NY State Senate Bill 2025-S5141

Senate Bill S5141

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Establishes a direct service professional credit and career ladder tuition assistance grant program

download bill text pdf

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Disabilities 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

Please enter your contact information

First Name

Last Name

Email Address

A valid email address is required.

Home address is used to determine the senate district in which you reside. Your support or opposition to this bill is then shared immediately with the senator who represents you.

Optional services from the NY State Senate:

Create an account. An account allows you to officially support or oppose key legislation, sign petitions with a single click, and follow issues, committees, and bills that matter to you. When you create an account, you agree to this platform's terms of participation.

Include a custom message for your Senator? (Optional)

Enter a message to your senator. Many New Yorkers use this to share the reasoning behind their support or opposition to the bill. Others might share a personal anecdote about how the bill would affect them or people they care about.

Actions

View Actions

	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Feb 19, 2025	referred to disabilities

co-Sponsors

2025-S5141 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Disabilities
Law Section:: Mental Hygiene Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §13.23, Ment Hyg L; add §6303-b, Ed L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2019-2020: S6106
2021-2022: S2620
2023-2024: S4959

2025-S5141 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Establishes a direct service professional credit and career ladder tuition assistance grant program to develop training programs and improve existing workforce development programs for the purpose of training direct support professionals and establishing a career ladder for individuals working with individuals with developmental disabilities.

2025-S5141 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S5141

SPONSOR: JACKSON
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the mental hygiene law and the education law, in
relation to establishing a direct service professional credit and career
ladder tuition assistance grant program

 
PURPOSE:

This legislation would help to address the continuing difficulty the
state and providers of supports and services for people with develop-
mental disabilities have had recruiting and retaining direct support
professionals and creating a career ladder for these employees. This
difficulty is particularly true for young people who are hard pressed to
pursue their careers and their education while employed in these crit-
ically important services.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 amends Section 13.23 of the Mental Hygiene Law in order to

authorize the Office for People With Developmental Disabilities
("OPWDD") commissioner to establish a Direct Service Professional Credit
and Career Ladder tuition assistance grant program.

Section 2 adds a new Section 6303-B to the Education Law, to allow the
state university and the city university boards of trustees to permit
community colleges to create a Direct Service Professional Credit
Program and a Career Ladder program and to establish a local tuition
grants program for DSPs and DSP supervisors seeking a career ladder at
these institutions. The grant can be for up to fifty percent of tuition
required at the community colleges and is paid by OPWDD. This legis-
lation also provides that the OPWDD provider who employs the individual
enrolled in either the Direct Service Professional Credit Program or the
Career Ladder Program would reimburse the community college remainder of
the actual tuition grant after offsetting the OPWDD grant for each
eligible employee.

Section 3 establishes the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

During the last several years it has become increasingly difficult for
OPWDD and local not for profit providers who contract with OPWDD to
recruit and retain new DSPs and related middle management personnel.
The demands on people to meet various responsibilities in their family
and personal lives continue to grow. Family life, career development,
and other demands limit people's ability to take these demanding jobs.
This is particularly true for DSPs, who need special training in light
of the life-threatening situations they are exposed to and confronted
with at any given time. This legislation attempts to provide some direct
help by focusing on education. This should help OPWDD and OPWDD provid-
ers to recruit people who want to attend college but are unable to while
working low paying DSP jobs. It will also permit the development of
career ladders as they expand their education and skill set.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2023-2024: S.4959 - 2023- Reported to Finance/ A4337 - Referred to High-
er Education

2021-2022: S.2620 - Passed the Senate/A.5260 - Referred to Higher Educa-
tion

2019-2020: S.6106 - Reported and Committed to Finance/A.8388 - Referred
to Higher Education

 
STATE AND LOCAL FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to academic
semesters, quarters and classroom hours beginning on or after January 1,
2027.

2025-S5141 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   5141
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             February 19, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sens.  JACKSON, ASHBY -- read twice and ordered printed,
   and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Disabilities
 
 AN ACT to amend the  mental  hygiene  law  and  the  education  law,  in
   relation  to  establishing  a  direct  service professional credit and
   career ladder tuition assistance grant program

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Section  13.23  of  the  mental hygiene law is amended by
 adding a new subdivision (d) to read as follows:
   (D) THE COMMISSIONER SHALL WORK COOPERATIVELY WITH THE STATE UNIVERSI-
 TY BOARDS OF TRUSTEES AND THE CITY  UNIVERSITY  BOARDS  OF  TRUSTEES  TO
 ESTABLISH  A  GRANT  PROGRAM  PURSUANT  TO  SECTION  SIXTY-THREE HUNDRED
 THREE-B OF THE EDUCATION LAW IN ORDER TO DEVELOP TRAINING  PROGRAMS  AND
 IMPROVE  EXISTING  WORKFORCE  DEVELOPMENT  PROGRAMS  FOR  THE PURPOSE OF
 TRAINING DIRECT SUPPORT PROFESSIONALS AND ESTABLISHING A  CAREER  LADDER
 FOR  INDIVIDUALS  WORKING  WITH INDIVIDUALS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILI-
 TIES. WITHIN FUNDS APPROPRIATED FOR SUCH PURPOSE, THE  COMMISSIONER  MAY
 ESTABLISH A DIRECT SERVICE PROFESSIONAL CREDIT AND CAREER LADDER TUITION
 ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAM.
   §  2.  The  education law is amended by adding a new section 6303-b to
 read as follows:
   § 6303-B. DIRECT SERVICE PROFESSIONAL CREDIT AND CAREER LADDER TUITION
 ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAM. 1. FOR PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, THE FOLLOWING
 TERMS SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOWING MEANINGS:
   (A) "DIRECT SERVICE PROFESSIONAL CREDIT PROGRAM" SHALL MEAN THE COMMU-
 NITY COLLEGE PROGRAMS ESTABLISHED PURSUANT TO  A  MEMORANDUM  OF  UNDER-
 STANDING BETWEEN THE COMMISSIONER OF THE OFFICE FOR PEOPLE WITH DEVELOP-
 MENTAL  DISABILITIES  AND  THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE STATE UNIVERSITY
 AND THE CITY UNIVERSITY TO  DEVELOP  TRAINING  PROGRAMS  AND  A  COLLEGE
 CERTIFICATE  PROGRAM  THAT LINKS THEORY WITH PRACTICE FOR THE PURPOSE OF
 TRAINING DIRECT SUPPORT PROFESSIONALS EMPLOYED BY AGENCIES WHO ARE FUND-
 ED BY THE OFFICE FOR PEOPLE WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES AND  PROVID-
 ING  SUPPORTS  AND  SERVICES TO INDIVIDUALS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILI-
 TIES.

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD09976-01-5
 S. 5141                             2
 
   (B) "CAREER LADDER PROGRAM" SHALL MEAN THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE  PROGRAMS
 ESTABLISHED  PURSUANT  TO  A  MEMORANDUM  OF  UNDERSTANDING  BETWEEN THE
 COMMISSIONER OF THE OFFICE FOR PEOPLE  WITH  DEVELOPMENTAL  DISABILITIES
 AND THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE STATE UNIVERSITY AND THE CITY UNIVERSI-
 TY  TO  DEVELOP A CAREER LADDER SUPERVISOR/MANAGER PROGRAM LEADING TO AN
 ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE IN HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES OR A RELATED MAJOR AND ASSO-
 CIATED  CREDIT-BEARING  CERTIFICATE  PROGRAMS  IN  COMMUNITY   RESIDENCE
 MANAGEMENT  OR  DEVELOPMENTAL  DISABILITIES  FOR PARTICIPANTS WHO DO NOT
 ELECT TO OBTAIN AN ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE.
   (C) "AT LEAST A PART-TIME BASIS" SHALL MEAN ENROLLMENT  FOR  AT  LEAST
 SIX HOURS PER SEMESTER OR FOUR HOURS PER QUARTER.
   (D) "TUITION" SHALL MEAN THE TOTAL SEMESTER, QUARTER OR CLASSROOM HOUR
 COST  OF  INSTRUCTION  AT  A STATE-OPERATED COMMUNITY COLLEGE, EXCLUDING
 MANDATORY FEES, BOOK CHARGES AND ROOM AND BOARD.
   (E) "GRANT PROGRAMS" SHALL MEAN THE DIRECT SERVICE PROFESSIONAL CREDIT
 PROGRAM AND THE CAREER LADDER PROGRAM.
   2. THE STATE UNIVERSITY BOARDS OF TRUSTEES  AND  THE  CITY  UNIVERSITY
 BOARD OF TRUSTEES MAY ESTABLISH GRANT PROGRAMS FOR COMMUNITY COLLEGES TO
 DEVELOP  TRAINING  PROGRAMS  AND  IMPROVE EXISTING WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
 PROGRAMS FOR THE PURPOSE OF TRAINING DIRECT  SUPPORT  PROFESSIONALS  AND
 ESTABLISHING  A  CAREER  LADDER FOR INDIVIDUALS WORKING WITH INDIVIDUALS
 WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES PURSUANT TO A MEMORANDUM OF  UNDERSTAND-
 ING  WITH  THE  COMMISSIONER OF THE OFFICE FOR PEOPLE WITH DEVELOPMENTAL
 DISABILITIES.
   3. PURSUANT TO  A  MEMORANDUM  OF  UNDERSTANDING  WITH  THE  COMMUNITY
 COLLEGE AND THE COMMISSIONER OF THE OFFICE FOR PEOPLE WITH DEVELOPMENTAL
 DISABILITIES  AND WITHIN FUNDS APPROPRIATED FOR SUCH PURPOSE, THE OFFICE
 FOR PEOPLE WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES  SHALL  ESTABLISH  A  TUITION
 ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAM TO PROVIDE TUITION ASSISTANCE TO DIRECT SUPPORT
 PROFESSIONALS  EMPLOYED  BY  AGENCIES  WHO ARE FUNDED BY SUCH OFFICE AND
 PROVIDING SUPPORTS AND SERVICES TO INDIVIDUALS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL  DISA-
 BILITIES  OR FOR INDIVIDUALS WORKING WITH INDIVIDUALS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL
 DISABILITIES ENROLLED ON AT LEAST  A  PART-TIME  BASIS  AT  A  COMMUNITY
 COLLEGE AS DEFINED IN SECTION THREE HUNDRED FIFTY OF THIS CHAPTER.
   ANY PROGRAM ESTABLISHED PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION SHALL PROVIDE TUITION
 ASSISTANCE GRANTS TO SUCH DIRECT SUPPORT PROFESSIONALS EMPLOYED BY AGEN-
 CIES WHO ARE FUNDED BY THE OFFICE FOR PEOPLE WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABIL-
 ITIES  AND  PROVIDING SUPPORTS AND SERVICES TO INDIVIDUALS WITH DEVELOP-
 MENTAL DISABILITIES OR FOR INDIVIDUALS  WORKING  WITH  INDIVIDUALS  WITH
 DEVELOPMENTAL  DISABILITIES  IN  AN  AMOUNT  UP  TO FIFTY PERCENT OF THE
 TUITION REQUIRED TO BE PAID TO SUCH STATE-OPERATED COMMUNITY COLLEGE  BY
 SUCH DIRECT SUPPORT PROFESSIONALS EMPLOYED BY AGENCIES WHO ARE FUNDED BY
 SUCH  OFFICE  AND  PROVIDING  SUPPORTS  AND SERVICES TO INDIVIDUALS WITH
 DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES OR FOR INDIVIDUALS WORKING  WITH  INDIVIDUALS
 WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES.
   4.  UPON  SUCCESSFUL  COMPLETION  OF EITHER THE DIRECT SERVICE PROFES-
 SIONAL CREDIT PROGRAM OR THE CAREER LADDER PROGRAM THE OFFICE FOR PEOPLE
 WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES CERTIFIED PROVIDER EMPLOYING THE  DIRECT
 SUPPORT PROFESSIONAL OR INDIVIDUALS WORKING WITH INDIVIDUALS WITH DEVEL-
 OPMENTAL DISABILITIES SHALL REIMBURSE THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOR ONE-HALF
 OF THE COST OF SUCH EMPLOYEE TRAINING OR TUITION.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to academ-
 ic semesters, quarters and classroom hours beginning on or after January
 1, 2027.

Comments

Open Legislation is a forum for New York State legislation. All comments are subject to review and community moderation is encouraged.

Comments deemed off-topic, commercial, campaign-related, self-promotional; or that contain profanity, hate or toxic speech; or that link to sites outside of the nysenate.gov domain are not permitted, and will not be published. Attempts to intimidate and silence contributors or deliberately deceive the public, including excessive or extraneous posting/posts, or coordinated activity, are prohibited and may result in the temporary or permanent banning of the user. Comment moderation is generally performed Monday through Friday. By contributing or voting you agree to the Terms of Participation and verify you are over 13.

Create an account. An account allows you to sign petitions with a single click, officially support or oppose key legislation, and follow issues, committees, and bills that matter to you. When you create an account, you agree to this platform's terms of participation.

Senate Bill S5141

Share this bill

Sponsored By

Robert Jackson