BILL NUMBER: S9193

SPONSOR: RHOADS
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the education law, in relation to prohibiting funding of
any degree-granting institution of higher education if such institution
permits certain organizations on campus

 
PURPOSE:

Prohibits funding of any degree granting institution permits certain
organizations on campus.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 239-c to
read as follows:

§ 239-c. Prohibition of funding to certain institutions. 1. No degree
granting institution of higher education in this state shall be granted
any form of financial aid, or appropriated any monies from state, if
              

such institution directly or indirectly, permits organizations or activ-
ities in support of such organizations, designated as terrorist organ-
ization pursuant to U.S.C. § 1189 on such institution's campus.

This act shall effect immediately and shall apply to school years
commencing on and after July 1, 2024.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

The sudden, brutal and unconscionable Hamas attack against Israeli
civilians on October 7, 2023, has led to a stunning increase in hate.
US-based advocacy groups are reporting a sustained spike in hate inci-
dents against Jewish and Muslim individuals since the attack and the
resulting outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas.

The Anti-Defamation League had already recorded over 2,000 antisemitic
incidents in the United States through July of 2023. Between the Hamas
attack October 7, 2023 and December 7, 2023, the Anti-Defamation League
reported 2031 antisemitic incidents, over two-thirds of which were
directly related to the fighting in Israel and Gaza. By comparison,
there were 465 incidents over the same period in 2022. Shockingly over
400 of these incidents occurred on college and university campuses. That
number has only increased with virulent anti-Semitic protests taking
place over the last few weeks at colleges across New York State and the
nation, most notably at Columbia University and CCNY, with the purpose-
ful intimidation of Jewish students, faculty and community members,
necessitating the cancellation of classes and restriction of Jewish
student's movement and access to the campus for their own protection.
This included the violent take over and occupation of at least one
building on the Columbia campus causing significant property damage and
the intervention of armed units of the NYPD to liberate the building and
rid the campus of rioters from both inside and outside the campus popu-
lation.

Protests have included calls for the destruction of the State of Israel;
for the death of Jews and for the destruction of the United States and
have featured expressions of support for groups like Hamas which
conducted the murder of over 1,300 Israeli's on October 7, 2023 and took
over 253 hostages in violation of the Geneva Convention and Interna-
tional Law, and which have been identified by the United States Govern-
ment as terrorist organizations.

These actions have been met with silence and inaction on the part of
many campus administrators allowing their campuses to become ideological
war zones where hate, the incitement of violence and the celebration and
glorification of acts of terrorism and organizations that promote them,
are permitted to take root and flourish putting the physical and
emotional safety of students, faculty and citizens at risk. This is
flatly unacceptable and where taxpayer dollars are utilized to help
support colleges and universities which fail to provide students the
opportunity to learn in an environment free from dangerous speech and/or
actions in support of terrorism or groups that sponsor or commit acts of
terrorism as recognized by the Federal government, it is in the State's
interest to withdraw such funding immediately.

This Amendment requires the withholding of State financial aid of any
kind from any degree-granting institution of higher education within the
State of New York which directly or indirectly permits organizations
designated as terrorist organizations under 8 U.S.C.

Sec. 1189 and bans the funding and use of campus facilities or property
by any student or group, organization or other entity which directly or
indirectly promotes, encourages, advocates for or permits activities on
campus in support of terrorist organizations as designated under 8
U.S.C. Sec. 1189. State taxpayer dollars will no longer help provide the
stage for purveyors of hate, violence and terror to perform.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall effect immediately and shall apply to school years
commencing on and after July 1, 2024.