NY State Senate Bill 2025-S6696

Senate Bill S6696

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Allows the state and city university of New York system to offer college credits to prospective students

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
Mar 19, 2025	referred to higher education

2025-S6696 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A6905
Current Committee:: Senate Higher Education
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Add §§239-c & 6235, Ed L

2025-S6696 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Allows the state and city university of New York system to offer college credits to prospective students based on such prospective student's performance on the regents examinations.

2025-S6696 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S6696

SPONSOR: CHAN
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the education law, in relation to providing college
credits for students who receive high marks on regents examinations

 
PURPOSE:

To create greater opportunities for New York State high school students
to earn college credit by achieving high scores on Regents examinations,
thereby reducing the cost and duration of higher education while incen-
tivizing academic excellence.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

*Section 1: Amends the Education Law by adding a new Section 239-c,
establishing a system for awarding college credit based on Regents exam
performance:

*Students earning an average score of 80 across all ten Regents exams,

and attaining a Regents diploma, will receive three college credits
toward general coursework at a university.

*Students earning an average score of 85 across any four Regents exams,
and attaining a Regents diploma, will receive three college credits
toward general coursework.

*Students earning an average score of 90 across any four Regents exams,
and attaining a Regents diploma with advanced designation with honors,
will receive six college credits toward general coursework.

*Students cannot combine multiple provisions to receive additional cred-
it.

*Section 2: Amends the Education Law by adding Section 6235, restating
the provisions of Section 239-c, ensuring the policy applies to both
State University of New York (SUNY) and City University of New York
(CUNY) institutions.

*Section 3: Specifies the effective date of the legislation.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

New York State has long recognized the importance of academic achieve-
ment in preparing students for higher education and the workforce.
Regents examinations serve as a statewide benchmark of student profi-
ciency across core subjects, but currently, high performance on these
exams does not translate into tangible benefits for students entering
college.

This legislation aims to:

*Expand College Credit Opportunities: Unlike Advanced Placement (AP)
courses, which are not universally available in all schools, Regents
exams are taken by nearly all high school students. By allowing students
to earn college credit for high Regents scores, this bill ensures that

all students, especially those in underserved communities, have an equal
opportunity to reduce the financial burden of higher education.

*Reduce Higher Education Costs: By awarding SUNY and CUNY college cred-
its for outstanding Regents performance, students can graduate sooner,
reduce tuition costs, and enter the workforce faster.

*Increase Incentives for Academic Excellence: Encouraging students to
aim for higher Regents scores will promote a culture of academic
achievement and better prepare students for college-level coursework.

*Remove Regents Exam Graduation Mandate: Beginning in the 2027-2028
academic year, Regents exams will no longer be a mandatory graduation
requirement, allowing students greater flexibility in their academic
paths.

By implementing this policy, New York will become a national leader in
rewarding academic success while making higher education more accessible
and affordable for all students.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on August 1, 2027.

2025-S6696 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   6696
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              March 19, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  CHAN  --  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  providing  college
   credits for students who receive high marks on regents examinations
 
   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  239-c
 to read as follows:
   §  239-C.  SCORES REQUIRED ON REGENTS EXAMINATIONS FOR COLLEGE CREDIT.
 1.  A STUDENT SHALL RECEIVE AN AVERAGE SCORE OF EIGHTY  ACROSS  ALL  TEN
 REGENTS  EXAMINATIONS, AND ATTAIN A REGENTS DIPLOMA, IN ORDER TO RECEIVE
 THREE COLLEGE CREDITS TOWARDS GENERAL COURSEWORK AT A  UNIVERSITY.  EACH
 UNIVERSITY  SHALL  DETERMINE  WHICH  GENERAL  EDUCATION COURSEWORK THOSE
 CREDITS MAY BE APPLIED TO ON AN INDIVIDUAL  BASIS  AND  IN  CONSULTATION
 WITH SUCH STUDENT.
   2.  A STUDENT SHALL RECEIVE AN AVERAGE SCORE OF EIGHTY-FIVE ACROSS ANY
 FOUR REGENTS EXAMINATIONS, AND ATTAIN A REGENTS  DIPLOMA,  IN  ORDER  TO
 RECEIVE  THREE COLLEGE CREDITS TOWARDS GENERAL COURSEWORK AT A UNIVERSI-
 TY.  EACH UNIVERSITY SHALL DETERMINE WHICH GENERAL EDUCATION  COURSEWORK
 THOSE  CREDITS MAY BE APPLIED TO ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS AND IN CONSULTA-
 TION WITH SUCH STUDENT.
   3. A STUDENT SHALL RECEIVE AN AVERAGE SCORE OF NINETY ACROSS ANY  FOUR
 REGENTS  EXAMINATIONS,  AND  ATTAIN  A  REGENTS DIPLOMA WITH AN ADVANCED
 DESIGNATION WITH HONORS, IN ORDER TO RECEIVE SIX COLLEGE CREDITS TOWARDS
 GENERAL COURSEWORK AT A  UNIVERSITY.  EACH  UNIVERSITY  SHALL  DETERMINE
 WHICH GENERAL EDUCATION COURSEWORK THOSE CREDITS MAY BE APPLIED TO ON AN
 INDIVIDUAL BASIS AND IN CONSULTATION WITH SUCH STUDENT.
   4.  A STUDENT SHALL BE PROHIBITED FROM AVAILING THEMSELVES OF MULTIPLE
 PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD09228-01-5
 S. 6696                             2

   5. NOTHING IN THIS SECTION  SHALL  MAKE  ANY  REGENTS  EXAM  MANDATORY
 STARTING  IN  THE  TWO  THOUSAND TWENTY-SEVEN--TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-EIGHT
 SCHOOL YEAR.
   § 2. The education law is amended by adding a new section 6235 to read
 as follows:
   §  6235  . SCORES REQUIRED ON REGENTS EXAMINATIONS FOR COLLEGE CREDIT.
 1.  A STUDENT SHALL RECEIVE AN AVERAGE SCORE OF EIGHTY  ACROSS  ALL  TEN
 REGENTS  EXAMINATIONS, AND ATTAIN A REGENTS DIPLOMA, IN ORDER TO RECEIVE
 THREE COLLEGE CREDITS TOWARDS GENERAL COURSEWORK AT A  CITY  UNIVERSITY.
 EACH UNIVERSITY SHALL DETERMINE WHICH GENERAL EDUCATION COURSEWORK THOSE
 CREDITS  MAY  BE  APPLIED  TO ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS AND IN CONSULTATION
 WITH SUCH STUDENT.
   2. A STUDENT SHALL RECEIVE AN AVERAGE SCORE OF EIGHTY-FIVE ACROSS  ANY
 FOUR  REGENTS  EXAMINATIONS,  AND  ATTAIN A REGENTS DIPLOMA, IN ORDER TO
 RECEIVE THREE COLLEGE CREDITS  TOWARDS  GENERAL  COURSEWORK  AT  A  CITY
 UNIVERSITY.  EACH  UNIVERSITY  SHALL  DETERMINE  WHICH GENERAL EDUCATION
 COURSEWORK THOSE CREDITS MAY BE APPLIED TO ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS AND IN
 CONSULTATION WITH SUCH STUDENT.
   3. A STUDENT SHALL RECEIVE AN AVERAGE SCORE OF NINETY ACROSS ANY  FOUR
 REGENTS  EXAMINATIONS,  AND  ATTAIN  A  REGENTS DIPLOMA WITH AN ADVANCED
 DESIGNATION WITH HONORS, IN ORDER TO RECEIVE SIX COLLEGE CREDITS TOWARDS
 GENERAL COURSEWORK AT A CITY UNIVERSITY. EACH UNIVERSITY SHALL DETERMINE
 WHICH GENERAL EDUCATION COURSEWORK THOSE CREDITS MAY BE APPLIED TO ON AN
 INDIVIDUAL BASIS AND IN CONSULTATION WITH SUCH STUDENT.
   4. A STUDENT SHALL BE PROHIBITED FROM AVAILING THEMSELVES OF  MULTIPLE
 PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION.
   5.  NOTHING  IN  THIS  SECTION  SHALL  MAKE ANY REGENTS EXAM MANDATORY
 STARTING IN THE TWO  THOUSAND  TWENTY-SEVEN--TWO  THOUSAND  TWENTY-EIGHT
 SCHOOL YEAR.
   § 3. This act shall take effect August 1, 2027. Effectively immediate-
 ly,  the  addition,  amendment  and/or  repeal of any rule or regulation
 necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective  date  are
 authorized to be made and completed on or before such date.

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