State Relations Update - July 17, 2009

Senate Approves Legislation – The Senate over the past two days, approved a number of bills that had been already passed by the Assembly that impact higher education.  These will all be transmitted to the Governor for final action.

A.250 Magnarelli - S.1608 Valesky
Requires entities applying for, and certain enterprises receiving university-related state economic development grants to commit to first considering companies based in New York State as primary suppliers, and to provide written evidence of such commitment to the office of science, technology and academic research or to trustees of the university.
 
A.251-A Magnarelli - S.2289-A Stachowski
Creates a regional technology commercialization fund and grant program in the New York state foundation for science, technology and innovation to promote and support research and development of inventions and technologies by small businesses and colleges and universities.
 
A.781-B Paulin - S.5396 Huntley
Clarifies the scope of protections against discrimination on the basis of disability in services provided by public entities including exclusion from participation or denial of benefits, services, programs or activities of a public entity and refusal of a public entity to make reasonable accommodations unless such entity can establish undue hardship.
 
A.1544-B Schimel - S.1263-B Johnson, C
Makes provisions for the construction and financing of facilities to be located on the Campus of the United States Merchant Marine Academy located in Kings Point, New York.
 
A.1752-A Gottfried - S.3527 Duane
Requires facilities to disclose nursing quality indicators; provides for facilities with an operating certificate to make available to the public information regarding nurse staffing and patient outcomes and directs commissioner of health to promulgate rules and regulations on information to be disclosed.
 
A.2849 Schimminger - S.4435 Stachowski
Creates within the department of economic development the strategic training alliance program to fund regional skills training programs within specific areas or industries to enhance employer access to skilled work force and repeals provisions of the urban development corporation act relating to the strategic training alliance.

A.4091 Millman - S.1591 Thompson
Requires state agencies, departments or authorities which let more than ten million dollars in service and construction contracts to establish mentor-protégé programs to enable the development and success of small, minority, and women-owned businesses.
 
A.4092 Millman - S.1787 Steward-Cousins
Requires agencies to post contractor utilization plans on the agency website.
 
A.6718-B Pheffer - S.4135-A Oppenheimer
Allows dental residents to satisfy the ethics and jurisprudence educational course requirement during the period of their dental residency and limits permits in dentistry.
 
A.8228 Abbate - S.5632 Savino
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. 
 
A.8555-A Espaillat - S.3285-A Adams
Enacts the New York State Service-Disabled, Veteran-Owned Business Enterprise Opportunity Act.
 
A.9019 Cahill - S.6046 Aubertine
Authorizes the aggregate purchases of energy for state agencies, institutions, local governments, public authorities and public benefit corporations.
 
A.9038 Morelle - S.6030 Breslin
Provides for the extension of health insurance coverage to the unmarried child of an insurered through the age of 29 years.

Senate Approves Member Items – The Senate approved $85 million in member items during their session this week.  The SUNY items are as follows:

Canton College Foundation - $15,000
Broome Community College - $10,000
College  at Brockport - $5,000
Columbia-Greene Community College - $ 50,000
Genesee Community College - $ 25,000
SUNY Geneseo - $20,000
Niagara County Community College - $25,000
Niagara  County  Community  College Foundation - $40,000
Orange County Community College - $10,000
State University of New York College at Morrisville - $120,000
Dutchess Community College - $40,000
Farmingdale College Prep. Program for At-Risk Youth - $20,000
Morrisville State College - $99,000
Westchester Community College Foundation - $200,000
Children's Center at Morrisville State College - $5,000
University at Albany - $25,000
SUNY Downstate  Medical  Center HIV Center for Women and Children - $100,000
SUNY Upstate Medical University - $75,000
Cornell  University School of Industrial and Labor Relations - $97,000
Upstate Medical University Foundation - $35,000

CICU Leadership – Yesterday, Laura L. Anglin became the seventh president of the Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities – CICU.   Most recently, she served as New York State's Budget Director under Governor David A. Paterson, after being appointed to that position in 2008 by Governor Eliot Spitzer.

HESC Leadership – This past June, Jim Ross announced his retirement as president of HESC.  Elsa Magee is currently servicing as acting president.

Whalen to Retire – Yesterday, Governor David A. Paterson announced that Director of State Operations Dennis P. Whalen will resign his position and retire from public service, effective September 8, 2009.

Jim Campbell
Director of Legislative Relations
Office of University Relations
State University of New York