Senate Bill S6208

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Relates to enacting the free resources for equitable education (FREE) act

download bill text pdf

Sponsored By

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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2025-S6208 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:
Senate Higher Education
Law Section:
Education Law
Laws Affected:
Add §716, Ed L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:
2021-2022: S9109
2023-2024: S7954

2025-S6208 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Relates to enacting the "free resources for equitable education (FREE) act"; requires State University of New York higher education institutions to designate all general education and 25 percent of all major specific courses as low textbook cost (LTC) or zero textbook cost (ZTC).

2025-S6208 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S6208 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   6208
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               March 6, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  PARKER -- 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  enacting  the  "free
   resources for equitable education (FREE) act"
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may  be  cited  as
 the "free resources for equitable education (FREE) act".
   §  2. The education law is amended by adding a new section 716 to read
 as follows:
   § 716. FREE RESOURCES FOR EQUITABLE EDUCATION (FREE) ACT. 1.  AS  USED
 IN  THIS SECTION, THE FOLLOWING TERMS SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOWING MEANINGS,
 UNLESS REFERENCED OTHERWISE:
   (A) "GENERAL EDUCATION" REFERS  TO  COURSES  WHICH  DO  NOT  EXPRESSLY
 SATISFY MAJOR SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS, INCLUDING PRE-REQUISITE COURSES;
   (B)  "INSTITUTIONS  OF HIGHER EDUCATION" MEANS THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF
 NEW YORK OR INSTITUTIONS RECOGNIZED AND APPROVED BY THE REGENTS  OF  THE
 UNIVERSITY  OF  THE  STATE  OF NEW YORK, WHICH PROVIDE A COURSE OF STUDY
 LEADING TO THE GRANTING OF A POST-SECONDARY DEGREE OR DIPLOMA;
   (C) "LOW TEXTBOOK COST (LTC)" MEANS THE DESIGNATION ASSIGNED TO COURS-
 ES TO DEMONSTRATE THAT REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS DO NOT COST  MORE  THAN  FORTY
 DOLLARS;
   (D) "MAJOR SPECIFIC" REFERS TO ANY COURSE THAT IS CONSIDERED EXPRESSLY
 NECESSARY  TO  THE  CONTINUED  DEVELOPMENT AND TEACHINGS OF KEY CONCEPTS
 WITHIN A GIVEN MAJOR;
   (E) "TEXTBOOK" MEANS ANY TEXTBOOK THAT IS ADOPTED FOR USE IN  A  GIVEN
 COURSE,  AS  DETERMINED  BY  THE PRESIDING FACULTY OR FACULTY MEMBERS OR
 ENTITY CHARGED WITH SELECTING SUCH TEXTBOOKS; AND
   (F) "ZERO TEXTBOOK COST  (ZTC)"  MEANS  THE  DESIGNATION  ASSIGNED  TO
 COURSES  TO  DEMONSTRATE  THAT  IT  DOES NOT REQUIRE THE PURCHASE OF ANY
 TEXTBOOK.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD10641-01-5
              

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