S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
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                                  1697

                       2009-2010 Regular Sessions

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                             January 9, 2009
                               ___________

Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  ENGLEBRIGHT,  P. RIVERA, SCHIMMINGER, ORTIZ,
  ESPAILLAT -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A.  ALFANO,  BARRA,  BRADLEY,
  CHRISTENSEN,  CLARK,  CYMBROWITZ,  DIAZ,  GALEF, HOOPER, HOYT, JACOBS,
  MAGEE, MAYERSOHN,  MILLMAN,  PERRY,  PHEFFER,  ROBINSON,  SCARBOROUGH,
  SWEENEY, WEISENBERG, WRIGHT -- read once and referred to the Committee
  on Higher Education

AN  ACT  to amend the education law, in relation to enacting the "higher
  education community service act"

  THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section  1.    Legislative  findings. The legislature hereby finds and
declares that the American tradition of volunteer community  service  is
essential  to  the  common good and is vital to the success  of not-for-
profit agencies, institutions and  organizations  dealing  with  a  vast
array of critical social problems. It recognizes growing support for the
idea that postsecondary students should receive recognition for substan-
tial  commitment  to  volunteer  service,  and  should  be given greater
encouragement to participate in volunteer community service  activities.
Volunteers and volunteer programs should be praised for their efforts in
helping  and  serving  others,  which  result  in changes in the way the
community views young people and in the  way  young  people  view  their
responsibilities to the community.
  The  legislature  further declares its desire to promote further inte-
gration of community service at  institutions  of  higher  education  by
encouraging  student-initiated  and student-designated community service
projects.
  S 2. The education law is amended by adding a new section 319 to  read
as follows:
  S  319.  HIGHER EDUCATION COMMUNITY SERVICE ACT. 1. SHORT TITLE.  THIS
SECTION SHALL BE KNOWN AND MAY BE CITED AS THE "HIGHER EDUCATION  COMMU-
NITY SERVICE ACT".

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD05065-01-9
              

A. 1697                             2

  2.  ESTABLISHMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION COMMUNITY SERVICE ACT.  THERE IS
HEREBY ESTABLISHED A HIGHER EDUCATION  COMMUNITY  SERVICE  ACT  FOR  THE
PURPOSE  OF  PROMOTING  AND RECOGNIZING VOLUNTEER SERVICE INVOLVEMENT BY
STUDENTS IN HIGHER EDUCATION.  ACTIVITIES  CONDUCTED  UNDER  THE  HIGHER
EDUCATION COMMUNITY SERVICE ACT SHALL INCLUDE:
  A.  A CAMPUS BASED SCREENING PROCESS TO IDENTIFY AND NOMINATE SUCCESS-
FUL AND PROMISING COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECTS AND INITIATIVES FOR  RECOG-
NITION;
  B.  IDENTIFICATION  OF  EXISTING  QUALITY  COMMUNITY SERVICE PROGRAMS,
PROJECTS AND INITIATIVES INVOLVING POSTSECONDARY STUDENTS THAT PRODUCE A
SENSE OF SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND COMMITMENT TO THE COMMUNITY;
  C. INCENTIVES FOR INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION, STUDENTS AND OTHER
MEMBERS OF THE COLLEGE COMMUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN LONG  TERM  COMMUNITY
SERVICE PROGRAMS;
  D.  ENCOURAGEMENT OF INSTITUTIONS TO FORMULATE A SYSTEMATIC PROCESS TO
DISSEMINATE INFORMATION CONCERNING PROSPECTIVE VOLUNTEER PROJECTS TO THE
PARTICIPANTS OF GENERAL VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS ON OR OFF CAMPUS;
  E. ESTABLISHMENT OF A FOUNDATION TO RECEIVE PRIVATE FUNDS TO  BE  USED
TO PROMOTE A WIDE VARIETY OF SERVICE RELATED PROJECTS; AND
  F.  ESTABLISHMENT OF A THREE-YEAR PROGRAM OF IMPLEMENTATION, INCLUDING
PILOT PROGRAMS AND ONGOING REVIEW AND EVALUATION.
  3. COUNCIL FOR HIGHER EDUCATION COMMUNITY SERVICE. A.  A  COUNCIL  FOR
HIGHER  EDUCATION  COMMUNITY  SERVICE  SHALL  BE  ESTABLISHED WITHIN THE
DEPARTMENT FOR THE PURPOSE OF CONDUCTING  ACTIVITIES  PURSUANT  TO  THIS
SECTION.  THE  COUNCIL  SHALL BE COMPOSED OF ELEVEN MEMBERS, ONE OF WHOM
SHALL BE  THE  COMMISSIONER,  EX-OFFICIO,  AND  TEN  OF  WHOM  SHALL  BE
APPOINTED  BY  THE  GOVERNOR: TWO ON THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE TEMPORARY
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE, TWO ON THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE SPEAKER OF THE
ASSEMBLY, ONE ON THE  RECOMMENDATION  OF  THE  MINORITY  LEADER  OF  THE
SENATE,  AND  ONE  ON  THE  RECOMMENDATION OF THE MINORITY LEADER OF THE
ASSEMBLY. SUCH  MEMBERS  SHALL  INCLUDE  REPRESENTATIVES  OF  THE  STATE
UNIVERSITY, CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AND THE INDEPENDENT COLLEGES AND
UNIVERSITIES  OF NEW YORK. TWO OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS SHALL BE STUDENTS,
SELECTED BY THE GOVERNOR WITH THE ADVICE AND CONSENT OF THE SENATE.  THE
COUNCIL  SHALL  SELECT FROM AMONG ITS APPOINTED MEMBERS A CHAIR AND VICE
CHAIR WHO SHALL SERVE IN OFFICE FOR TERMS OF ONE YEAR AND WHO  SHALL  BE
ELIGIBLE FOR REELECTION FOR SUCCESSIVE TERMS.
  B.  THE  COUNCIL  SHALL MEET AT LEAST FOUR TIMES EACH YEAR. MEMBERS OF
THE COUNCIL SHALL RECEIVE NO COMPENSATION FOR THEIR SERVICES  BUT  SHALL
BE  REIMBURSED  BY THE HIGHER EDUCATION COMMUNITY SERVICE FOUNDATION FOR
REASONABLE EXPENSES ACTUALLY AND NECESSARILY INCURRED  BY  THEM  IN  THE
PERFORMANCE OF THEIR DUTIES PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION.
  4.  PETITIONING  BY  COUNCIL. THE COUNCIL SHALL, WITHIN NINETY DAYS OF
ITS APPOINTMENT, PETITION THE REGENTS TO INCORPORATE AS A PRIVATE,  NOT-
FOR-PROFIT  EDUCATION CORPORATION UNDER THIS CHAPTER, THE NEW YORK FOUN-
DATION FOR HIGHER EDUCATION COMMUNITY SERVICE, TO RECEIVE  FUNDS  TO  BE
USED  AS  REQUESTED  BY THE COUNCIL TO SUPPORT AND ADMINISTER ACTIVITIES
AUTHORIZED IN THIS SECTION, AND OTHER PROJECTS THAT ENCOURAGE AND ASSIST
COMMUNITY SERVICE ACTIVITIES.
  5.  ESTABLISHMENT  OF  VOLUNTEER  CONNECTIONS.  THE  COMMISSIONER,  IN
CONSULTATION WITH THE CHANCELLOR OF THE STATE UNIVERSITY, THE CHANCELLOR
OF  THE  CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AND THE PRESIDENT OF THE COMMISSION
ON INDEPENDENT COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES  SHALL  DEVELOP  A  PROGRAM  TO
ESTABLISH EFFECTIVE VOLUNTEER CONNECTIONS BETWEEN INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER
EDUCATION AND THEIR RESPECTIVE COMMUNITIES.

A. 1697                             3

  6. RECOGNITION OF EXEMPLARY SERVICE PROGRAMS. A. THE COUNCIL ON HIGHER
EDUCATION  COMMUNITY  SERVICE  SHALL  DEVELOP  A  PROGRAM OF IDENTIFYING
PROGRAMS OF COMMUNITY SERVICE BY COLLEGE STUDENTS FOR  SPECIAL  RECOGNI-
TION.
  B.  THE COUNCIL SHALL SELECT PARTICIPANTS AND PROGRAMS FOR LEGISLATIVE
RECOGNITION, PUBLISH THE DESIGNATED VOLUNTEERS OF EXEMPLARY PROGRAMS  IN
A  VOLUNTEER  HONOR ROLL AND REVIEW AND RECOMMEND OTHER FORMS OF SUPPORT
AND/OR INCENTIVES TO ENCOURAGE STUDENTS TO CONTINUE  TO  PARTICIPATE  IN
COMMUNITY SERVICE THROUGHOUT THEIR ACADEMIC CAREERS AND LATER IN LIFE.
  C.  THE COUNCIL, IN COOPERATION WITH THE LEGISLATURE, SHALL SPONSOR AN
ANNUAL CONFERENCE TO FOCUS ON CRITICAL ISSUES FACING COMMUNITIES IN  THE
STATE WHICH COULD BE ASSISTED BY VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS.
  D.  AWARDS  TO  SELECTED  VOLUNTEER  PROGRAMS  SHALL  BE  MADE BY, AND
PROVIDED FROM  FUNDS DERIVED FROM, THE NEW YORK HIGHER EDUCATION  COMMU-
NITY SERVICE FOUNDATION, A PRIVATE NON-PROFIT FOUNDATION PURSUANT TO THE
PROVISIONS  OF THIS SECTION. ALL AWARDS SHALL BE ACCOMPANIED BY A COMME-
MORATIVE PLAQUE.
  E. THE COUNCIL SHALL OVERSEE THE CREATION OF A STATEWIDE POSTSECONDARY
COMMUNITY SERVICE CENTER TO DISSEMINATE INFORMATION REGARDING   EXISTING
VOLUNTEER  ACTIVITIES,  MAKE  VOLUNTEER CONNECTIONS BETWEEN STUDENTS AND
THE COMMUNITIES, INTEGRATE PUBLIC AND COMMUNITY SERVICE INTO THE CURRIC-
ULUM, PROVIDE GUIDANCE AND COORDINATION, MONITOR AND EVALUATE  VOLUNTEER
PROGRAMS  AND  ACTIVITIES  AND  PROMOTE  THE  CONTINUATION OF PUBLIC AND
COMMUNITY SERVICE.
  F. THE COUNCIL SHALL REPORT BY SEPTEMBER FIRST EACH YEAR TO THE GOVER-
NOR, THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEM-
BLY ON THE PROGRESS OF IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS SECTION, WITH  RECOMMENDA-
TIONS FOR FUTURE ACTIVITIES.
  S  3.  This  act  shall  take  effect  on  the first of September next
succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law.