Bill Text: NY A08366 | 2013-2014 | General Assembly | Amended
Bill Title: Enacts the "urban science, technology, engineering and math (U-STEM) mentor volunteer program for youth act".
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-06-17 - held for consideration in ways and means [A08366 Detail]
Download: New_York-2013-A08366-Amended.html
S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K ________________________________________________________________________ 8366--A I N A S S E M B L Y January 9, 2014 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. MAGNARELLI -- read once and referred to the Committee on Ways and Means -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee AN ACT to amend the tax law in relation to creating an urban science, technology, engineering and math (U-STEM) mentor volunteer program for youth and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM- BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: 1 Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "urban 2 science, technology, engineering and math (U-STEM) mentor volunteer 3 program for youth act". 4 S 2. Legislative findings and intent. The legislature hereby finds 5 that there is a need to develop, promote and facilitate a mentor volun- 6 teer program specifically designed to foster greater student partic- 7 ipation for pupils living in high concentrations of poverty in large 8 urban areas who are in grades seven to twelve in the study of science, 9 technology, engineering and mathematics herein referred to as STEM 10 programs. The legislature further finds that the STEM programmatic areas 11 are under-served and under-represented by pupils living in poverty in 12 the large urban school districts of the state due in part to the finan- 13 cial circumstances of the school districts as well as the competing 14 programmatic requirements for high school graduation. 15 Furthermore, the legislature finds that STEM businesses in the large 16 urban areas are in need of greater numbers of qualified students to 17 pursue careers in the STEM fields and that there is a state interest in 18 fostering a programmatic connection between these businesses and their 19 school districts to mentor, develop and train students interested in 20 STEM careers. 21 Therefore be it resolved that the legislature creates the urban 22 science, technology, engineering and mathematics (U-STEM) mentor volun- 23 teer program for pupils in the large city school districts of the state. 24 S 3. Section 210 of the tax law is amended by adding a new subdivision 25 48 to read as follows: EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD11792-03-4 A. 8366--A 2 1 48. URBAN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATH (U-STEM) MENTOR 2 VOLUNTEER PROGRAM FOR YOUTH ACT CREDIT. (A) NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER 3 PROVISION OF LAW, RULE OR REGULATION TO THE CONTRARY, BUSINESSES IDENTI- 4 FIED AS STEM EMPLOYERS SHALL BE ALLOWED A CREDIT AGAINST THE TAX IMPOSED 5 BY THIS ARTICLE EQUAL TO FIVE PERCENT OF THE COMBINED ANNUAL SALARIES OF 6 INDIVIDUALS PARTICIPATING IN THE U-STEM MENTOR VOLUNTEER PROGRAM UP TO A 7 MAXIMUM OF FOUR HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS ANNUALLY FOR EACH QUALIFYING 8 BUSINESS. 9 (B) INDIVIDUALS OF ELIGIBLE EMPLOYERS WHO ELECT TO PARTICIPATE IN THE 10 U-STEM MENTOR VOLUNTEER PROGRAM SHALL PARTICIPATE THROUGH A PARTNERSHIP 11 BETWEEN THE EMPLOYER AND A SCHOOL DISTRICT OF A CITY WITH A POPULATION 12 OF AT LEAST ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-FIVE THOUSAND BUT LESS THAN ONE MILLION 13 INHABITANTS ACCORDING TO THE LATEST FEDERAL CENSUS AND COMMIT TO AT 14 LEAST ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY HOURS ANNUALLY OF MENTOR VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES. 15 (C) QUALIFYING EMPLOYERS SHALL MAINTAIN WRITTEN DOCUMENTATION OF THEIR 16 EMPLOYEE'S PARTICIPATION IN THE U-STEM MENTOR VOLUNTEER PROGRAM INCLUD- 17 ING THE NUMBER OF HOURS OF MENTOR VOLUNTEERING PER MONTH, WHICH MUST 18 INCLUDE MENTOR VOLUNTEERING IN A SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING OR 19 MATHEMATICS CLASS FIVE DAYS PER WEEK FOR A MINIMUM OF ONE SCHOOL YEAR. 20 SUCH INFORMATION SHALL BE MADE AVAILABLE TO THE DEPARTMENT UPON REQUEST. 21 (D) SCHOOL DISTRICTS PARTICIPATING IN THE U-STEM MENTOR VOLUNTEER 22 PROGRAM SHALL DO SO ON A VOLUNTARY BASIS AND COMPLY WITH ALL APPLICABLE 23 LAWS AND REGULATIONS PERTAINING TO MENTOR VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS AND ACTIV- 24 ITIES. 25 (E) THE CREDIT ALLOWED UNDER THIS SUBDIVISION FOR ANY TAXABLE YEAR MAY 26 NOT REDUCE THE TAX DUE FOR SUCH YEAR TO LESS THAN THE AMOUNT PRESCRIBED 27 IN PARAGRAPH (D) OF SUBDIVISION ONE OF THIS SECTION. HOWEVER, IF THE 28 AMOUNT OF CREDIT ALLOWED UNDER THIS SUBDIVISION FOR ANY TAXABLE YEAR 29 REDUCES THE TAX TO SUCH AMOUNT, ANY AMOUNT OF CREDIT THUS NOT DEDUCTIBLE 30 IN SUCH TAXABLE YEAR WILL BE TREATED AS AN OVERPAYMENT OF TAX TO BE 31 CREDITED OR REFUNDED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF SECTION ONE 32 THOUSAND EIGHTY-SIX OF THIS CHAPTER. PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THE PROVISIONS 33 OF SUBSECTION (C) OF SECTION ONE THOUSAND EIGHTY-EIGHT OF THIS CHAPTER 34 NOTWITHSTANDING, NO INTEREST WILL BE PAID THEREON. 35 S 4. Subsections (yy) and (zz) of section 606 of the tax law, as 36 relettered by section 5 of part H of chapter 1 of the laws of 2003, are 37 relettered subsections (yyy) and (zzz) and a new subsection (yy) is 38 added to read as follows: 39 (YY) URBAN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATH (U-STEM) MENTOR 40 VOLUNTEER PROGRAM FOR YOUTH ACT CREDIT. (1) NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER 41 PROVISION OF LAW RULE OR REGULATION TO THE CONTRARY, PARTICIPATING 42 EMPLOYEES OF BUSINESSES IDENTIFIED AS STEM EMPLOYERS WITH TAX EXEMPT 43 STATUS UNDER SECTION 501(C)(3) OF THE UNITED STATES INTERNAL REVENUE 44 CODE SHALL BE ALLOWED A CREDIT EQUAL TO FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS ANNUALLY 45 FOR EACH EMPLOYEE. 46 (2) INDIVIDUALS OF ELIGIBLE EMPLOYERS WHO ELECT TO PARTICIPATE IN THE 47 U-STEM MENTOR VOLUNTEER PROGRAM SHALL PARTICIPATE THROUGH A PARTNERSHIP 48 BETWEEN THE EMPLOYER AND A SCHOOL DISTRICT OF A CITY WITH A POPULATION 49 OF AT LEAST ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-FIVE THOUSAND BUT LESS THAN ONE MILLION 50 INHABITANTS ACCORDING TO THE LATEST FEDERAL CENSUS AND COMMIT TO AT 51 LEAST ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY HOURS ANNUALLY OF MENTOR VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES. 52 (3) QUALIFYING EMPLOYERS SHALL MAINTAIN WRITTEN DOCUMENTATION OF THEIR 53 EMPLOYEE'S PARTICIPATION IN THE U-STEM MENTOR VOLUNTEER PROGRAM INCLUD- 54 ING THE NUMBER OF HOURS OF MENTOR VOLUNTEERING PER MONTH, WHICH MUST 55 INCLUDE MENTOR VOLUNTEERING IN A SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING OR A. 8366--A 3 1 MATHEMATICS CLASS FIVE DAYS PER WEEK FOR A MINIMUM OF ONE SCHOOL YEAR. 2 SUCH INFORMATION SHALL BE MADE AVAILABLE TO THE DEPARTMENT UPON REQUEST. 3 (4) SCHOOL DISTRICTS PARTICIPATING IN THE U-STEM MENTOR VOLUNTEER 4 PROGRAM SHALL DO SO ON A VOLUNTARY BASIS AND COMPLY WITH ALL APPLICABLE 5 LAWS AND REGULATIONS PERTAINING TO MENTOR VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS AND ACTIV- 6 ITIES. 7 (5) IF THE AMOUNT OF THE CREDIT ALLOWED UNDER THIS SUBSECTION FOR ANY 8 TAXABLE YEAR SHALL EXCEED THE TAXPAYER'S TAX FOR SUCH YEAR, THE EXCESS 9 SHALL BE TREATED AS AN OVERPAYMENT OF TAX TO BE CREDITED OR REFUNDED IN 10 ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF SECTION SIX HUNDRED EIGHTY-SIX OF THIS 11 ARTICLE, PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT NO INTEREST SHALL BE PAID THEREON. 12 S 5. This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to taxable 13 years beginning on or after January 1, 2015 and shall expire and be 14 deemed repealed January 1, 2018.