S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    334
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 8, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of A. CRUZ, CUNNINGHAM, SAYEGH, RAGA, DAVILA, SIMON,
   ZINERMAN, LEVENBERG, GONZALEZ-ROJAS, RAMOS -- read once  and  referred
   to the Committee on Education
 
 AN  ACT  to  amend  the  education  law, in relation to establishing the
   bilingual teachers  of  tomorrow  teacher  recruitment  and  retention
   program
 
   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  3615
 to read as follows:
   §  3615.  BILINGUAL  TEACHERS  OF  TOMORROW  TEACHER  RECRUITMENT  AND
 RETENTION PROGRAM. 1. DEFINITIONS. A. THE TERM "SCHOOL WITH A  BILINGUAL
 TEACHER SHORTAGE" MEANS A PUBLIC SCHOOL IN WHICH THERE WAS A SHORTAGE OF
 BILINGUAL, CERTIFIED TEACHERS IN THE PREVIOUS SCHOOL YEAR AND THERE IS A
 PROJECTED  SHORTAGE  IN  THE  CURRENT  SCHOOL  YEAR AS DETERMINED BY THE
 COMMISSIONER.
   B. THE TERM "BILINGUAL, CERTIFIED TEACHER" MEANS A TEACHER WHO HOLDS A
 PERMANENT OR PROFESSIONAL STATE TEACHING CERTIFICATE APPROPRIATE TO  THE
 TEACHING  POSITION,  INCLUDING  THE SUBJECT AREA IF APPLICABLE, IN WHICH
 SUCH TEACHER IS TO BE EMPLOYED AND WHO IS FULLY QUALIFIED TO TEACH IN  A
 BILINGUAL EDUCATION PROGRAM.
   C.  THE  TERM  "SCHOOL  DISTRICT"  SHALL  MEAN  A  COMMON, UNION FREE,
 CENTRAL, CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL, OR CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT.
   D. THE TERM "BOARD OF EDUCATION" SHALL MEAN THE GOVERNING BOARD OF ANY
 PUBLIC SCHOOL OR PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT DEFINED IN PARAGRAPH C  OF  THIS
 SUBDIVISION.
   E.  THE  TERM  "YEAR  OF  SERVICE" SHALL MEAN TEN MONTHS OF CONTINUOUS
 FULL-TIME SERVICE AS A TEACHER DURING A SCHOOL YEAR, GENERALLY OCCURRING
 BETWEEN SEPTEMBER FIRST AND JUNE THIRTIETH.

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD00170-01-5
              

 A. 334                              2
 
   2. APPLICATION  AND  FUNDING.  A.  GRANTS  SHALL  BE  MADE  TO  SCHOOL
 DISTRICTS  FOR  BILINGUAL,  CERTIFIED  TEACHER RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION
 ACTIVITIES NECESSARY TO INCREASE  THE  NUMBER  OF  BILINGUAL,  CERTIFIED
 TEACHERS IN SCHOOLS WITH A BILINGUAL TEACHER SHORTAGE.
   B. SUCH GRANTS SHALL BE AWARDED TO SCHOOL DISTRICTS, WITHIN THE LIMITS
 OF FUNDS APPROPRIATED THEREFOR, THROUGH A COMPETITIVE PROCESS THAT TAKES
 INTO CONSIDERATION THE MAGNITUDE OF ANY SHORTAGE OF BILINGUAL, CERTIFIED
 TEACHERS  IN  THE  SCHOOL DISTRICT, THE FISCAL CAPACITY OF THE DISTRICT,
 AND THE NUMBER OF NEW BILINGUAL, CERTIFIED TEACHERS THE SCHOOL  DISTRICT
 INTENDS  TO  HIRE IN THE COMING SCHOOL YEAR. GRANTS PROVIDED PURSUANT TO
 THIS SECTION SHALL BE USED ONLY FOR  THE  PURPOSES  ENUMERATED  IN  THIS
 SECTION.
   C. NOT MORE THAN SIXTY PERCENT OF THE FUNDS ALLOCATED PURSUANT TO THIS
 SECTION SHALL BE MADE AVAILABLE TO ANY ONE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
   D.  ANY SCHOOL DISTRICT RECEIVING FUNDS UNDER THIS SECTION SHALL MAIN-
 TAIN ANY LOCAL EFFORT IN THE CURRENT YEAR EQUIVALENT TO SUCH  EFFORT  IN
 THE  BASE  YEAR  FOR  ANY  LOCAL  PROGRAM  RELATED TO THE RECRUITMENT OR
 RETENTION OF TEACHERS OR ANY PROGRAM THAT HAS PURPOSES THAT ARE  SIMILAR
 TO  ANY  PURPOSE  OF  THIS SECTION OR THE DISTRICT SHALL PROVIDE A LOCAL
 MATCH TO STATE FUNDS RECEIVED PURSUANT  TO  THIS  SECTION.  STATE  FUNDS
 PROVIDED PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION SHALL NOT SUPPLANT LOCAL FUNDS FOR ANY
 PURPOSE SIMILAR TO THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION.
   E.  APPLICATIONS  BY  A  SCHOOL  DISTRICT FOR FUNDING PURSUANT TO THIS
 SECTION SHALL BE FILED WITH THE COMMISSIONER, IN A  FORM  DETERMINED  BY
 THE  COMMISSIONER,  BY  JUNE FIRST OF THE BASE YEAR AND SCHOOL DISTRICTS
 SHALL BE NOTIFIED OF THEIR GRANT AWARD BY JUNE  THIRTIETH  OF  THE  BASE
 YEAR,  PROVIDED THAT IN ANY YEAR SUCH APPLICATION AND AWARD DATES MAY BE
 MODIFIED BY THE COMMISSIONER FOR THE REASONABLE  ADMINISTRATION  OF  THE
 PROGRAM.  SUCH  APPLICATION  SHALL INCLUDE A PLAN BY THE SCHOOL DISTRICT
 FOR THE EXPENDITURE OF THE FUNDS IN EACH CATEGORY OF ALLOWABLE  EXPENSES
 AUTHORIZED  BY  SUBDIVISION THREE OF THIS SECTION, AND SUCH EXPENDITURES
 SHALL BE CONSISTENT WITH SUCH PLAN AND THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION.
   F. A PERSON RECEIVING AN AWARD PURSUANT TO  ANY  SUBDIVISION  OF  THIS
 SECTION  SHALL NOT BE ELIGIBLE FOR AN AWARD PURSUANT TO ANY OTHER SUBDI-
 VISION OF THIS SECTION IN A SCHOOL YEAR.
   3.  BILINGUAL  TEACHERS  OF  TOMORROW  TEACHER  RECRUITMENT  INCENTIVE
 PROGRAM.    BILINGUAL TEACHERS OF TOMORROW TEACHER RECRUITMENT INCENTIVE
 AWARDS MAY BE AVAILABLE TO TEACHERS PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS  OF  THIS
 SUBDIVISION  TO  ATTRACT TEACHERS TO EMPLOYMENT IN SCHOOLS WITH A BILIN-
 GUAL TEACHER SHORTAGE.
   A. ELIGIBILITY. TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR AN AWARD PURSUANT TO THIS  SUBDIVI-
 SION, AN APPLICANT SHALL:
   (1) BE A BILINGUAL, CERTIFIED TEACHER;
   (2)  AGREE  TO A SERVICE OBLIGATION OF ONE YEAR OF SERVICE IN A SCHOOL
 WITH A BILINGUAL TEACHER SHORTAGE AS A CONDITION OF RECEIVING  AN  AWARD
 PURSUANT TO THIS SUBDIVISION; AND
   (3)  BE  EMPLOYED FOR THE FIRST TIME AS A BILINGUAL, CERTIFIED TEACHER
 IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
   B. APPLICATION AND SELECTION. (1) THE BOARD OF EDUCATION SHALL  DETER-
 MINE  THE FORM OF THE APPLICATION AND THE APPLICATION PROCESS FOR TEACH-
 ERS DEEMED ELIGIBLE FOR THE AWARD, AND SHALL IN  ITS  DISCRETION  SELECT
 THE  NUMBER OF ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS WHO WILL RECEIVE AN AWARD PURSUANT TO
 THIS SUBDIVISION.
   (2) IF THE NUMBER OF ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS EXCEEDS THE NUMBER OF  AWARDS
 DETERMINED  BY  THE  BOARD  PURSUANT TO THIS SUBDIVISION, THEN THE BOARD
 A. 334                              3
 
 SHALL USE AN OBJECTIVE COMPETITIVE PROCESS BASED ON  EDUCATIONAL  QUALI-
 FICATIONS TO DETERMINE WHICH ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS SHALL RECEIVE AWARDS.
   C.  PAYMENT  OF  AWARDS.  (1) ANNUAL AWARDS FROM STATE AND LOCAL FUNDS
 PROVIDED FOR THIS PURPOSE SHALL BE PAID BY THE BOARD OF EDUCATION TO THE
 AWARD RECIPIENT. AWARD RECIPIENTS SHALL BE ENTITLED  TO  RECEIVE  AWARDS
 PURSUANT  TO THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SUBDIVISION AND SUCH AWARDS SHALL BE
 IN ADDITION TO AND NOT PART OF ANY AWARD RECIPIENT'S BASE SALARY.
   (2) THE INITIAL ANNUAL AWARD SHALL BE TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS,  AND  SUCH
 INITIAL  AWARD  MAY  BE  RENEWABLE EACH YEAR, FOR UP TO THREE ADDITIONAL
 YEARS, PROVIDED THAT THE RECIPIENT AGREES TO ONE YEAR OF  SERVICE  AS  A
 FULL-TIME  BILINGUAL,  CERTIFIED  TEACHER  IN  SCHOOLS  WITH A BILINGUAL
 TEACHER SHORTAGE FOR EACH YEAR OF  A  RENEWED  AWARD  AND  HAS  PROVIDED
 SATISFACTORY  SERVICE  IN  ANY PRIOR YEAR IN WHICH AN INITIAL OR RENEWED
 AWARD WAS GRANTED TO THE RECIPIENT. NO AWARDS SHALL  BE  MADE  FOR  LESS
 THAN  ONE  SCHOOL YEAR OF SERVICE AND THE SUM OF ANY INITIAL AND RENEWED
 AWARDS SHALL NOT EXCEED FORTY THOUSAND DOLLARS.
   AWARDS MADE PURSUANT TO THIS SUBDIVISION SHALL BE  USED  TO  REIMBURSE
 ANY  EDUCATIONAL COSTS, INCLUDING THOSE FOR WHICH STUDENT LOANS MAY HAVE
 BEEN TAKEN, INCURRED BY THE RECIPIENT PRIOR TO RECEIPT OF THE AWARD  FOR
 CERTIFICATION AS A TEACHER IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF THE STATE.
   (3)  THE  BOARD  OF  EDUCATION SHALL DEVELOP AND SECURE FROM THE AWARD
 RECIPIENT A WRITTEN AGREEMENT OUTLINING  THE  SERVICE  OBLIGATION.  SUCH
 AGREEMENT SHALL INCLUDE PROVISIONS FOR THE RECIPIENT TO REPAY THE AMOUNT
 OF  THE  AWARD TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IF THE RECIPIENT FAILS TO COMPLETE
 THEIR SERVICE OBLIGATION IN ANY YEAR WHERE AN INITIAL OR  RENEWED  AWARD
 IS  GRANTED,  AND  SUCH  REPAID AMOUNTS SHALL BE DEDUCTED FROM ANY GRANT
 AMOUNTS DUE TO THE DISTRICT FROM THE STATE  PURSUANT  TO  THIS  SECTION.
 UPON  A WRITTEN APPEAL BY AN AWARD RECIPIENT, THE BOARD OF EDUCATION, IN
 ITS DISCRETION, MAY PROVIDE A WAIVER  OF  REPAYMENT  PROVISIONS  FOR  AN
 AWARD  RECIPIENT  WHO  FAILS  TO  COMPLETE THEIR SERVICE REQUIREMENT FOR
 DOCUMENTED REASONS OF HEALTH OR OTHER SEVERE HARDSHIP, AS DETERMINED  BY
 THE COMMISSIONER.
   D.  NOTIFICATION.  THE BOARD OF EDUCATION SHALL NOTIFY BOTH SUCCESSFUL
 AND UNSUCCESSFUL APPLICANTS BY SEPTEMBER FIRST OF ANY  SCHOOL  YEAR  FOR
 WHICH  AN  INITIAL  OR RENEWED AWARD IS PROVIDED TO TEACHERS PURSUANT TO
 THIS SUBDIVISION.
   4. REPORTING. BY NOVEMBER  FIRST  FOLLOWING  THE  COMPLETION  OF  EACH
 SCHOOL  YEAR,  THE  COMMISSIONER  SHALL  REPORT  TO THE GOVERNOR AND THE
 LEGISLATURE  REGARDING  THE  BILINGUAL  TEACHERS  OF  TOMORROW   TEACHER
 RECRUITMENT  AND RETENTION PROGRAM. SUCH REPORT SHALL LIST THE AMOUNT OF
 EACH SCHOOL DISTRICT'S TOTAL GRANT PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION, THE USES OF
 THE GRANT, AND THE NUMBER OF AWARDS GRANTED BY  TYPE  PURSUANT  TO  THIS
 SECTION,  AS  WELL AS AN ANALYSIS OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PROGRAM IN
 RECRUITING AND RETAINING BILINGUAL, CERTIFIED TEACHERS IN SCHOOLS WITH A
 BILINGUAL TEACHER SHORTAGE IN THE STATE.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.