONDITIONAL
 TUITION WAIVER FAILS TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF  (A)  COMPLETING
 THE  DEGREE  PROGRAM  IN  FIVE  ACADEMIC YEARS; OR (B) TEACHING IN THEIR
 ASSIGNED SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR FOUR YEARS.
   8. TRANSFER. A STUDENT RECEIVING A CONDITIONAL TUITION WAIVER PURSUANT
 TO THIS SECTION SHALL BE ELIGIBLE TO TRANSFER  BETWEEN  ELIGIBLE  PUBLIC
 UNIVERSITIES  WITHOUT  BEING  DISQUALIFIED  FROM THE CONDITIONAL TUITION
 WAIVER PROGRAM. AN ELIGIBLE PUBLIC UNIVERSITY SHALL ALLOW A STUDENT WITH
 A CONDITIONAL TUITION WAIVER PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION  TO  TRANSFER  ANY
 CREDITS EARNED AT A DIFFERENT ELIGIBLE PUBLIC UNIVERSITY.
   9.  OTHER  FINANCIAL  AID.  A  STUDENT RECEIVING A CONDITIONAL TUITION
 WAIVER PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION SHALL NOT BE DISALLOWED  FROM  RECEIVING
 ANY  OTHER  AWARDS,  AID, OR SCHOLARSHIPS. THE WAIVER SHALL APPLY TO THE
 REMAINING TUITION BALANCE AFTER ANY SUCH AWARDS,  AID,  OR  SCHOLARSHIPS
 ARE APPLIED TO THE TUITION BALANCE.
   10. RULES AND REGULATIONS. THE CORPORATION IS AUTHORIZED TO PROMULGATE
 RULES AND REGULATIONS AND MAY PROMULGATE EMERGENCY REGULATIONS NECESSARY
 FOR  THE  IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION. IN THE EVENT
 THAT THERE ARE MORE APPLICANTS WHO HAVE THE SAME PRIORITY,  AS  PROVIDED
 IN  SUBDIVISION  FOUR  OF  THIS SECTION, THAN THERE ARE REMAINING CONDI-
 TIONAL TUITION WAIVERS, THE CORPORATION SHALL PROVIDE IN REGULATION  THE
 METHOD  OF DISTRIBUTING THE REMAINING NUMBER OF SUCH CONDITIONAL TUITION
 WAIVERS, WHICH MAY INCLUDE A LOTTERY OR OTHER FORM OF RANDOM SELECTION.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.