NY State Senate Bill 2025-S4286

Senate Bill S4286

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Appropriates moneys for and authorizes support of college summer programs to prepare economically and educationally disadvantaged students for graduate programs; appropriation

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Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Finance 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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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Feb 03, 2025	referred to finance

2025-S4286 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Finance
Law Section:: Appropriations
Laws Affected:: Add §6457, Ed L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2009-2010: S2060
2011-2012: S3132
2013-2014: S1334
2015-2016: S2657
2017-2018: S2228
2019-2020: S5010
2021-2022: S5391
2023-2024: S6832

2025-S4286 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Authorizes the commissioner of education to contract with three public or independent institutions of higher education for the support of special summer programs established in order to increase the number of economically and educationally disadvantaged undergraduate students who are prepared for admission to graduate educational programs; establishes eligibility requirements in order to attend such special summer programs; appropriates $711,200 therefor.

2025-S4286 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S4286

SPONSOR: PARKER
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the education law, in relation to opportunity for gradu-
ate education, and making an appropriation therefor

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

This bill would add a new section 6457 to the education law to permit
the Commissioner of Education to contract with three public or independ-
ent institutions of higher education for the operation of eight week
summer programs to prepare economically and educationally disadvantaged
students for admission to educational programs beyond the B.A. level.
Students who have completed one or two years of undergraduate study and
are educationally and economically disadvantaged would be eligible for
participation in these new programs. Any college or university incorpo-
rated by the Regents or by the Legislature who maintains at least one
earned degree program leading to the B.A. would be eligible to contract
with the commissioner for the operation of one of these programs, of
which there would be programs targeted for the health and biological
sciences, law, business, socia3 sciences or the humanities.,

The commissioner is authorized to promulgate necessary regulations and
would be required to make annual reports to the Governor and the Legis-
lature.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Minority groups and other disadvantaged students do not attend graduate
and professional schools in proportions to their participation at other
levels of education. Current data indicates that, in addition to prob-
lems of retention in graduate programs, there has been a steady decline
in enrollment in graduate programs, particularly in the sciences and
technology, and business. Without active public programs of this nature,
these target groups will continue to be greatly underrepresented in the
professions and managerial positions in business and government where
their leadership can be most effectively used in combating the root
causes of poverty. The special summer program would be modeled on those
pioneered by Harvard Medical College and other universities, and would
stimulate interest in furthering an education while providing supportive
instruction to improve performance on standardized tests.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2023-24: S6832- Referred to Finance

2021-22: S.5391 - Referred to Finance

2019-20: S.5010 - REFERRED TO FINANCE

2017-18: S.2228 - REFERRED TO FINANCE

2015-16: S.2657A - Amend and Recommit to Finance

2013-14: S.1334 - Referred to Finance

2011-12: S.3132/A.5684 -Died in Higher Education.
2003-04: S.652/A.1354 - Referred to Higher Education.

2001-02: S.4081/A.1546 - Referred to Higher Education.

1999-00: S.2798-A/A.6083-A - Referred to Higher Education.

1997-98: S.1365 - Referred to Higher Education.

1995-96: S.1365 - Referred to Higher Education.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

$711,200.00

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the first of April next succeeding the
date on which it shall have become a law.

2025-S4286 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   4286
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             February 3, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  PARKER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Finance
 
 AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to opportunity for gradu-
   ate education, and making an appropriation therefor
 
   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 6457
 to read as follows:
   § 6457. OPPORTUNITY FOR GRADUATE EDUCATION. 1. TO ADVANCE THE CAUSE OF
 EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY IN  GRADUATE  EDUCATION,  THE  COMMISSIONER  MAY
 CONTRACT  WITH THREE PUBLIC OR INDEPENDENT INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCA-
 TION FOR THE SUPPORT OF SPECIAL SUMMER PROGRAMS ESTABLISHED TO  INCREASE
 THE NUMBER OF ECONOMICALLY AND EDUCATIONALLY DISADVANTAGED UNDERGRADUATE
 STUDENTS  WHO  ARE PREPARED FOR ADMISSION TO EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS BEYOND
 THE BACCALAUREATE DEGREE. IN ORDER TO BE ELIGIBLE TO  ATTEND  A  SPECIAL
 SUMMER  PROGRAM,  A  STUDENT  SHALL  HAVE COMPLETED THE FIRST YEAR OF AN
 UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATIONAL  PROGRAM  AS  A  PARTICIPANT  IN  ONE  OF  THE
 PROGRAMS  FOR  EDUCATIONALLY  AND  ECONOMICALLY  DISADVANTAGED  STUDENTS
 ESTABLISHED PURSUANT TO SECTION SIXTY-FOUR HUNDRED FIFTY-ONE  OR  SIXTY-
 FOUR HUNDRED FIFTY-TWO OF THIS ARTICLE. A STUDENT WHO ATTENDED A SPECIAL
 SUMMER  PROGRAM  UPON  COMPLETION  OF THE FIRST YEAR OF AN UNDERGRADUATE
 EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM SHALL ALSO BE ELIGIBLE TO ATTEND SUCH  PROGRAM  UPON
 COMPLETION OF THE SECOND YEAR OF AN UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM. A
 STUDENT  WHO  HAS COMPLETED THE THIRD OR FOURTH YEAR OF AN UNDERGRADUATE
 EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM  SHALL  BE  ELIGIBLE  TO  ATTEND  A  SPECIAL  SUMMER
 PROGRAM.    ELIGIBLE  STUDENTS  SHALL  BE SELECTED IN EQUAL NUMBERS FROM
 STUDENTS PARTICIPATING IN THE OPPORTUNITY PROGRAMS OF INDEPENDENT INSTI-
 TUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION, THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW  YORK  AND  THE
 CITY  UNIVERSITY  OF NEW YORK, RESPECTIVELY. ENROLLMENT IN SUCH PROGRAMS
 SHALL NOT  EXCEED  LEVELS  DETERMINED  BY  THE  COMMISSIONER,  WITH  THE
 APPROVAL OF THE DIRECTOR OF THE BUDGET.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD08045-01-5

 S. 4286                             2
 
   2. TO QUALIFY FOR STATE ASSISTANCE PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION, AN INSTI-
 TUTION  OF HIGHER EDUCATION MUST BE A COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY INCORPORATED
 BY THE REGENTS OR BY THE LEGISLATURE  AND  MUST  MAINTAIN  ONE  OR  MORE
 EARNED DEGREE PROGRAMS CULMINATING IN A BACCALAUREATE DEGREE.
   3.  MONEYS  MADE  AVAILABLE TO INSTITUTIONS THROUGH CONTRACTS SHALL BE
 SPENT ONLY FOR THE FOLLOWING PURPOSES:
   A. PERSONAL AND CAREER COUNSELING FOR ENROLLED STUDENTS;
   B. DIAGNOSTIC AND PRESCRIPTIVE TESTING FOR SUCH STUDENTS;
   C. INSTRUCTION IN SUBJECT MATTER AND LABORATORY WORK;
   D. TUTORING OF ENROLLED STUDENTS;
   E. FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR ENROLLED STUDENTS IN  SUCH  AMOUNT  AS  IS
 DETERMINED BY THE COMMISSIONER;
   F.  ADMINISTRATION  OF THE PROGRAM, INCLUDING PLANNING AND EVALUATION,
 WITHIN THE LIMITATIONS ESTABLISHED BY THE COMMISSIONER.
   4. EACH PROGRAM SHALL BE OPERATED FOR A PERIOD OF EIGHT WEEKS, BETWEEN
 THE FIRST DAY OF JULY AND THE FIRST DAY OF SEPTEMBER OF  EACH  YEAR.  AN
 INSTITUTION  OF HIGHER EDUCATION SELECTED BY THE COMMISSIONER TO PROVIDE
 A SPECIAL SUMMER PROGRAM SHALL OFFER A PROGRAM IN HEALTH AND  BIOLOGICAL
 SCIENCES;  LAW  AND  BUSINESS; OR SOCIAL SCIENCES AND THE HUMANITIES, AS
 DETERMINED BY THE COMMISSIONER.
   5. INSTITUTIONS APPLYING FOR CONTRACTS PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION  SHALL
 SUBMIT  TO  THE  COMMISSIONER  SUCH REPORTS OR OTHER INFORMATION AS THEY
 SHALL REQUIRE.   THE COMMISSIONER SHALL  CONSIDER  SUCH  INFORMATION  IN
 DETERMINING  WHETHER  TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT WITH ANY INSTITUTION. THE
 COMMISSIONER MAY PROMULGATE REGULATIONS NECESSARY FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION
 OF THESE PROGRAMS.
   6. CONTRACTS MADE PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION SHALL  BE  SUBJECT  TO  THE
 APPROVAL OF THE DIRECTOR OF THE BUDGET.
   7.  THE  COMMISSIONER SHALL PREPARE AN ANNUAL REPORT OF THE ACTIVITIES
 OF INSTITUTIONS WHICH RECEIVED STATE FUNDS PURSUANT TO THIS  SECTION  IN
 THE  FISCAL  YEAR,  CONCERNING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE EFFECTIVENESS OF
 THE PROGRAMS CONTRACTED FOR, THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS SERVED, THE COSTS OF
 THE PROGRAMS, AND FUTURE PLANS THEREFOR, AND SHALL TRANSMIT SUCH  REPORT
 TO  THE  GOVERNOR  AND  THE LEGISLATURE ON OR BEFORE NOVEMBER FIRST NEXT
 FOLLOWING THE COMPLETION OF SUCH YEAR'S SUMMER PROGRAMS.
   § 2. The sum of seven hundred  eleven  thousand  two  hundred  dollars
 ($711,200),  or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropri-
 ated to the department of education out of any moneys in the state trea-
 sury in the general fund to the credit of the  state  purposes  account,
 not   otherwise  appropriated,  for  its  expenses,  including  personal
 service, maintenance and operation, in carrying out  the  provisions  of
 this  act.  Such moneys shall be payable on the audit and warrant of the
 comptroller on vouchers certified  or  approved  by  the  department  of
 education in the manner prescribed by law.
   §  3. This act shall take effect on the first of April next succeeding
 the date on which it shall have become a law.

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