NY State Senate Bill 2025-S2579

Senate Bill S2579

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Relates to certain requirements of the recruitment incentive and retention program for members of the New York state organized militia

download bill text pdf

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Higher Education Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Actions

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 21, 2025	referred to higher education

2025-S2579 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Higher Education
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §669-b, Ed L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2017-2018: S7110
2019-2020: S209
2021-2022: S3633
2023-2024: S990

2025-S2579 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Relates to lowering the minimum required course load and permitting application prior to matriculation for the recruitment incentive and retention program for members of the New York state organized militia.

2025-S2579 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S2579

SPONSOR: ORTT
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the education law, in relation to the recruitment incen-
tive and retention program for members of the New York state organized
militia, reducing the minimum required course load for part-time
students and permitting application for the tuition benefit prior to
matriculation

 
PURPOSE:

To make improvements to the recruitment incentive and retention program
for members of New York State's Militia.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 amends section 669-b of the education law to change the defi-
nition of part time study from six to three semester hours and from four
to two per quarter.

Section 2 adds a new subdivision 3-a to section 669-b of the education
law by stating that any active member who applies for a tuition benefit
may apply prior to matriculating as a student.

Section 3 is the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

The recruitment and retention program has been widely successful in
providing important benefits to those men and women serving as part of
our State's Militia. However, there are inconsistencies in the law that
sometimes make it impossible for an individual to take advantage of this
benefit.

Lowering the number of classes an individual needs to take to qualify
for this benefit will remove an artificial barrier and make it easier
for these individuals to succeed. Further, giving individuals the oppor-
tunity to receive reimbursement for a class they take at a college or
university they are not matriculated at will allow them to have a wider
variety of options to take courses.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

S.990 of 2023/2024; Referred to Higher Education

S. 3633 of 2021/2022; Referred to Higher Education

S. 209 of 2019/20 Referred to Higher Education

S. 7110 of 2018; Advanced to Third Reading

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None to the State.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

2025-S2579 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   2579
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 21, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  ORTT  --  read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Higher Education
 
 AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to the recruitment incen-
   tive and retention program for members of the New York state organized
   militia, reducing the  minimum  required  course  load  for  part-time
   students  and  permitting application for the tuition benefit prior to
   matriculation
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Paragraph e of subdivision 3 of section 669-b of the educa-
 tion  law,  as  added  by chapter 268 of the laws of 1996, is amended to
 read as follows:
   e. The term "part-time study" shall mean  enrollment  in  an  approved
 post-secondary  degree  program  for  at least [six] THREE but less than
 twelve semester hours, or the  equivalent  per  semester,  or  at  least
 [four] TWO but less than eight semester hours per quarter in an institu-
 tion.
   §  2.  Section  669-b  of the education law is amended by adding a new
 subdivision 3-a to read as follows:
   3-A. NOTWITHSTANDING THE PROVISIONS OF ANY OTHER GENERAL, SPECIAL,  OR
 LOCAL  LAW,  RULE,  OR  REGULATION,  ANY ACTIVE MEMBER MAY APPLY FOR THE
 TUITION BENEFIT PROVIDED BY THIS SECTION PRIOR TO  MATRICULATING  AT  AN
 INSTITUTION.
   §  3.  This  act  shall take effect immediately and shall be deemed to
 have been in full force and effect on and after April 1, 2025, provided,
 however, that the amendments to section 669-b of the education law  made
 by  sections one and two of this act shall not affect the repeal of such
 section and shall be deemed repealed therewith.
 
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD06859-01-5

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