NY State Senate Bill 2025-S7122

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
Apr 01, 2025	referred to higher education

2025-S7122 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Higher Education
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Add §6311, Ed L

2025-S7122 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Directs the state to provide annual base funding to community colleges operating under the university of the state of New York; requires funding to be indexed to inflation; requires annual reporting.

2025-S7122 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S7122

SPONSOR: MAY
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the education law, in relation to enacting the "New York
state community college funding stability act"

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

To provide reliable state funding for SUNY community colleges by estab-
lishing a funding floor.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

- Creates a Funding Floor: Guarantees that each SUNY community college
receives at least as much state funding as it did in its best-funded
year over the past three years.

- Indexes Funding to Inflation: Ensures future funding automatically
adjusts each year based on a recognized higher education cost index.

- Protects Against Fluctuations: Protects against cuts in per-student
funding if enrollment temporarily declines; increases funding when
enrollment grows.

- Limits Emergency Cuts: Prohibits changes to the funding floor or
inflation indexing without approval from the legislature.

- Oversight and Transparency: Charges the State Comptroller, SUNY Trus-
tees, and Chancellor with enforcing and reporting on compliance.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

New York's community colleges are an essential part of our state's high-
er education system. They offer affordable, flexible, and accessible
pathways to education-especially for students who are the first in their
families to attend college, working adults balancing jobs and classes,
or young people pursuing technical careers that don't necessarily
require a four-year degree. Community colleges directly support regional
economies by partnering with local industries to provide targeted job
training programs, producing skilled graduates ready to meet workforce
demands in sectors such as healthcare, advanced manufacturing, technolo-
gy, and the skilled trades.

Yet these institutions often face financial instability that leads to
severe program cuts, tuition hikes, faculty reductions, deferred mainte-
nance, and diminished student support services-challenges that dispro-
portionately affect lower-income and marginalized students.  Declining
state funding in the past forced many community colleges in New York to
eliminate critical courses and reduce offerings in fields crucial to
regional job markets. Students seeking vocational and career-oriented
training may find fewer opportunities precisely when these affordable
and practical educational pathways are needed most.

This bill ensures SONY community colleges can plan with confidence,
maintaining affordable tuition and robust programming without fear of
fluctuating funding. By establishing a predictable funding floor, index-
ing state contributions to inflation, and protecting colleges against
enrollment-based funding reductions, we strengthen our workforce pipe-
line, enhance economic resilience in every region, and reaffirm our
commitment to educational equity and access. This legislation provides
the fiscal stability necessary for community colleges to fulfill their
vital role in preparing New Yorkers for good-paying jobs and secure
futures-no matter who they are or where they come from.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately.

2025-S7122 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7122
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               April 1, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  MAY  --  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 "New York
   state community college funding stability 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 "New York state community college funding stability act".
   § 2. The education law is amended by adding a new section 6311 to read
 as follows:
   § 6311. STATE FUNDING FLOOR FOR SUNY COMMUNITY COLLEGES. 1. THE  STATE
 OF  NEW  YORK  SHALL  PROVIDE EACH COMMUNITY COLLEGE OPERATING UNDER THE
 UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK WITH ANNUAL BASE FUNDING EQUAL TO NO
 LESS THAN THE HIGHEST AMOUNT RECEIVED  IN  ANY  OF  THE  PREVIOUS  THREE
 FISCAL YEARS.
   2.  (A) THE FUNDING FLOOR FOR COMMUNITY COLLEGES UNDER SUBDIVISION ONE
 OF THIS SECTION SHALL BE AUTOMATICALLY INDEXED TO INFLATION AND ADJUSTED
 ANNUALLY BASED ON THE COMMONFUND HIGHER EDUCATION PRICE INDEX, AS RECOG-
 NIZED BY THE FEDERAL DEPARTMENT OF  EDUCATION,  TO  ACCOUNT  FOR  RISING
 OPERATIONAL  COSTS, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO FACULTY SALARIES, TECH-
 NOLOGY NEEDS, AND CAMPUS MAINTENANCE.
   (B) THE DIVISION OF THE BUDGET, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE STATE UNIVER-
 SITY TRUSTEES,  SHALL  CERTIFY  THE  ANNUAL  INFLATION-ADJUSTED  FUNDING
 AMOUNT  UNDER  PARAGRAPH  (A)  OF  THIS  SUBDIVISION  NO  LATER THAN THE
 FIFTEENTH OF JANUARY OF EACH FISCAL YEAR.
   3. IF A COMMUNITY COLLEGE'S ENROLLMENT DECLINES, STATE AID  PER  FULL-
 TIME  EQUIVALENT STUDENT SHALL NOT FALL BELOW THE PRIOR YEAR'S STATE AID
 PER FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT STUDENT FUNDING LEVEL. IF A COMMUNITY COLLEGE'S
 ENROLLMENT INCREASES, SUCH COMMUNITY COLLEGE  SHALL  RECEIVE  ADDITIONAL
 FUNDING  AT  THE  PREVAILING  STATE AID PER FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT STUDENT
 RATE.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD10404-01-5

 S. 7122                             2
 
   4. IN THE EVENT OF A STATE FISCAL EMERGENCY,  NO  DEVIATION  FROM  THE
 FUNDING FLOOR OR INFLATION-INDEXING REQUIREMENT UNDER THIS SECTION SHALL
 BE  AUTHORIZED UNLESS SUCH DEVIATION IS APPROVED BY A TWO-THIRDS VOTE OF
 THE STATE LEGISLATURE, WITH A  WRITTEN  JUSTIFICATION  PROVIDED  TO  THE
 PUBLIC AND TO THE STATE UNIVERSITY TRUSTEES.
   5. THE COMPTROLLER AND THE STATE UNIVERSITY TRUSTEES SHALL OVERSEE THE
 IMPLEMENTATION AND ENFORCEMENT OF THIS SECTION.
   6.  THE  CHANCELLOR  OF  THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK SHALL
 SUBMIT AN ANNUAL REPORT TO THE LEGISLATURE INCLUDING,  BUT  NOT  LIMITED
 TO,  COMMUNITY  COLLEGE  FUNDING  UNDER  THIS SECTION, COMMUNITY COLLEGE
 ENROLLMENT TRENDS, COMPLIANCE WITH THE FUNDING FLOOR UNDER THIS SECTION,
 AND THE IMPACT OF INFLATION ADJUSTMENTS MADE UNDER THIS SECTION.
   7. ANY RULE OR  REGULATION  NECESSARY  FOR  THE  ENFORCEMENT  OF  THIS
 SECTION IS AUTHORIZED TO BE PROMULGATED.
   8.  IF ANY CLAUSE, SENTENCE, PARAGRAPH, OR SUBDIVISION OF THIS SECTION
 SHALL BE ADJUDGED BY ANY COURT OF COMPETENT JURISDICTION TO BE  INVALID,
 SUCH  JUDGMENT  SHALL  NOT  AFFECT,  IMPAIR, OR INVALIDATE THE REMAINDER
 THEREOF, BUT SHALL BE CONFINED IN ITS OPERATION TO THE CLAUSE, SENTENCE,
 PARAGRAPH, OR SUBDIVISION THEREOF DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN  THE  CONTROVERSY
 IN  WHICH  SUCH JUDGMENT SHALL HAVE BEEN RENDERED. IT IS HEREBY DECLARED
 TO BE THE INTENT OF THE LEGISLATURE THAT THIS SECTION  WOULD  HAVE  BEEN
 ENACTED EVEN IF SUCH INVALID PROVISIONS HAD NOT BEEN INCLUDED HEREIN.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.

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Senate Bill S7122

Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Higher Education Committee

2025-S7122 (ACTIVE) - Details

2025-S7122 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2025-S7122 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S7122 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments

Senate Bill S7122

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Sponsored By

Rachel May

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Higher Education Committee

2025-S7122 (ACTIVE) - Details

2025-S7122 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2025-S7122 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S7122 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments