Outreach & Engagement

2008 Significant Higher Education Legislative Summary

Significant Higher Education Legislation
2008 Session
All bills are under consideration in their original committee
of reference unless Status otherwise noted
(Status as of July 1, 2008)

Skip To:
(A)Academics
(B) Board of Trustees
(CC) Community Colleges
(CPM) Construction & Property Management
(CPS) Crime & Personal Safety
(F) Financial Aid
(H) Health Care & Hospitals
(M) Management & Agency Requirements
(PR) Personnel & Retirement
(PCU) Private Colleges & Universities
(PL) Professions & Licensure
(R) Research & Economic Development
(S) Students
(T) Tuition & Fees

Academics 

Textbook Review Board
A.355 Cahill 
No Senate Companion
Authorizes the trustees of the State University of New York to create an academic review board for the review of textbooks sold, purchased or used for academic purposes on all state university of New York campuses.

Nursing Study
A.374 Pheffer
S.4030 Montgomery
Authorizes and directs the board of regents and the state education department to conduct a comprehensive study of nursing education programs across the state and develop a model for improved articulation of the education program for career mobility from one classification to another in the field of nursing enacting the "Development of Model for Articulation and Career Mobility Act."

Admissions Testing
A.558 Wright
No Senate Companion
Prohibits the use of a minimum standardized test cut-off score for student admission to or rejection by the state university of New York and city university of New York; permits overall assessment of student qualifications for admission, including consideration of such scores together with academic course grades, classroom performance, community service, and extracurricular activities, provided that the effect of doing so does not result in establishing a minimum standardized test score for admission or rejection.
Status: Held in Higher Education Committee

Textbook Lists
A.816 Englebright
No Senate Companion
Requires institutions of higher education to publish a list of all courses offered to include the instructor, instructional materials needed or recommended, and expected number of students to be enrolled; requires such institutions to provide information on instructional materials to bookstores, other than those operated by the institution and provide equal access to students; requires institutions of higher education to adopt and publish a policy for complying with such provisions.

Textbook Information
A.1518 Englebright
No Senate Companion
Requires institution, faculty and staff of state and city universities to provide all textbook retailers, upon request, with information on textbooks to be used in courses of study when any one retailer is provided with such information.

Teacher Licensure
A.1913 Rivera, P.
S.3895 Morahan
Directs the commissioner of education to establish and implement rules and regulations requiring institutions granting degrees in education to require completion of a curriculum in the social and emotional development and learning of children as a condition of awarding any such degree.
Status: A.1913 Held in Higher Education Committee

Nursing BSN
A.2480 Morelle
S.294  Alesi
Requires registered professional nurses to attain a baccalaureate degree in nursing within ten years of their initial licensure.

Duplicate Course Listings
A.3002 Weprin
S.1526 LaValle
Requires the state university trustees to report to the governor and the legislature concerning the steps taken to establish a process by which decisions are made to eliminate or reduce duplication of academic degree programs within the state university system.

Dissertation Sales
A.3003 Weprin
S.1527 LaValle
Prohibits the sale of academic dissertations, theses and term papers whether written or provided through electronic media.
Status: S.1527 Passed Senate; A.3003 Reported to Codes Committee

Religious Observances
A.3233 Dinowitz
No Senate Companion
Provides that no class or any other course of instruction shall be held in any institution within the state university on those days of religious observance known as Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur provided, however, that the chancellor, in his discretion, may exempt any institution from such observance.

Academic Bill of Rights
A.4406 Seminero
S.2300 DeFrancisco
Creates an academic bill of rights that ensures an academic environment for both students and faculty members that allows freedom of political viewpoint, expression and instruction; requires institutions of higher education to publish such bill of rights and to adopt a grievance procedure to address complaints of violations of such rights.
Status: A.4406 Held in Assembly Higher Education Commitee

Home Schooled Admissions
A.4590-A Weisenberg
S.2976-A Robach
Relates to admission of institutions of higher education for pupils receiving home instruction and  prohibits the commissioner from requiring pupils who have completed the requirements of a home school education or a non-public school program to obtain or submit proof of having obtained a general education development certificate or any accredited diploma.

On-Line Programs
A.5262 Miller
No Senate Companion
Directs the establishment of grant programs on SUNY and CUNY campuses for on-line and distant learning programs and provides that grants shall not exceed $10,000 total at each campus.
Status: Held in Higher Education Committee

Life Long Learning Centers
A.5568 Englebright
S.3062 Golden
Provides for the establishment of life long learning centers within the state university of New York to provide courses in community colleges and colleges and universities in the state university system for persons 40 years old or older who are seeking to explore life options, remain civically engaged, continue their education and acquire skills for or begin to plan for a second career.
Status: S.3062 reported to Finance Committee

ABD Graduate Fee Option
A.5757 Abbate
S.2610 Stavisky
Provides a program fee option to allow graduate students who have taken at least 30 credits towards the completion of a degree to maintain access to certain facilities within the state university in order to continue a research project or to pursue other academic requirements.

Single Gender Program
A.5956 Rivera P
No Senate Companion
Establishes the single gender core course academies demonstration program within the education department and provides that such program shall be established in 4 elementary schools, 8 middle schools and 1 high school which are low performing schools in each of the cities of New York, Yonkers, Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo with single gender classroom instruction in English, social studies, mathematics and science and requires such schools to report progress to the department and a university center of the state university of New York for study. 

EOC Codification
A.7956-A Benjamin
S.5560-B Volker
Codifies state university of New York educational opportunity centers which provide an integrated system of education, vocational training and student support services targeted to higher education access and the development of a quality workforce which supports the economic development of New York's distressed communities.
Status:  A.7956-A Calendar 547

Eminent Scholars Grants
A.8166-A Glick
S.3923-A LaValle
Enacts the New York's state university eminent scholars and challenge grant program act creating within the endowment fund of the state university an eminent scholars and trustees challenge grant account to be used to endow eminent scholar chairs and professorships and trustees challenge grants.

Dental Faculty
A.8716-C Glick
S.6026-C Golden
Provides a full-time faculty license may be issued to any dentist who is serving full-time on the faculty, at the rank of assistant professor or above, of one of the five New York City academic dental centers.
Status: Passed Both Senate & Assembly

African American Institute
A.9423 Peoples
S.7205 Smith
Establishes the University at Buffalo Institute for African American studies which will engage students in intellectual collaborations, address contemporary issues which confront peoples of African American descent, and sponsor lectures, conferences, workshops and publications related to African American issues.

Yonkers Campus
A.9561 Spano
S.7081 Stewart-Cousins
Provides for the trustees of the state university of New York to establish a four-year college of engineering and applied sciences in the city of Yonkers within the state university system.

Nuclear Engineering Incentives
A.9621 Miller
No Senate Companion
Establishes the New York state nuclear engineering degree incentive program for undergraduate study to provide awards equal to that of SUNY tuition for students studying nuclear engineering in New York State.   
Status: Held in Higher Education Committee

Child Abuse Pediatrics
A.9628 Paulin
S.7293 Saland
Establishes a forensic fellowship program for education and training in child abuse pediatrics to encourage pediatricians to receive additional training in the area of child abuse by providing state funding for fellowships in the medical sub-specialty of child abuse pediatrics.
Status: Passed Both Assembly & Senate

Library Collaborations
A.9672 Schimminger
S.6741 Alesi
Enacts the academic research information access act to provide public and private academic and research libraries of New York access to information resources at institutions of higher education and within the entrepreneurial community.
Status:  A.9672 Reported to Ways and Means

Inmate Education
A.9811 Peoples
S.7239 Adams
Establish higher education and general equivalency education programs in state correctional facilities.

GED Attainment
A.9814 Peoples
No Senate Companion
Creates a program for overage and under credit students, which enables such youth to obtain a high school diploma or the equivalent and make an effective transition to employment, postsecondary education, postsecondary-level training, apprenticeship, or employment with a career ladder.

Nursing Grants
A.10032 Magee
S.3030 Seward
Relates to enrollment grants to schools of nursing.

Terrorism Chair
A.10478 Destito
S.3741-A Liebell
Establishes an endowed academic chair within the state university of New York for the study of terrorism and homeland security; directs such chair to organize conferences and seminars, develop training programs for law enforcement officers, publish its proceedings and maintain a library.
Status: S.3741-A Passed Senate

Study Abroad
A.11385-A Glick
S.7838 LaValle
Requires institutions of higher education to disclose any relationships or perquisites that they receive from providers of study abroad/internship programs.
Status: S.7838 Passed Senate

Distance Learning Enrollments
S.4978 LaValle
No Senate Companion
Provides for the loss of state aid apportionments for those institutions of higher education that enroll 50 percent or more of the institution's total number of all courses by telecommunications or correspondence.

Street Law Programs
S.8003 Smith
No Assembly Companion
Authorizes the Commissioner of Education to establish and support the creation of street law programs, to be designed by law schools.

Board of Trustees

Trustee Commission
A.526 Cahill
No Senate Companion
Creates independent commissions to interview and recommend trustee candidates to the state university, CUNY and the community colleges.

Trustee Alumni
A.2310 Hoyt
S.5395 LaValle
Requires four appointees as state university trustees to be alumni of an educational unit in the state university.

Trustee Nomination
A.2833 Lifton
No Senate Companion
Establishes the committee on university boards of trustees nominations to recommend candidates who must be considered for appointment to fill vacancies on the board of trustees of the state university of New York, the city university of New York and the college of environmental science and forestry of the state university of New York and establishes qualifications for such candidates.

Chancellor’s Salary
A.5113 Koon
Provides for a salary/benefits package cap on the chancellor of the state or city university of New York to $250,000 of public funds and no state officer's salary shall equal or exceed the governor's salary.

Records Availability
A.5943 Markey
S.7042 DeFrancisco
Requires records, including a proposed resolution, law, rule, regulation, policy or amendment thereto, scheduled to be presented and discussed by a public body at an open meeting be made available for review to the public upon request therefor, at least 72 hours prior to such meeting or as soon as practicable; requires copies thereof to be provided for a reasonable fee.
Status:  Passed Both Assembly & Senate

State Employment
A.6458 Lancman
S.3057 Stavisky
No Assembly Companion
Relates to qualifications for certain appointed positions with the board of trustees for the state university that no such trustee shall be an employee of or under the supervision of such appointing authorities. 

Faculty Council Trustee
A.6626 Canestrari
S.3818 LaValle
Increases the membership of the board of trustees of the state university of New York from seventeen to eighteen members to include the president of the faculty council of community colleges.

Public Meeting Notice
A.9830 Brodsky
No Senate Companion
Establishes when a public body has the ability to do so that the time and place of a public meeting shall be conspicuously posted on an internet website and sent by electronic mail to any individuals who have registered with the public body to receive such by electronic mail.

Community Colleges

Full Time Faculty Ratios
A.1207 Gunther
No Senate Companion
Provides that at every community college, each division, department or academic discipline, a minimum of sixty percent of the faculty shall be full-time except where the nature of the educational program and the expertise required justifies a departure from such requirement.

State Support
A.1745 O'Mara 
S.875   Winner
Provides for $192 million in additional state aid to community colleges, freezing the tuition and fee schedules and directs the regents to plan for the incorporation of community colleges into the SUNY and CUNY systems.

Regional Colleges
A.2379 Schimminger
S.1243 LaValle
Authorizes community colleges, college sponsors, and eligible local governments to establish community college regions to sponsor an existing community college operating under the program of SUNY, to transfer sponsorship from the existing sponsor to the community college region, and to protect upon transfer the employment and collective bargaining rights of all employees of a community college.

Full Time Faculty Ratios
A.4283 Glick
No Senate Companion
Establishes full-time to part-time faculty ratio for community colleges; requires a minimum of seventy percent of the faculty in each department be full-time except in certain instances.

Trustee Appointments
A.4661 Morelle
Provides that the local members of community college boards of trustees shall be appointed by the county executive with the advice and consent of the local legislative body or board

BOCES Partnerships
A.5083 Fitzpatrick
No Senate Companion
Creates the community college and board of cooperative educational services partnership act to facilitate high technology job training to assist students in meeting qualifications for employment in the high technology sector.
Status: Held in Higher Education Committee

Labor Negotiations
A.6181 Abbate
S.4706 Robach
Makes it an improper employer practice for a county legislature which has allocated funds to reject an agreement negotiated by an employee organization which has been certified to represent employees of a community college when such agreement can be implemented within available funds.

BOCES Partnerships
A.6292 Conte
No Senate Companion
Enacts the community college and BOCES partnership act.

Rockland Tuition
A.8478 Jaffee
S.5167 Morahan
No Assembly Companion
Authorizes Rockland community college to establish a tuition reduction program for active members in good standing of the volunteer fire companies and ambulance service corps in Rockland county.

High Tech Grants
A.8785 Magnarelli
No Senate Companion
Creates community college high-technology investment program (C-CHIP) to award grants of up to $100,000 to community colleges to upgrade their educational, occupational, and training services including their facilities, labs, and high technology equipment.

Technology Grants
A.9136-A Magnarelli
No Senate Companion
Creates the technology employment community hub (TECH) centers program to award grants of up to $100,000 to community colleges to upgrade their educational, occupational, and training services including their facilities, labs, and high technology equipment.

Contract Courses
A.9137 Christensen
No Senate Companion
Appropriates $2,000,000 for state assistance to community college contract courses and workforce development.

Course Audit NOC
A.9178 Englebright
S.5649 Morahan
Includes senior citizen students auditing community college classes in the full time equivalent state aid formula.

Tuition Incentive
A.9827 Peoples
No Senate Companion
Establishes the New York accelerated graduation option act which provides New York high school students who choose to graduate within three years free community college tuition.

Skills Training
A.10337 Christensen
S.7096 Aubertine
Appropriates funds for a new state skills compact course program through community colleges.

FIT Board of Trustees
A.10713 Gottfried
S.7821 LaValle
Expands the Board of Trustees of the Fashion Institute of Technology from ten to sixteen members.
Status: Passed Both Senate & Assembly

Criminal History Background
A11122 Destito
No Senate Companion
Includes peace officers at community colleges operating under the program of the state university of New York within the definition of the term "qualified agencies" for access to criminal history background checks.

Peace Officer Definition
A.11540 Lentol
S.7512 Volker
Redefines "peace officer" generally; provides for training requirements for peace officers and designates certain persons as peace officers.

Full Time Faculty Ratios
S.3904 LaValle
No Assembly Companion
Provides that at every community college full-time faculty shall teach sixty percent of the courses offered in an academic year except where the nature of the educational program and the expertise required justifies a departure from such requirement.

Construction & Property Management

Sprinkler Systems
A.354 Cahill
No Senate Companion
Requires SUNY and CUNY authorities, the board of trustees, to adopt rules to require the installing and retrofitting of dormitory buildings with sprinkler systems on or before March first, two thousand ten.

Fire Safety
A.1409 Canestrari
S.797   Breslin
Enacts the balanced fire protection act.

Prevailing Wages
A.2456 John
No Senate Companion
Requires the payment of prevailing wages on construction projects involving the state university of New York, the dormitory authority or the state university construction fund and any third party.

PLA Study
A.3240 Hoyt
No Senator Companion
Requires a study be undertaken for all proposed SUNY educational facility construction projects of $500,000.00 or more to determine the necessity of a project labor agreement; directs certain state authorities and certain contractors to enter into project labor agreements if a study finds that a project labor agreement is beneficial; defines relevant terms.

Purchase Senior Community
A.8535-A Bradley
S.5987-A Leibell
Authorizes the lease of lands located at the state university of New York at Purchase for a senior learning community.
Status: Passed Both Assembly & Senate

Synthetic Turf Study
A.9503-B Englebright
S.6531-B Alesi
Provides for a public health study by the department of health on the use of crumb rubber in synthetic turf, a six month moratorium on its use and installation pending the health department's report; and provides for a site specific environmental impact statement whenever synthetic turf use is proposed.
Status: A.9503-B Assembly Calendar 568

SUNYIT Land Lease
A.10983-A Destito
S.7902-A Griffo
Authorizes the state university trustees to lease a portion of the lands of the State University of New York Institute of Technology to Upstate Cerebral Palsy Inc. for the development of two group homes.
Status: S.7902-A Passed Senate

Stony Brook Land Lease
A.11099-A Englebright
S.7952-A Flanagan
Authorizes the State University of New York at Stony Brook to lease certain lands to the Stony Brook Foundation or its affiliate for the construction of a new academic Center for Geometry and Physics.
Status: Passed both Senate and Assembly

NYC Fire Inspection
A.11118 Benedetto
S.7697 Johnson O
Relates to college fire safety and the duties of the office of fire prevention and control.
Status: A.11118 Passed Assembly

Stony Brook Conference Center
A.11211 Englebright
S.8238 Flanagan
Extends the term of SUNY Stony Brook contract or lease for hotel/conference center facilities from sixty to eighty-one years as authorized in Chapter 830 of the Laws of 1986.
Status: S.8238 Passed Senate

Harford Fire Department
A.11472 Finch
S.8343 Seward
Authorizes the state university of New York to lease certain lands to the Harford Fire Company, Inc.
Status: S.8343 Passed Senate

Veteran’s Mentoring
A.11652 Peoples
S.8606 Larkin
Authorizes certain state agencies, departments or authorities to develop a mentor-protege veteran program to aid veterans in contracting with the state for construction and/or services.
Status: Passed both Senate and Assembly

Dorm Study
S.2599 LaValle
No Assembly Companion
Authorizes a study of the relevant issues related to the construction of dormitories which shall be completed on or before January 31, 2008.

SUCF Flexibility
S.5396 LaValle
No Assembly Companion
Relates to administrative flexibility of the state university construction fund and the development of university-related economic development facilities.

Prevailing Wages
S.6259 Skelos
No Assembly Companion
Requires the payment of prevailing wages on construction projects involving the state university of New York, the dormitory authority or the state university construction fund and any third party.
Status:  S.6259 Calendar 51

DASNY Dorm Funding
S.7841 LaValle
No Assembly Companion
Permits the design, construction and financing through the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York of housing facilities by not-for-profit corporations and associations organized to further the purposes of the State University.

SUNYIT Land Lease
S.7902 Griffo
No Assembly Companion
Authorizes the state university trustees to lease a portion of the lands of the State University of New York Institute of Technology to Upstate Cerebral Palsy Inc. for the development of two group homes.
Status: S.7902-A Passed Senate

Stony Brook Land Lease
S.7952 Flanagan
No Assembly Companion
Authorizes the State University of New York at Stony Brook to lease certain lands to the Stony Brook Foundation or its affiliate for the construction of a new academic Center for Geometry and Physics.
Status: S.7952-A Passed Senate

Dorm Study
A.2599 LaValle
No Assembly Companion
Authorizes a study of the relevant issues related to the construction of dormitories which shall be completed on or before January 31, 2008.

SUCF Flexibility
S. 5396 LaValle
No Assembly Companion
Relates to administrative flexibility of the State University Construction Fund and the development of University-related economic development facilities.

Prevailing Wages
S.6259 Skelos
No Assembly Companion
Requires the payment of prevailing wages on construction projects involving the State University of New York, the Dormitory Authority, or the State University Construction Fund and any third party.
Status: Reported to Senate Rules Committee

DASNY Dorm Funding
S.7841 LaValle
No Assembly Companion
Permits the design, construction and financing through the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York of housing facilities by not-for-profit corporations and associations organized to further the purposes of the State University.
Status: Passed Senate

Campus City Locations
S.8001 Smith
No Assembly Companion
Encourages and incentivizes public colleges in new York, including SUNY campuses, to locate in downtown areas.

Crime and Personal Safety

Bias Crime Reporting
A.1054 Wright
S.1408 Kruger
Provides for reporting of bias-related incidents on state university campuses by university police officers to college and university personnel; defines "bias-related offenses."
Status: A.1054 Held in Assembly Higher Education Committee

First Responder Mapping
A.2543 Galef
S.5785 Alesi
Establishes a task force to develop and implement a statewide first responder mapping system for the purposes of determining how best to design and operate a statewide first responder mapping system; provides for task force to be made up of seven members, appointed by the legislature.

Hazing Penalties
A.2607 Canestrari
S.1117 Little
Increases severity of hazing in the second degree from a violation to an E felony where injury or death occurs, and of hazing in the first degree from a class A misdemeanor to a D felony where injury or death is caused by deadly weapon or dangerous instrument; creates new class A misdemeanor of hazing in the third degree which mirrors former hazing in the second degree.
Status:  S.1117 Passed Senate

Police Equipment
A.3862 Rivera, P.
S.4872 Volker
Requires the employers of police officers to provide such officers with a bullet proof and knife proof vest that provides front, back and side protection.
Status: A.3862 Held in Assembly Government Operations Committee

Crime Reporting
A.5097 Barra
No Senate Companion
Requires colleges to report crimes occurring on their campuses or other property to local police and reported monthly to the division of criminal justice services for compilation in an annual report thereon, which report is to include findings and recommendations.

Safety Training
A.6967 Rivera, P.
S.3501 Oppenheimer
Provides that college councils shall explicitly provide for training for campus security and other institutional personnel, including campus disciplinary or judicial boards, that addresses issues of rape, sexual harassment and other gender-motivated offenses.

Campus Emergency Notification
A.7888-A Morelle
No Senate Companion
Directs the division of criminal justice service to establish and operate a uniform statewide higher education emergency notification system.

Campus Emergency Notification
A.7957 Robinson
No Senate Companion
Provides that every public and private college or university in this state shall implement some type of notification emergency response system in order to alert students, faculty and neighboring areas and residents of incidents within a geographic area near the incident.

College SAVE
A.8062 Peoples
S.5435 Thompson
Mandates university and building level educational institution safety plans for possible acts of violence occurring at educational institutions within the state.

Campus Emergency Notification
A.8104 Benedetto
No Senate Companion
Establishes "emergency text message and e-mail alert system" in schools of higher learning in this state.

Background Checks
A.8310-A Morelle
S.1449-A Nozzolio
Requires background checks for peace officers and police officers and requires an employer to disclose employment information relating to a current or former employee, upon request from a law enforcement agency.
Status: S.1149-A Senate Rules Committee

Building Mapping
A.8573-B Latimer
S.5632-B Flanagan
Authorizes the office of homeland security to establish and implement a statewide planning and mapping system of public schools and colleges of this state.
Status: S.5632-B Passed Senate

Safety Task Force
A.9298 Perry
No Senate Companion
Establishes the state task force on campus safety.

Mental Health Intervention
A.9299 Perry
No Senate Companion
Provides for intervention by certain campus security personnel in relation to reportedly mentally ill students and notification to person to be contacted in case of such mental health emergency.

Campus Emergency Notification
A.9495 Lancman
No Senate Companion
Enacts the University Emergency Alert Act to require each institution of higher education to implement an emergency alert system in order to notify and advise students, faculty, staff, elected representatives and neighboring residents within a suitable geographic area of the institution of incidents or occurrences at the institution which pose a threat to the health or safety of students, faculty, staff or neighboring residents.

Suzanne’s Law
A.11017 Rivera P
S.8138 Bruno
Enacts "Suzanne's Law"; provides that offenses committed against a person on school grounds shall be deemed to be one category higher than the specified offense the person committed and authorizes the placement of assault and abduction free school zone signs.
Status:  S.8138 Passed Senate

SUNY Police Patrol Area

A.11205 Lentol

S.7977 Volker

Extends the jurisdiction, as it pertains to infractions and violations, of New York State University Police Officers from State University of New York property and abutting roadways to all areas.
Status: A.11205 Reported to Assembly Codes Committee

Campus Emergency Notification
S.4886-B Skelos
No Assembly Companion
Directs each institution of higher education to establish an emergency notification system or participate in such a system operated by the state emergency management office

First Responder Mapping
S.5468 Morahan
No Assembly Companion
Creates the statewide first responder building mapping information system under the supervision of the superintendent of state police to provide mapping of all state and local governmental buildings.

Campus Safety Plans
S.6264-A LaValle
No Assembly Companion
Provides for the development of a comprehensive campus security plan for the state university of New York, the city university of New York and community colleges; appropriates monies therefor.
Status: Passed Senate

Peace Officer Definition
S.7512 Volker
No Assembly Companion
Redefines "peace officer" generally and provides for training requirements for peace officers while designating certain persons as peace officers.

SUNY Police Transfer
S.7973 Maziarz
No Assembly Companion
Authorizes the transfer of the SUNY police to the NYS Troopers to enable SUNY police officers to become part of a seamless, unified law enforcement apparatus.

Financial Aid

Faculty Scholarships
A.1211 Gunther
S.4868 DeFrancisco
Establishes the New York state nursing faculty scholarship incentive program for advanced degrees in nursing; such incentives shall be awarded annually, on a competitive basis, to registered professional nurses and certified nurse practitioners who are in a masters or doctoral program and agree to teach nursing for one year for each year such incentive is awarded.

TAP Adjustments
A.1929-A Canestrari 
S.1574-A Padavan
Authorizes tuition assistance program financial aid officers to make income adjustments in special circumstances in determining a student's applicable income for an award.

Fee Inclusion
A.3930 Cahill
No Senate Companion
Provides for the determination of tuition assistance program awards; may cover mandatory educational fees, excluding fees voted by student body; defines term; increases maximum and minimum award amounts.

Graduate TAP
A.4125-A Perry
No Senate Companion
Raises the minimum tuition assistance program award an eligible graduate student may receive per year to five hundred dollars and the maximum tuition assistance award an eligible graduate student may receive per year to eight hundred dollars.

Undocumented Student Aid
A.4653 Espaillat
No Senate Companion
Authorizes the trustees of the state university of New York, the city university of New York and community colleges to provide state-aided programs, scholarships or other financial assistance to students who are without lawful immigration status or who are undocumented persons if such student attended an approved NY high school for two or more years, attended an approved NY state program for general equivalency diploma exam preparation, or was enrolled in an institution or educational unit of the state university during the 2005-2006 academic year.
Status: Held in Higher Education Committee

Nursing Loan Forgiveness
A.5481 Koon
No Senate Companion
Establishes the New York state nursing faculty loan forgiveness incentive program to provide annual awards to registered professional nurses with a masters or doctors degree in nursing, who agree to teach nursing and have outstanding loan obligations from acquiring such degree.

High-Tech Loan Forgiveness
A.5642 McKevitt
No Senate Companion
Establishes the regents high-tech graduate loan forgiveness program to provide annual loan payments of up to $10,000 a year to high-tech college graduates who are residents of the state, attended a college or university in the state, received a degree in a high-tech field and agree to work in a high-tech field in the state for 5 years; appropriates twenty-five million dollars therefor.
Status: Held in Higher Education Committee

Selective Service Registration
A.6569 Towns
S.203 Larkin
Makes registration with the selective service system by persons required to do so by federal law a precondition for the award of state-sponsored financial aid for higher education.

TAP Eligibility
A.7043 Greene
S.4085 Montgomery
Authorizes academic performance awards for incarcerated persons making such persons eligible to receive awards from the tuition assistance program -TAP.
Status: A.7043 Held in Assembly Higher Education Committee

Financial Aid Disclosure
A.8389 Glick
S.3921 LaValle
Enacts the "financial aid disclosure act" requiring institutions of higher education to disclose financial aid policies relating to contributions to be made by such institution, any changes which may result to such financial aid and the reasons therefore and makes board of regents in charge of enforcement.
Status: S.3921 Senate Rules Committee

Volunteer Scholarships
A.8424 Magee
S.3673 LaValle
Provides that volunteer organizations may submit up to three applications to the higher education services corporation for voluntary recruitment scholarships.
Status: Passed Both Assembly & Senate

TAP Adjustments
A.8747 Glick
No Senate Companion
Extend the provision in current law that allows the Higher Education Services Corporation to make adjustments to a student's income for the purposes of determining a Tuition Assistance Program award if the student suffers a catastrophic illness or the student or their spouse is called to active military duty.
Status: Assembly Calendar 844

529 Account Contributions
A.8985-A Towns
S.6776 Farley
Allows third parties to make contributions to an account owner's New York state college choice tuition savings account; allows only the account owner to take the tax exclusion.
Status: Chapter 81 of the laws of 2008

TAP & Parental Income
A.9692 Glick
No Senate Companion
Enacts provisions relating to tuition assistance program awards for certain students who have been granted an exclusion of parental income.
Status: Passed Assembly

Five Year TAP Eligibility
A.10155 Kavanagh
S.7101 Aubertine
Extends the duration of tuition assistance awards to five years.

Veterans TAP
S.6288 Bruno
No Assembly Companion
Relates to tuition awards for United States veterans enrolled in approved undergraduate or graduate programs at degree granting institutions and approved vocational training programs.

TAP Expansion
S.6289 Bruno
No Assembly Companion
Provides awards and tax credits for tuition assistance; relates to the eligibility requirements for the tuition assistance program.

STRIVE Awards
S.6889 LaValle
No Assembly Companion
Creates the STRIVE (student tuition relief initiative for valued education) awards program to provide state aid to help pay for tuition and fees for New York state residents who attend a college or university in New York state and whose family's annual net taxable income is less than $150,000.

I Live NY Loan Program
S.7624 LaValle
No Assembly Companion
Creates the I Live New York student loan which would provide low interest loans to New York State residents who enroll fulltime at a college or university in New York State.
Status: Passed Senate

Health Care & Hospitals

Nursing Shifts
A.150 Cahill
S.127 Morahan
Provides that no hospital within this state, shall permit or require a registered professional nurse or a licensed practical nurse, to be or remain on duty for a longer period than sixteen consecutive hours, except as a consequence of an emergency situation which could not have been reasonably predicted.

Nursing Shifts
A.11711Gunther
S.6342 Morahan
Restricts consecutive hours of work by nurses and provides that no health care employer shall require a nurse to remain on duty for a period longer than 8 consecutive hours or 40 hours in a 7 day workweek except as consistent with the nurse's regularly scheduled work hours.
Status: Passed both Senate & Assembly

Nursing Shortages
A.4980-A Bacalles
S.5115 Winner
Enacts the New York state nursing shortage correction act and provides the New York state nursing recruitment incentive and retention program which provides that SUNY and CUNY shall pay for a person's education if such person signs a contract stating that he or she shall work in New York state as a registered nurse.
Status: A.4980-A Held in Assembly Higher Education Committee

Optometry Clinic
A.5595-A Gottfried
S.7808-A Hannon
Authorizes the provision of optometric services, which are provided by certain diagnostic and treatment centers licensed under article twenty-eight of the public health law and affiliated with the college of optometry of the state university of New York, to recipients of medical assistance for the needy.
Status: Passed Assembly

Nursing Shortage
A.8645-A - John
S.4994-B Maziarz
Enacts the New York state nursing shortage correction act and creates statewide nursing recruitment incentive and retention pilot initiatives.
Status: Passed Senate

Stony Brook QARB
S.5146 LaValle
No Assembly Companion
Creates the Stony Brook University Hospital quality assessment and review board (QARB)
Status: Senate Rules Committee

Hospital Flexibility
S.5354 LaValle
No Assembly Companion
Provides health care employees at state university health care services and facilities with wage rate and pay differentials and expands the contracting authority of such state university health care services and facilities.
Status: Reported to Senate Rules

Berger Exclusion
S.6239 DeFrancisco
No Assembly Companion
Establishes state university of New York hospitals, clinics, ancillary facilities and health care facilities shall be governed, administered and operated by the trustees of the state university of New York and that any contrary recommendation of the commission on health care facilities in the 21st century shall be null and void.

Berger Postponement
S.6293 Hannon
No Assembly Companion
Relates to the implementation of recommendations made by the commission on health care facilities in the twenty-first century.

Berger Impact Study
S.8081 Hannon
No Assembly Companion
Directs the department of health to conduct a comprehensive review of the actions taken on the recommendations of the commission on health care facilities in 21st century, and report to the governor and legislature, on or before December 31, 2008, on its findings.
Status: Senate Rules

Management & Agency Requirements 

Trademark Licensure
A.891 Englebright
S.4249 Maltese
Prohibits the state university of New York, the city university of New York and community colleges from licensing their trademarks for use on unlawfully manufactured apparel; requires such educational institutions to disclose certain information regarding licensees of their trademarks.
Status:  Passed both Senate & Assembly

Research Foundation Reports
A.992-A Brodsky
S.4700 Leibell
Requires higher education research foundations to submit reports of budget information to the governor and legislature; provides for additional oversight of higher education research foundations.
Status:  S.4700 Senate Rules; A.992-A Reported to Ways and Means

Honorarium Limitations
A.1024 Brodsky
No Senate Companion
Prohibits state officers and employees, statewide elected officials, and members and employees of the legislature from requesting, receiving or accepting honorarium for appearances, speeches or services that are related to their public duties.

Ethics Code
A.1112 Destito
No Senate Companion
Relates to the definition of state agency for the purpose of determining who is subject to the state code of ethics.

Foreign Gift Disclosure
A.1352 O'Donnell
No Senate Companion
Relates to establishing penalties for institutions of higher education that fail to comply with certain disclosure requirements relating to gifts made by foreign governments, persons and entities; provides that the department may take steps to initiate an audit if the institution continues to remain in noncompliance of the disclosure requirements.

Private Contract Disclosure
A.1521 Englebright
No Senate Companion
Enacts the "public-private partnership disclosure act;" requires state agencies entering into public-private partnerships to promulgate rules and regulations regarding review and disclosure relating to such relationships; requires public notice and a report to the legislature.

ASC Contracts
A.1567 Englebright
No Senate
Establishes contract approval control boards at state operated institutions of the state university to approve non-academic service contracts; makes related provisions.

Public Contracts
A.1647 John
S.6140 Maziarz
Provides for awarding of public works contracts, establishing various criteria to ensure that public contracts are awarded on a cost effective basis and provides for a review of contracts to ensure cost effectiveness.
Status:  A.1647 Passed Assembly

PILOT Provisions
A.1961 Lifton
S.4628 Robach
Provides for the payment of state aid by the state board of real property services to any city, county, town or village in which more than 15% of the total assessed value of real property therein is held by the state university, including the statutory or contract colleges thereof.

Fiscal Notes
A.2378 Schimminger
S.1244 LaValle
Requires the inclusion of a fiscal note with the adoption of resolution or change in the rules and regulations governing educational institutions, which have a fiscal impact.
Status:  Passed both Senate and Assembly

Building Naming
A.2695 Morelle
No Senate Companion
Prohibits the naming of a building after a public official because such public official was responsible for securing public funds for the person or entity naming the building.
Status: Reported to Assembly Rules Committee

Procurement Requirements
A.2718 John
S.6927 Trunzo
Provides that every contract entered into by a state agency for the procurement of equipment, materials or supplies shall contain a statement in which the contractor attests that no foreign made equipment, materials or supplies furnished to the state pursuant to the contract have been produced in whole or in part by forced labor, convict labor or indentured servitude.
Status:  A.2718 Reported to Assembly Ways & Means

Subject Lists
A.1975 Diaz, R.
S.7944 Flanagan
Requires that subject matter lists of records maintained by state agencies be posted online making
information on the Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) more accessible to the public.
Status: Passed both Assembly and Senate

Smoking Limitations
A.3905-A Cahill
No Senate Companion
Prohibits smoking within thirty feet of all entrances to state office buildings; sets forth definitions.

SUNY Commission
A.4968 Hoyt
S.2791 LaValle
Establishes the commission on SUNY for the 21st century.

Alcohol Sales & Advertisements
A.5105-A Dinowitz
S.3749-A LaValle
Authorizes the commissioner of education to restrict the sale and advertisement of alcoholic beverages at sporting events participated in by any state university of New York, city university of New York or community college.

Public Authority Reform
A.5611-C Brodsky
No Senate Companion
Enacts the public authority reform act of 2007 creating an independent public authority office and  provides for a fiscal year start date of July 1 and clarifies various points of the public authorities accountability act of 2005.

Background Checks
A.6503 Reilly
S.4709 Farley
Authorizes background checks of the employees of contractors performing services for state agencies who have access to confidential data or who perform certain types of services where background checks would be required for state employees performing similar work.
Status: A.6503 Reported to Assembly Codes Committee

Personal Service Contracts
A.7092 John
S.4561 Leibell
Sets forth conditions when a state agency shall enter into a contract for personal services and conditions to achieve actual cost savings.
Status: Passed Assembly

Appropriation Levels
A.8143 Glick
S.2165 Robach
No Assembly Companion
Provides for minimum levels of appropriations for operating expenses to the state university of New York, city university of New York and community colleges to be based on appropriations in past fiscal years.

Recycling Programs
A.8168 Hoyt
S.7843 Marcellino
Requires the commissioner of OGS to implement a recycling program for all state-owned and state-leased properties.

IDA Reform
A.8703-A Hoyt
S.8672 Maziarz
Relates to the function of industrial development agencies and to the application and community impact report, financial assistance agreements, wages and standards, displaced worker protection, complaints and appeals, and reports by recipients.
Status: A.8703-A Assembly Calendar 606

Procurement Contracts
A.8680-A Destito
No Senate Companion
Provides that a person may request a debriefing of the reasons that he or she lost a bid and provides that a contract for construction services by an agency shall be included within the term procurement contract. 
Status:  Passed Assembly

Lighting Energy Efficiency
A.9021 Gianaris
No Senate Companion
Requires general purpose lights used in all public buildings to meet certain energy efficiency standards.

WICKS Reform
A.9204 John
S.6146-A Rules
Relates to separate specifications for public works contracts; relates to payment by contractors to subcontractors.
Status:  A.9204 Starred on Assembly Calendar

Public Authority Reform
A.9296-A Brodsky
No Senate Companions
Enacts the public authority reform act of 2007; creates an independent public authority office; provides for a fiscal year start date of July 1 and clarifies various points of the public authorities accountability act of 2005.

Polystyrene Prohibition
A.9420 Kavanagh
S.6402 Krueger
To prohibit the use of food service ware that contains polystyrene foam by food service providers, including state departments, contractors, and lessees of the state, as well as restaurants and retail food vendors.

Procurement Reform
A.11738 Destito
S.8684 Rules
Updates and modernizes the State Procurement Stewardship Act which governs the method
the State purchases goods and services
Status: Delivered to the Governor – 6/25/08

Wellness Coordinators
S.40-A DeFrancisco
No Assembly Companion
Enacts the "public employee wellness act"; requires the appointment of a public employee wellness coordinator in certain state departments and agencies; requires reports to be prepared by such wellness coordinators; establishes an advisory committee on public wellness.

Foreign Student Reporting
S.2602 LaValle
No Assembly Companion
Provides that institutions of higher education shall compile reports regarding foreign students enrolled in such institutions and delineates the statistical information that each approved school must maintain for all foreign students attending with a student visa

University Autonomy 
S.3221 LaValle
No Assembly Companion
Establishes autonomy for the four state university centers at Albany, Binghamton, Buffalo and Stony Brook.

Public Authority Reform
S.3491-A Flanagan
No Assembly Companion
Creates an independent authority budget office; provides for a fiscal year start date of July 1 and clarifies various points of the public authorities accountability act of 2005.
Status:  Senate Rules

College Council Attendance
S.3905 LaValle
No Assembly Companion
Mandates attendance by members appointed by the governor at meetings of councils of state-operated institutions.
Status: Passed Senate

Foreign Gifts Disclosure
S.3922 LaValle
No Assembly Companion
Requires disclosure of gifts made to certain foundations by foreign governments, persons and entities; imposes fines for violations.
Status: Passed Senate

Research Foundation & 501(c) (3) Reports
S.6358 DeFrancisco
No Assembly Companion
Requires the director of the budget to compile and make public a report for each state agency, covered authority and the judiciary showing cash disbursements made on behalf of each entity during the preceding six months.
Status: Passed Senate

OGS Procurement
S.7839 LaValle
No Assembly Companion
Authorizes auxiliary services corporations, campus-related foundations and other non-profit corporations organized in furtherance of the objects and purposes of the State University to participate in centralized commodities and services contracts of the New York State Office of General Services.
Status: Passed Senate

Personnel & Retirement

Police Transfers
A.2176 Canestrari
S.1891 Maziarz
Includes state university of New York police in provisions permitting transfer of police officers to certain police employers.

Part-Time Employment
A.2515 John
S.4845 Maziarz
Provides that an offer of employment or assignment made to a part-time faculty employee by a higher education institution which is contingent on enrollment, funding, or programmatic changes shall not constitute reasonable assurance of continued employment.
Status: A.2515 Reported to Ways & Means Committee

Retirement Incentive
A.3607-C McEneny
S.5732-C Flanagan
Allows Tier 2, 3 and 4 members of the NYS&LERS and certain other public retirement systems to retire without a benefit reduction due to early retirement upon attainment of age 55 and the completion of 25 years of service.

Post Retirement Earnings
A.3896-A Sweeney
S.3548-A Leibell
Increases the amount of money a retiree may earn in a position of public service in the year 2008 and thereafter to $35,000.
Status: A.3896-A Reported to Ways and Means

Unemployment Insurance
A.5791 Miller
No Senate Companion
Allows a part-time employee to be eligible for unemployment insurance if such claimant earns an annual salary or remuneration equal to or less than fifteen thousand dollars for such part-time employment.
Status: held in Labor Committee

ORP Investment Options
A.6580 Canestrari
S.6651 Winner
Allows state university of New York employees to invest in optional retirement programs offered by insurance corporations or other corporations which invest in or manages mutual funds.

Unemployment Insurance Benefits
A.6597-A John
S.7617 Lanza; S.8099 Thompson
Repeals provision of law relating to limiting the unemployment insurance benefits which a non-professional employee of an educational institution may receive during vacation periods and amends provisions relating to professional employees at educational institutions so as to eliminate references to repealed provisions of law.
Status: A.6597-A Reported to Ways & Means

Police Retirement Transfer
A.8150-C McEneny
S.6130-C Robach
Allows state university police officers to transfer to the NYSLPFRS and to be covered by the provisions of a new 25 year half pay retirement plan, with additional one-sixtieths of final average salary for each year of service in excess of twenty-five years, but not exceeding fifteen such years; provides that for tier 2 members, the additional one-sixtieths can not exceed five such years.
Status:  A.8150-C Assembly Calendar 555

Post Retirement Earnings
A.8902 Zebrowski
S.4957 Morahan
Authorizes a retired person to earn up to $40,000 (starting in 2008) without loss, suspension or diminution of their retirement allowance.

Breast Cancer Screening
A.10035-A Brodsky
S.8077 Morahan
Allows employees of public authorities, public benefit corporations and boards of cooperative educational services a paid excused leave for breast cancer and prostate cancer screenings.
Status: Passed Both Assembly & Senate

Unclassified Service
A.11126-A Abbate
S.6780-B Robach
Establishes a procedure for posting and notice of position vacancies for the titles of staff assistant, staff associate, professional staff assistant and professional staff associate for both state operated and community colleges within SUNY.
Status: Passed both Senate and Assembly

UUP Contract
A.11414 Abbate
S.8360 LaValle
Implements an agreement to provide for adjustment of salaries in the state university and makes an appropriation therefore.
Status:  Chapter 113 of the Laws of 2008

Retirement Option Selection
A.11542 Abbate
No Senate Companion
Increases the time for certain employees at SUNY,CUNY and the colleges to select membership in a public retirement plan or the optional retirement plan from thirty to three hundred sixty-five days.

Sick Leave Credit
A.11627 Abbate
S.8577 Lanza
Implements a provision in a collective bargaining agreement between the state university construction fund and an employee organization relating to unused sick leave and retirement service credit.
Status: A.11627 Passed Assembly

Private Colleges & Universities

Medical College Grants
A.5263 Espaillat
No Senate Companion
Authorizes enrollment grants for medical education programs of non-public institutions for minorities, as a plan to increase the number of minority students entering and completing educational programs leading to professional licensure in medicine and increases grants based upon percentage of minority students enrolled at such institution.
Status: Held in Higher Education

Capital Grants
A.5372 John
No Senate Companion
Whenever a recipient of a higher education capital matching grant enters into any contract, subcontract, lease, grant, bond, covenant or other agreement for or in connection with certain projects it shall be deemed a public works project.

BUNDY Aid Elimination
A.7908 Rivera P
No Senate Companion
Phases out and eliminates state aid for certain independent institutions of higher learning (Bundy aid) and transfers the monies saved to the state university of New York and the city university of New York to facilitate student retention and success

Cornell Peace Officers
A.8932 Lifton
S.6049 Winner
Provides access by the Cornell university police to the central data facility maintained by the division of criminal justice services.

Campus Security Expansion
A.9271 Lentol
S.6949 LaValle
Permits private college security guards to issue appearance tickets, issue navigation summons seize alcoholic beverages from an under age drinker and to take into custody any person who appears to be mentally ill with intent to cause serious harm to himself or herself and others.
Status:  Delivered to the Governor 6/27/08

BUNDY Aid Enhancements
S.3899 LaValle
No Assembly Sponsor
Provides for New York state-funded independent sector scholarship awards – Bundy Aid - equating appropriations for Bundy Aid to a percentage of state appropriations to SUNY and CUNY, specifically, the proposed Bundy aid appropriation would equal 1.75 percent of the combined general fund state operating support for SUNY and for CUNY's senior colleges of the preceding year for which Bundy funding is appropriated.

Financial Aid Awards
S.7215 LaValle
No Assembly Companion
Requires independent institutions of higher education to disclose the average dollar amount of institutional aid awarded to students.
Status:  Passed Senate

Professions & Licensure 

Nursing Continuing Education
A.9056 Glick
S.3900 LaValle
Requires 45 hours of mandatory continuing education in a three year period for registered professional nurses and permits exemptions for illness, military duty and nurses who are not engaged in the practice.

Histotechnology
A.9067 Schroeder
S.6103 Stachowski
Recognizes histotechnology as a separate and distinct discipline in the performance of laboratory tests on human tissue and related matters; provides definitions and takes immediate effect.

Clinical Lab Technicians
A.10224 Koon
S.5564-A LaValle
Relates to the waiver of certain clinical laboratory tests from clinical laboratory permit requirements and to the licensure of clinical laboratory practitioners.

Clinical Lab Technicians
A.10954-A Canestrari
S.8817 LaValle
Relates to the waiver of certain clinical laboratory tests from clinical laboratory permit requirements and to the licensure of clinical laboratory practitioners.
Status:  Passed both Assembly & Senate

Research & Economic Development

Environmental Health Tracking
A.1958 Koon
S.3935 Alesi
Authorizes the state university of New York school of public health at Albany and Buffalo to assist in the development of an environmental health tracking system within the department of health to gather various environmental data to correlate with disease data with the cooperation from the departments of environmental conservation and labor.
Status:  A.1958 Passed Assembly

Research Collaboration
A.2700 Morelle
No Senate Companion
Enacts the New York state academic collaborative district act; establishes criteria for academic collaborative designation and the application for academic collaborative district designation; establishes procedure to terminate or revise an academic collaborative district; creates academic collaborative district tax exemptions.

Intellectual Property Council
A.3017
No Senate Companion
Creates an Intellectual Property Asset Management Advisory Council within the New York State
Foundation for Science, Technology and Innovation.
Status:  Reported to Ways and Means

Animal Research
A.4162 Lafayette
No Senate Companion
Prohibits transporting animals into the state, if obtained from pounds, shelters, etc., for purposes of research, experimentation or testing and also for teaching and demonstration if done in connection with the foregoing; violation is a misdemeanor.

Copyright Protection
A.5472 Galef
S.2385 Leibell
Waives the ability of government agencies in New York to claim copyright protection except where the record reflects artistic creation, or scientific or academic research.
Status:  A.5472 Passed Assembly; S.2385 Senate Rules

Intellectual Property
A.8676 Magnarelli
No Senate Companion
Relates to the maintenance of a database on intellectual property generated by state employees or developed through state-funded research which shall include, at a minimum, a brief description of the intellectual property and up-to-date contact information for each item.

Bioscience Training
A.10255 Magnarelli
S.7840 LaValle
Provides assistance to biosciences research institutions and organizations based on a competitive basis to develop curriculum and administer bioscience specific training programs for current and prospective industry employees.
Status: A.10255 Reported to Ways & Means

Bioscience Research
A.10256 Magnarelli
No Senate Companion
Creates a new program within the foundation for science, technology and innovation to aid the commercialization of bioscience innovations through grants and assistance to companies and research
institutions.
Status: A. 10256 Passed Assembly

Chimera Prohibition
S.55 DeFrancisco
No Assembly Companion
Creates the human chimera prohibition act which makes it unlawful for any person or entity, public or private, to intentionally create or attempt to create a human chimera; defines terms; imposes penalties for violations.

Embryo Research
S.57 DeFrancisco
No Assembly Companion
Enacts the "germ line genetic engineering prohibition act"; establishes no person shall knowingly alter the genome of a cell of a human being, including a human embryo, such that the alteration is capable of being transmitted to descendants.

Students

Grade Notification
A.166 Weisenberg
S.223 Larkin
Requires colleges chartered by the regents or incorporated by a special act of the legislature to notify parents and legal guardians of a dependent student of such student's course grades and semester average, upon request, prior to the commencement of the next academic semester.
Status: S.223 Passed Senate

Athletic Prohibition
A.234 Wright
No Assembly Companion
Enacts the student athlete free enterprise act to permit student athletes to engage in free enterprise activities; provides that associations and organizations regulating student athletics in this state shall not prohibit student athletes from engaging in free enterprise activities.

Dormitory Smoking
A.538-A Paulin
S.1955-A Leibell
Prohibits smoking in dormitories, residence halls, and other group residential facilities.
Status:  Delivered to Governor 6/27/08

Emergency Contraception
A.885   Englebright
S.1716 Winner
Enacts the "public university emergency contraception act"; requires every college and university of the state university of New York and the city university of New York to provide emergency contraception to any student requesting it and requires the widespread provision of information at such colleges and universities on the safety and availability of emergency contraception on campus.
Status:  A.885 Held in Ways & Means

Volunteer Service
A.886 Englebright
No Senate Companion
Enacts the higher education community service act to promote volunteer service by higher education students; creates a council for higher education community service to regulate and recognize persons and programs associated therewith; requires a report to the governor, temporary president of the senate and speaker of the assembly.

Campus Tabling
A.920 Englebright
No Senate Companion
Defines the term "tabling" as dissemination of information and allows organizations to do tabling outside buildings on campus so long as they don't block access to the academic use of campus buildings.

Voter Registration
A.1168 Dinowitz
No Senate Companion
Designates state and city universities of New York as participating agencies for voter registration form distribution and assistance; permits independent institutions to do the same upon request; requires SUNY and CUNY independent institutions to offer each applicant an application for an absentee ballot.
Status:  A.1168 Calendar 703

Student Fee Referendum
A.1210 Gunther
S.1355 Johnson
Requires the biennial conducting of a referendum of the student body at each college and university of the state university of New York and city university of New York, and at each community college as to whether the student activity fees shall be mandatory or voluntary; requires the funds from such fees to be disbursed in a fair and neutral manner without regard to the viewpoints of organizations requesting funding; requires the posting of a notice of the purpose of such fee and the mission statements of all organizations receiving disbursements from such fees.

Student Fee Referendum
A.1317 Gunther
No Senate Companion
Requires the biennial conducting of a referendum of the student body at each college and university of the state university of New York and city university of New York, and at each community college as to whether the student activity fees shall be mandatory or voluntary; requires the funds from such fees to be disbursed in a fair and neutral manner without regard to the viewpoints of organizations requesting funding; requires the billing of all such fees to disclose the purpose of such fee and the mission statements of all organizations receiving disbursements from such fees.

Parental Notification
A.1318 Gunther
No Senate Companion
Requires every institution of higher education to provide notice to each newly admitted student and his or her parents of the parents' and student's rights under the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and the availability of a waiver signed by the student which grants access to parents to the student's academic records.

Sign Posting
A.1468 Englebright
No Senate Companion
Protects and regulates the posting of signs on college campuses by student organizations.

Polling Places
A.1539 Bradley
S.3706 Oppenheimer
Provides that whenever the majority of voters eligible to vote in an election district reside on a college or university campus, the polling place designated for such election district shall be on such campus.
Status: A.1539 Calendar 704

Medical Coverage
A.1782 Crouch
No Senate Companion
Provides that a student shall be eligible for up to eighteen months of coverage if such person is on medical leave from his or her school.
Status: Held in Insurance Committee

Illegal Alien Prohibition
A.1851-A Crouch
S.82-A  Padavan
Excludes illegal aliens from attending public post-secondary educational institutions; requires such educational institutions to verify the legal citizenship status of all students; requires such educational institutions to provide information regarding the attendance of suspected illegal aliens to the commissioner of education, the New York state attorney general and the United States immigration and naturalization service.

Suicide Prevention
A.1941 Robinson
No Senate Companion
Establishes the collegiate suicide prevention program.

Credit Card Merchandising
A.1951 Englebright
No Senate Companion
Prohibits the direct merchandising of credit cards through SUNY and CUNY to any enrolled student; defines direct merchandising.

Internship Indemnification
A.2061 Canestrari
S.931   LaValle
Relates to indemnification of students of the state university of New York who participate in required course activity at sites of affiliates.

Health Insurance
A.2142 Thiele
No Senate Companion
Provides health insurance coverage for dependent children enrolled full-time in an accredited professional or graduate school.

Textbook Tax
A.2350 Ortiz
No Senate Companion
Exempts textbooks required or recommended by college professors for use in a particular course from sales and compensating use taxes; and also requires that students provide a course syllabus or form which identifies course materials as a requirement for such exemption.

MTA Discounts
A.2769 Colton
No Senate Companion
Allows MTA to establish discount fares for full-time undergraduate students on railroad, subway and buses.

Voting Residency
A.3025 Weinstein
No Senate Companion
Redefines "residence" and alters the criteria to determine "residence" for purposes of qualifications to register and vote; prohibits boards of elections from applying to any one group or type of applicants for registration, standards or practices different than the board; applies generally to applicants for registration.
Status:  A.3025 Calendar 707

Credit Card Solicitation
A.3034 Diaz L 
S.3783 Parker
Provides that there shall be no solicitation for credit card holders through state or city university of NY unless credit education courses are provided.

Public Assistance Qualifications
A.3036 Diaz L 
No Senate Companion
Allows college coursework to be credited as a work activity which may be used toward fulfilling the employment requirements for public assistance benefits under certain conditions.

Credit Card Counseling
A.4133 Rivera P 
No Senate Companion
Requires every institution of higher education in the state to interview students who withdraw to determine whether such withdrawal is the result of credit card debt incurred by the student; requires such institutions to annually report to the governor, temporary president of the senate and speaker of the assembly on the number of students who withdraw because of credit card debt; requires that course of instruction on the implications of establishing a bad credit rating be given to newly entering students; requires such institutions to regulate the conduct of issuers of credit cards while on campus.

Alcohol Prevention
A.4499 Weisenberg
No Senate Companion
Requires college freshmen to complete at a minimum, a 3 credit hour alcohol and substance abuse prevention course prior to the completion of the freshmen year.

Alumni Information
A.5496 Boyland
No Senate Companion
Provides that information as to a student shall not be released by the state or city university of New York or an alumni association thereof without the student's written consent.

Hazing Information
A.5538 Morelle
S.2600 LaValle
Requires colleges to educate the campus community on bias-related crime, hazing, underage drinking and illegal drug use expanding the authority of colleges to regulate conduct by college and student government organizations and clubs, athletic teams and clubs, alumni organizations, fraternities, sororities, and any other organization that has access to and use of the college facilities and requires colleges to adopt rules prohibiting such activities.
Status:  S.2600 Passed Senate

Graduate Student Incentives
A.5549 Tedisco
No Senate Companion
Enacts the graduate outreach assistance law to exempt from state income taxation the first two hundred and fifty thousand dollars, with a fifty thousand dollar cap per year, earned by a four-year college graduate and the first one hundred and fifty thousand dollars, with a twenty-five thousand dollar cap per year, earned by a two-year college graduate.
Status: Held in Ways & Means

Volunteer Service
A.5893 McDonough
No Senate Companion
Establishes the World Trade Center tribute act which shall create the SUNY student volunteer service program and the CUNY student volunteer service program which shall provide such students with up to three academic credits to student volunteers who perform a minimum of ninety hours of volunteer work in a semester.

Course Work Supplies
A.6367 Kolb
No Senate Companion
Provides an itemized deduction for expenses for course-mandated supplies for eligible college students paid by taxpayers.
Status: Held in Ways & Means

Mandatory Health Insurance
A.7056 Canestrari
No Senate Companion
Requires full-time students at public or private institutions of higher education to provide proof of health insurance coverage in order to enroll and begin classes.

Community Service
A.7269 Hoyt
S.4337 LaValle
Enacts the "higher education community service opportunity act" to encourage and promote a program whereby students who have benefited from society's assistance with their post secondary education return their talents to society to assist with pressing human, educational, environmental and public safety concerns.

Integrated Services
A.7277 Destito
S.7377 Griffo
Promotes the most-integrated services available for individuals, especially those with disabilities and requires a plan to be developed by each state agency to promote integrated, community-based services with annual reports by state agencies of their efforts to provide integrated services.
Status: Passed both Assembly & Senate

Disability Services
A.7330 Titus
S.3436 Morahan
No Assembly Companion
Establishes a funding program for the improvement of disability services at institutions of higher education.

Citizenship Status
A.8070 Ball
No Senate Companion
Requires any person who is admitted or accepted to SUNY or CUNY be a citizen or legally admitted to the U.S.

Textbook Bundling
A.8167 Glick
S.3063 LaValle
No Assembly Companion
Enacts the "textbook access act."
Status: Passed both Assembly & Senate

Textbook Tax Deduction
A.8941 Zebrowski
S.5276 Morahan
No Assembly Companion
Provides a deduction in determining personal income tax for the cost of textbooks at New York private or public college or university by a taxpayer or such taxpayer's eligible dependent; defines "eligible dependent" and "qualified education expenses".

Student Donations
A.9284-B Millman
S.7012-A Stavisky
Enacts the "SUNY/CUNY cares act" to distribute student residual consumer goods from state universities and colleges to not-for-profit organizations.
Status: A.9284-B Passed Assembly; S.7016-A Senate Rules Committee

Alcohol Possession
A.9335 Ortiz
S.2964 Rath
Prohibits the possession of alcoholic beverages by persons under the age of 21 years on premises licensed by the state liquor authority and includes civil penalties for violation: a fine of not more than $100 and/or community service for first offense; and for subsequent violations, a fine of $250-$500 and/or community service.
Status:  S.2964 Passed Senate

Public Assistance Eligibility
A.9841 Wright; A.9943
S.6886 Kruger
Extends chapter 534 of the laws of 2000, which clarifies the definition of work activities to include certain work-study and internship positions; further ensures that students will have the opportunity to continue in school even if assigned to other work activities by extending the provisions of this chapter to June 30, 2010.
Status:  Delivered to Governor 6/25/08

Social Hosting
A.10813-A Lentol
S.7577-A Fuschillo
Establishes "social host" liability upon individuals who permit the consumption of alcoholic beverages on their property by persons under 21 years of age.
Status: S.7577-A Passed Senate

Advisory Council
A.10940-Ortiz
S.8254 Morahan
Restructures the existing Advisory Council on Underage Alcohol Consumption so that it is located within OASAS.
Status: Delivered to the Governor – 6/27/08

Textbook Cost Information
A.10268 Millman
S.5274 Morahan
No Assembly Companion
Relates to policies addressing textbook sales and bookstores at public colleges or universities; outlines such guidelines; provides that faculty members affirmatively acknowledge the bookstore's quoted retail price of textbooks selected for use in each course; makes related changes.

Admissions Status
A.10554 Benjamin
S.7684 Montgomery
Relates to prohibiting colleges from denying formerly incarcerated individuals admittance to college based solely on their incarceration.

Public Assistance Eligibility
A.10659 Wright
S.7428 Kruger
Makes permanent the provisions of chapter 534 of the laws of 2000, which clarifies the definition of work activities to include certain work-study and internship positions and further ensures that students will have the opportunity to continue in school even if assigned to other work activities.

Immunization
A.10942 Rules
No Senate Companion
Relates to the immunization of health care workers and students; further makes provisions relating to vaccinations for sexually transmitted disease.

SUNY/CUNY Admissions Demonstration
A.11600-B Magnarelli
S.8509-B DeFrancisco
Establish a demonstration programs in Syracuse and up to five other cities in conjunction with the Say Yes to Education foundation which would provide free tuition at any SUNY or CUNY university, after all available financial aid has been received and deducted from the tuition amount, to any student who graduates from the school district in one of the demonstration cities and who is admitted to a SUNY or CUNY school.

Health Insurance Eligibility
S.3185 LaValle
No Assembly Companion
Provides that an unmarried and unemployed college graduate may be considered a dependent child for family health insurance coverage purposes for a period of one year from the date of graduation.

Health Insurance
S.2907 Seward
No Assembly Companion
Requires students in public and private colleges and universities in this state to participate in a student health insurance program; requires all public and private institutions of higher education to offer health insurance through group plans to all full and part-time students.

Non-Resident Identification
S.3743 Leibell
No Assembly Companion
Relates to the mandatory filing of verified notification forms of students who are not citizens with the office of attorney general and the filing of a certificate of security information with the FBI by colleges, universities and schools of higher education prior to receipt of any financial assistance from the state of New York or any of its political subdivisions.

Grade Notification
S.5104 LaValle
No Assembly Companion
Requires institutions of the state university system to notify parents and legal guardians of a student of such student's course grades where such parent or guardian contributes at least one-half of the tuition and other expenses of such student.

Voter Registration
S.6169 Klein
No Assembly Companion
Improves voter registration among young people.

Tuition & Fees

Tax Credit
A.820 Englebright
S.5117 Hannon
Establishes the invest in New York and New York invests in you tuition reimbursement program; establishes a personal income tax credit for one-half of the student loan expenses paid by a taxpayer during the taxable year for the 10 years following graduation from the state university of New York or the city university of New York when the taxpayer continues to reside and work in the state following graduation.

Custodial Parent Tuition
A.1204 Eddington
S.3049 Trunzo
Provides that the tuition and fees of non-resident students of the state university of New York, city university of New York and community colleges within the state shall be no greater than that of resident students if such non-resident student has a non-custodial parent residing in this state or within the sponsoring district and such parent's child support payments are not in arrears.
Status: S.3049 Passed Senate

Employee Tuition Wavier
A.2311 Hoyt
No Senate Companion
Provides a partial tuition waiver of 50% for children of certain employees of the state university who have worked for the university for at least 5 consecutive years; does not apply to former employees; makes other related provisions.

Veteran Fee Waiver
A.3856 Ortiz
S.7886 Leibell
Establishes a veteran fee waiver program within the State University of New York system and provides for eligibility, applicability and amounts of such waivers.
Status: S.7886 Leibell Passed Senate

Senior Tuition Wavier
A.3942 Markey
No Senate Companion
Authorizes the trustees of the state university and community colleges to offer courses to persons 60 years of age or over without tuition and either with or without credit; provides for taking of courses on a space available basis.

Fee Limits
A.4216 Glick
No Senate Companion
Caps total of mandatory non-tuition fees per semester or quarter (not including the mandatory student activity fee) imposed upon students of the state university of New York to no more than fifteen percent of total tuition fee.

Graduate National Guard Tuition
A.4668 Schimminger
No Senate Companion
Permits national guard members to participate in tuition benefits for graduate education.

Senior Tuition Wavier
A.4820 McEneny
S.2510 Farley
Authorizes the trustees of the state university to permit persons sixty years of age or over to take courses on a space available basis given therein for credit without tuition, as well as auditing such courses and such eligible persons may take up to nine hours of courses for credit without tuition.
Status:  S.2510 Passed Senate

Fixed Tuition Rates
A.4967 Hoyt
S.2792 LaValle
Provides for four year fixed tuitions at the state university of New York and the city university of New York for all entering undergraduate freshmen, or five years in the case of an individual accepted into a five year degree program.

Veteran Audits
A.5690 Townsend
S.6004 Griffo
Extends educational benefits to attend classes at the State University of New York and the City University of New York on a tuition-free audit basis to eligible veterans with an honorable discharge.
Status:  A.5690 Held in Committee; S.6004 Passed Senate

National Guard Tuition Benefits 
A.6443 McEneny
S.3632 Breslin
Enables members of the New York guard who wish to attend Excelsior College to be eligible to receive benefits under the recruitment incentive and retention program.

EMT Tuition
A.7895 Cusick
S.1701 Robach
Grants volunteer firefighters and emergency medical technicians academic credit at institutions at state operated institutions of the state university of New York and the senior colleges of the city university of New York to the extent of six credits per year and 60 credits in the aggregate without the payment of fees, tuition or other charges.

Immigrant Tuition
A.8109 Camara
S.1993 Parker
Provides in-state tuition rates at New York universities and colleges to qualified immigrant students if such students attended high school in the state for 2 years or more; graduated from high school in the state or attained a state general equivalency diploma and registered as an entering student at, or is currently enrolled in a public institution of higher education within the state.

Course Audits
A.8942 Zebrowski
S.2440 Morahan
Permits certain persons with disabilities to audit courses given without tuition, examination, grading or credit therefor upon a space available basis; defines a "person with a disability."

Veteran Tuition Exemption
A.10190 Ball
No Senate Companion
Authorizes trustees of SUNY and CUNY to exempt from the payment of tuition,  any resident who was honorably discharged and served during OEF/OIF in armed forces from

Volunteer Firefighter Tuition
A.10225 Koon
S.7094 Aubertine
Establishes the volunteer firefighters and emergency medical service volunteer tuition assistance grant program; provides that counties shall have the option to establish such program by the enactment of a local law and provides for state reimbursement to counties for fifty percent of tuition assistance costs.

Veteran Tuition
A.10428 Cusick
No Senate Companion
Provides that Afghanistan and Iraq war veterans shall receive up to four years of undergraduate or three years graduate education at SUNY or CUNY tuition free.

Police Tuition Waivers
A.10735 Lentol
S.7728 Padavan
Requires tuition waivers for up to two courses per semester/quarter for police officer students in baccalaureate or higher degree programs at SUNY and CUNY.
Status: 7728 Passed Senate

Veteran’s Graduate Degree
A.11384 Bradley
S.5644 Leibell
Provide a recruitment incentive and retention program for certain active members of the New York army national guard, New York air national guard, and New York naval militia and extend current tuition benefits to include graduate education.
Status: S.5644 Passed Senate

Distance Learning Tuition
S.4076 LaValle
No Assembly Companion
Provides that the trustees of the state university of New York may authorize the establishment of a new category of tuition for non-resident students enrolled in distance learning courses.

National Guard Graduate Tuition
S.5644 Leibell
No Assembly Companion
Authorizes the establishment of a recruitment incentive and retention program for graduate education.

Veteran Tuition & Benefits
S.8025 Leibell
No Assembly Companion
Provides additional benefits for veterans which include free SUNY, CUNY or community college tuition, services and counseling related to post-traumatic stress disorder and brain injuries and tax credits for employers who provide compensation to employees serving in active duty in the national guard or military reserves.
Status: Reported to Senate Finance