Bill Text: NY S07044 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Establishes the mental health educational opportunity program and the mental health higher educational opportunity program to provide additional educational opportunities for students at certain universities and colleges in the state to enroll in academic programs that lead to a degree or degrees required for licensure in any of the mental health professions.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-26 - PRINT NUMBER 7044A [S07044 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-S07044-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          7044

                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                      May 17, 2023
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sen.  WEBB  --  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  establishing  the
          mental health educational opportunity program

          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new  section  6457
     2  to read as follows:
     3    §  6457.  Mental health educational opportunity program. 1. To provide
     4  additional educational opportunities for students at the state universi-
     5  ty of New York to enroll in academic programs that lead to a  degree  or
     6  degrees  required  for licensure in any of the mental health professions
     7  pursuant to articles one hundred fifty-three, one hundred fifty-four and
     8  one hundred sixty-three of this chapter, the  state  university  of  New
     9  York  shall  provide  special programs for the screening, testing, coun-
    10  seling and tutoring of, and assistance to, residents of the  state,  (i)
    11  who  are  graduates  of  an approved high school or individuals who have
    12  attained a New York state high school equivalency diploma or its  equiv-
    13  alent,  as  determined  by the commissioner, (ii) who have potential for
    14  the successful completion of a post-secondary program that  leads  to  a
    15  degree  or  degrees  required for licensure in any mental health profes-
    16  sion, and (iii) who are economically and educationally disadvantaged.
    17    2. The state university of New York shall formulate a general plan for
    18  the organization, development, coordination  and  operation  of  such  a
    19  program  within  the amounts made available therefor by law. Such a plan
    20  shall include:
    21    a. Definition of eligibility,
    22    b. Procedures for the selection of students from among the eligibles,
    23    c. Description of the contents  of  such  proposed  program  including
    24  counseling, tutoring and skill development,
    25    d. Estimated costs,

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD11389-01-3
        S. 7044                             2

     1    e.  Objectives including coordination with the university's long-range
     2  plan,
     3    f.  Extent  of  other funds and resources to be utilized in support of
     4  the program,
     5    g. Procedures for the evaluation of student progress, and
     6    h. Periodic reports.
     7    3. The general plan shall be transmitted to the board  of  regents  at
     8  such  time  as  the  regents  shall  by rule require. Such plan shall be
     9  reviewed by the regents and shall guide and determine the  operation  of
    10  such program at the state university of New York.
    11    4.  a.  State appropriations made available to the state university of
    12  New York for  this  program  shall  be  spent  only  for  the  following
    13  purposes:
    14    (i) Special testing, counseling and guidance services in the course of
    15  screening potential students,
    16    (ii)  Remedial  courses,  developmental  and  compensatory courses and
    17  summer classes for such students,
    18    (iii) Special tutoring, counseling and guidance services for  enrolled
    19  students,
    20    (iv)  Central  services including evaluation and administrative costs,
    21  and
    22    (v) Any necessary supplemental financial assistance, which may include
    23  the cost of books and necessary maintenance for such students, including
    24  students without lawful immigration status  provided  that  the  student
    25  meets  the requirements set forth in subparagraph (ii) of paragraph a or
    26  subparagraph (ii) of paragraph b of  subdivision  five  of  section  six
    27  hundred  sixty-one  of  this  chapter, as applicable; provided, however,
    28  that such supplemental financial assistance shall be furnished  pursuant
    29  to criteria promulgated by the state university of New York and approved
    30  by the regents and the director of the budget.
    31    b.  No  funds  pursuant  to  this  section  shall be made available to
    32  support the regular academic programs of any  state  university  of  New
    33  York  college  or  university  participating  in this program, nor shall
    34  funds be provided for programs which are incompatible with  the  regents
    35  plan for the expansion and development of higher education in the state.
    36    5.  The  trustees of the state university of New York shall furnish to
    37  the regents, the director of the budget, the chair of the senate finance
    38  committee and the chair of the assembly ways  and  means  committee,  at
    39  least  annually, a report in such form, at such time and containing such
    40  information as the regents and the director of the budget  may  require,
    41  of the operations of such program. The report shall include:
    42    a. A statement of the objectives of the program,
    43    b. A description of the program,
    44    c.  The  budgetary  expenditures  for such program, separately stating
    45  academic credit instructional costs, other instructional costs, tutoring
    46  costs, remediation, counseling, supplemental  financial  assistance  and
    47  central services, including evaluation and administrative costs,
    48    d.  The  extent  of  other funds and resources used in support of such
    49  program and their sources,
    50    e. The progress of students,
    51    f. The extent and nature of the  responsibility  exercised  over  such
    52  program by such trustees,
    53    g.  The  extent  and  nature of supervision and control exercised over
    54  such program by the administrative officials of the  constituent  insti-
    55  tutions of the state university of New York, and
        S. 7044                             3

     1    h.  A  certification  by such trustees that the academic committees of
     2  the constituent institutions of the state university  of  New  York  and
     3  their faculty committees have reviewed and approved the academic content
     4  of  the  courses  offered  for  academic  credit in such program and the
     5  amount  of  academic  credit  granted therefor and that the registration
     6  requirements of the regents and the commissioner  have  been  met  where
     7  applicable.
     8    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.