S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   6066
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             February 26, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of  A. LUNSFORD, CLARK, JENSEN, BICHOTTE HERMELYN --
   read once and referred to the Committee on Education
 
 AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to  establishing  a  high
   school robotics participation grant 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 3641-c
 to read as follows:
   § 3641-C. HIGH SCHOOL ROBOTICS PARTICIPATION  GRANT  PROGRAM.  1.  THE
 COMMISSIONER  SHALL  ESTABLISH  THE  HIGH  SCHOOL ROBOTICS PARTICIPATION
 GRANT PROGRAM AND A ROBOTICS COMPETITION PURSUANT TO  THIS  SECTION  AND
 REGULATIONS  OF  THE  COMMISSIONER  ADOPTED FOR SUCH PURPOSE. WITHIN THE
 AMOUNTS APPROPRIATED FOR THIS  PURPOSE,  THE  COMMISSIONER  SHALL  AWARD
 GRANTS ON A COMPETITIVE BASIS TO PUBLIC AND PRIVATE HIGH SCHOOLS FOR THE
 PURPOSE OF ENCOURAGING STUDY IN THE FIELDS OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGI-
 NEERING, AND MATH.
   2.  ELIGIBILITY. A. APPLICANTS MUST BE A PUBLIC OR PRIVATE HIGH SCHOOL
 IN THE STATE THAT HAS A SCHOOL SPONSORED ROBOTICS CLUB OR A TEAM PARTIC-
 IPATING, OR INTENDING TO PARTICIPATE, IN ROBOTICS COMPETITIONS.
   B. APPLICANTS MUST ESTABLISH A PARTNERSHIP FOR THE PURPOSES OF DESIGN-
 ING, BUILDING AND/OR PROGRAMMING THE TEAM'S  ROBOT  WITH  AT  LEAST  ONE
 OTHER SPONSOR, WHICH SHALL BE A BUSINESS, INSTITUTION OF HIGHER LEARNING
 OR  TECHNOLOGICAL  SCHOOL.   THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ESTABLISH A PROCESS TO
 IDENTIFY  AND  CERTIFY  WHICH  ROBOTICS  LEAGUES  OR  ORGANIZATIONS  ARE
 APPROVED  TO HOLD SUCH ROBOTICS COMPETITIONS, FOR THE PURPOSES OF ELIGI-
 BILITY UNDER THIS SECTION.
   3. APPLICATIONS. APPLICATIONS MUST BE SUBMITTED TO THE COMMISSIONER BY
 JUNE FIRST OF EACH YEAR FOR GRANTS TO BE MADE FOR THE FOLLOWING ACADEMIC
 YEAR. ALL GRANTS SHALL BE SUBJECT TO THE  APPLICANT  OBTAINING  MATCHING
 FUNDS FROM OTHER SOURCES OF AT LEAST FIFTY PERCENT OF THE GRANT.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD01192-02-5
 A. 6066                             2
              

 
   4.  AWARDS.  A.  THE  COMMISSIONER SHALL GRANT AWARDS IN THE AMOUNT OF
 FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS TO SCHOOLS THAT ARE ELIGIBLE, PURSUANT TO SUBDIVI-
 SION TWO OF THIS SECTION. AWARDS SHALL BE WITHIN THE  AMOUNTS  APPROPRI-
 ATED FOR SUCH PURPOSE AND BASED ON AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS.
   B.  PREFERENCE  SHALL  BE  GIVEN  TO TEAMS AT TITLE I SCHOOLS, THEN TO
 TEAMS AT SCHOOLS THAT  HAVE  NOT  PREVIOUSLY  PARTICIPATED  IN  ROBOTICS
 COMPETITIONS  OR  RECEIVED  GRANTS THROUGH THIS PROGRAM, ON A FIRST-COME
 FIRST-SERVED BASIS, AND IF THERE ARE FUNDS REMAINING THEREAFTER TO OTHER
 PREVIOUSLY ESTABLISHED PROGRAMS.
   C. FUNDS AWARDED UNDER THIS GRANT SHALL BE  USED  FOR:    REGISTRATION
 COSTS;  MATERIALS;  TRAVEL COSTS; AND OTHER EXPENSES ASSOCIATED WITH THE
 PREPARATION FOR, AND ATTENDANCE AT, ROBOTICS COMPETITIONS.
   D. ADDITIONAL GRANTS SHALL ALSO BE MADE PURSUANT TO SUCH  OTHER  RULES
 AND REGULATIONS AS MAY BE PROMULGATED BY THE COMMISSIONER.
   §  2.    This  act  shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day
 after it shall have become a law. Effective immediately,  the  addition,
 amendment,  and/or  repeal  of  any rule or regulation necessary for the
 implementation of this act on its effective date are  authorized  to  be
 made and completed on or before such date.