NY State Senate Bill 2025-S627

Senate Bill S627

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Relates to qualifications for certain appointed positions with the board of trustees for the state university and the city university of New York

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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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 08, 2025	referred to higher education

2025-S627 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Higher Education
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §§353 & 6204, Ed L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2021-2022: S7383
2023-2024: S3473

2025-S627 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Relates to qualifications for certain appointed positions with the board of trustees for the state university and the city university of New York.

2025-S627 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S627

SPONSOR: STAVISKY
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the education law, in relation to trustees of the state
university and city university

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

This bill ensures that Gubernatorial and Mayoral appointments to the
State University and City University Boards of Trustees are independent
of the appointing entities.

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1. Amends subdivision 1 of section 353 of the education law, as
amended by chapter 268 of the laws of 2011; prohibits a member of the
State University of New York (SUNY) Board of Trustees from serving on
the Board if such member is not serving at the pleasure of the Governor.
Additionally, this section provides an exemption for ex-officio members
and classified civil service employees.

Section 2. Amends paragraph (a) of subdivision 2 of section 6204 of the
education law, as added by chapter 305 of the laws of 1979; prohibits a
member of the City University of New York (CUNY) Board of Trustees from
serving on the Board if such member is .not serving at the pleasure of
the Mayor or the Governor. Additionally, this section provides an
exemption for ex-officio members and classified civil service employees.

Section 3. Sets forth the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

The SUNY Board of Trustees consists of eighteen members, fifteen of whom
are appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the Senate.
The three remaining members are ex-officio and consist of the President
of the SUNY Student Assembly (ex-officio and voting); the President of
the University Faculty Senate (ex-officio and non-voting; and the Presi-
dent of the Faculty Council of Community Colleges (ex-officio and
nonvoting).

The CUNY Board of Trustees consists of seventeen members. Ten of whom
are appointed by the governor and five of whom are appointed by the
mayor of New York City. All such appointments are made upon the advice
and consent of the Senate. The two remaining Trustees are ex-officio and
consist of the Chairperson of the University Student Senate (ex-officio
and voting) and the Chairperson of the University Faculty Senate (ex-of-
ficio and non-voting).

This bill will ensure that individuals appointed to the SUNY and CONY
Boards of Trustees will be able to serve free from political influence
or pressure from those that appoint them. Our public college systems
deserve governing boards that make decisions solely based on the best
interests of the colleges.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2021-2022: A.8438/S.7383 - Referred to Higher Education.
2023-2024: A.5150/S3473 - Referred to Higher Education.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to the State
University of New York and the City University of New York trustees
appointed on or after such effective date.

2025-S627 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    627
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 8, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sen. STAVISKY -- 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 trustees of the  state
   university and city university

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section  353  of  the  education  law,  as
 amended  by  chapter  268  of  the  laws  of 2011, is amended to read as
 follows:
   1. The state university shall be governed, and all  of  its  corporate
 powers  exercised,  by  a board of trustees. Such board shall consist of
 eighteen members, fifteen of whom shall be  appointed  by  the  governor
 with  the  advice  and  consent  of the senate, one of whom shall be the
 president of the student assembly of the  state  university,  ex-officio
 and voting, one of whom shall be the president of the university faculty
 senate,  ex-officio  and non-voting, and one of whom shall be the presi-
 dent of the faculty council of community colleges, ex-officio  and  non-
 voting;  PROVIDED  THAT  NO SUCH MEMBERS APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR SHALL
 ALSO BE A PAID EMPLOYEE SERVING AT THE PLEASURE OF  THE  GOVERNOR.  Such
 ex-officio  members  shall be subject to every provision of any general,
 special, or local law, ordinance, charter,  code,  rule,  or  regulation
 applying  to  the  voting  members  of  such  board  with respect to the
 discharge  of  their  duties,  including,  but  not  limited  to,  those
 provisions  setting  forth codes of ethics, disclosure requirements, and
 prohibiting business and professional  activities.  One  member  of  the
 board  shall  be  designated  by  the governor as chairperson and one as
 vice-chairperson. Of the members first appointed, two shall be appointed
 for a term which  shall  expire  on  June  thirtieth,  nineteen  hundred
 fifty-two; one for a term which shall expire on June thirtieth, nineteen
 hundred  fifty-three;  two for a term which shall expire on June thirti-
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.

                                                            LBD01573-01-5
 S. 627                              2
 
 eth, nineteen hundred fifty-four; one for a term which shall  expire  on
 June  thirtieth, nineteen hundred fifty-five; two for a term which shall
 expire on June thirtieth, nineteen hundred fifty-six;  one  for  a  term
 which  shall expire on June thirtieth, nineteen hundred fifty-seven; two
 for a term which  shall  expire  on  June  thirtieth,  nineteen  hundred
 fifty-eight;  one for a term which shall expire on June thirtieth, nine-
 teen hundred fifty-nine; two for a term which shall expire on June thir-
 tieth, nineteen hundred sixty; and one for a term which shall expire  on
 June  thirtieth,  nineteen  hundred sixty-one. Vacancies shall be filled
 for the unexpired term in the same manner as original appointments.  The
 term  of office of each trustee appointed on or after April first, nine-
 teen hundred eighty-six shall  be  seven  years,  except  those  of  the
 student  member  and  the  faculty  members.  Trustees  shall receive no
 compensation for their  services  but  shall  be  reimbursed  for  their
 expenses actually and necessarily incurred by them in the performance of
 their duties under this article.
   §  2. Paragraph (a) of subdivision  2 of section 6204 of the education
 law, as added by chapter 305 of the laws of 1979, is amended to read  as
 follows:
   (a)  The board of trustees shall consist of seventeen trustees. Ten of
 the trustees shall be appointed by the  governor  with  the  advice  and
 consent  of  the  senate; PROVIDED THAT NO SUCH TRUSTEE APPOINTED BY THE
 GOVERNOR SHALL ALSO BE A PAID EMPLOYEE SERVING AT THE  PLEASURE  OF  THE
 GOVERNOR.    Five of the trustees shall be appointed by the mayor of the
 city of New York with the advice and consent  of  the  senate;  PROVIDED
 THAT  NO  SUCH  TRUSTEE  APPOINTED  BY THE MAYOR OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK
 SHALL BE A PAID EMPLOYEE SERVING AT THE PLEASURE OF  THE  MAYOR  OF  THE
 CITY  OF  NEW YORK.   One ex-officio trustee shall be the chairperson of
 the university student senate. One ex-officio non-voting  trustee  shall
 be the chairperson of the university faculty senate.
   §  3.  This  act  shall take effect immediately and shall apply to the
 state university of New York and the city university of New  York  trus-
 tees appointed on or after such effective date.

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