Bill Text: NY S00331 | 2025-2026 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Creates a commission to evaluate the need for community colleges to participate in the educational opportunity program.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2025-01-08 - REFERRED TO HIGHER EDUCATION [S00331 Detail]

Download: New_York-2025-S00331-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                           331

                               2025-2026 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                       (Prefiled)

                                     January 8, 2025
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sens.  BAILEY,  HOYLMAN-SIGAL, JACKSON -- read twice and
          ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee  on
          Higher Education

        AN  ACT relating to creating the commission on affordable college educa-
          tion to study the participation of community colleges  in  the  educa-
          tional  opportunity  program;  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.  Legislative findings. The legislature hereby acknowledges
     2  the need for a college education to compete in today's market.  Further-
     3  more, residents throughout New York state are in need of more affordable
     4  higher  education  options.  Currently,  twelve  out  of the thirty SUNY
     5  community colleges do not participate  in  the  Educational  Opportunity
     6  Programs  (EOP),  which provide vital financial and academic support for
     7  thousands  of  academic  and  economically  disadvantaged  New   Yorkers
     8  throughout  the  state.  Subsequently,  community  college students from
     9  those twelve two-year colleges, who seek to transfer  into  a  four-year
    10  school  as Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP) or EOP applicants
    11  risk potentially disqualifying themselves for such financial and academ-
    12  ic support programs.
    13    § 2. A temporary state commission, to be known as the  "commission  on
    14  affordable  college education", is hereby established to examine, evalu-
    15  ate and make recommendations concerning the need  for  the  twelve  SUNY
    16  community  colleges to participate in EOP. The commission shall consider
    17  the need for additional legislation to amend current eligibility  crite-
    18  ria for transfer students.
    19    § 3. The commission shall consist of thirteen members, to be appointed
    20  as follows: three members to be appointed by the governor; three members
    21  to  be appointed by the temporary president of the senate; three members

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD00199-01-5
        S. 331                              2

     1  to be appointed by the speaker  of  the  assembly;  two  members  to  be
     2  appointed  by  the  minority leader of the senate; and two members to be
     3  appointed by the minority leader of the assembly. The members shall have
     4  demonstrated  expertise  in and experience in the field of higher educa-
     5  tion, HEOP, or EOP. A chairperson and vice-chairperson of  such  commis-
     6  sion  shall be elected by the majority of its members, all members being
     7  present.
     8    § 4. The members of the commission shall receive no  compensation  for
     9  their services, but shall be allowed their actual and necessary expenses
    10  incurred in the performance of their duties hereunder.
    11    §  5.  The commission may employ and at pleasure remove such personnel
    12  as it may deem necessary for the  performance  of  its  functions.  Such
    13  commission  may  meet  and hold public and/or private hearings within or
    14  without the state, and shall  have  all  the  powers  of  a  legislative
    15  committee pursuant to the legislative law.
    16    §  6.  For the accomplishment of its purposes, the commission shall be
    17  authorized and empowered to undertake any studies, inquiries, surveys or
    18  analyses it may deem relevant in cooperation with or by  agreement  with
    19  any other public or private agency.
    20    § 7. The commission shall make a report of its findings, including any
    21  recommendations  for  legislative  action  as  it may deem necessary and
    22  appropriate, to the governor, the temporary president of the senate  and
    23  the  speaker  of the assembly no later than one year after the effective
    24  date of this act.
    25    § 8. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day  after  it  shall
    26  become  a  law  and  shall expire and be deemed repealed two years after
    27  such date.