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

                                  9370

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                               (PREFILED)

                             January 6, 2010
                               ___________

Introduced  by M. of A. GABRYSZAK, COLTON, PHEFFER -- Multi-Sponsored by
  -- M. of A. JAFFEE -- read once and referred to the Committee on High-
  er Education

AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to establishing a tuition
  assistance program for volunteer firefighters and volunteer  emergency
  medical service personnel

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

  Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 609 to
read as follows:
  S 609. TUITION  ASSISTANCE  PROGRAM  FOR  VOLUNTEER  FIREFIGHTERS  AND
VOLUNTEER  EMERGENCY  MEDICAL SERVICE PERSONNEL. 1. DEFINITIONS. AS USED
IN THIS SECTION THE FOLLOWING TERMS SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOWING MEANINGS:
  (A) "VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTER" SHALL MEAN AN ACTIVE VOLUNTEER MEMBER OF A
FIRE COMPANY OF A COUNTY, A FIRE COMPANY OF  A  CITY,  TOWN  OR  VILLAGE
LOCATED  WITHIN  SUCH COUNTY, OR A FIRE DISTRICT FIRE DEPARTMENT LOCATED
WITHIN SUCH COUNTY, WHETHER OR NOT  ANY  SUCH  COMPANY  IS  INCORPORATED
UNDER ANY GENERAL OR SPECIAL LAW.
  (B)  "VOLUNTEER  EMERGENCY  MEDICAL  SERVICE  PERSONNEL" SHALL MEAN AN
ACTIVE VOLUNTEER MEMBER OF ANY EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE AS  ESTABLISHED
WITHIN A COUNTY, TOWN, VILLAGE OR CITY OR LOCAL TAX DISTRICT, WHETHER OR
NOT ANY SUCH SERVICE IS INCORPORATED UNDER ANY GENERAL OR SPECIAL LAW.
  (C) "PART-TIME STUDY" SHALL MEAN ENROLLMENT IN AN APPROVED POST-SECON-
DARY  DEGREE  PROGRAM  FOR  AT  LEAST  SIX BUT LESS THAN TWELVE SEMESTER
HOURS, OR THE EQUIVALENT PER SEMESTER, OR AT LEAST FOUR  BUT  LESS  THAN
EIGHT SEMESTER HOURS PER QUARTER IN AN INSTITUTION.
  (D)  "INSTITUTION"  SHALL  MEAN  ANY  INSTITUTION  OF HIGHER EDUCATION
RECOGNIZED AND APPROVED BY THE REGENTS OR THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF
NEW YORK WHICH PROVIDES A COURSE OF STUDY LEADING TO THE GRANTING  OF  A
POST-SECONDARY DEGREE OR DIPLOMA.
  (E) "TUITION" SHALL MEAN THE TOTAL SEMESTER, QUARTER OR CLASSROOM HOUR
COST  OF  INSTRUCTION  TO  THE  STUDENT AS PERIODICALLY PUBLISHED IN THE

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

                                                           LBD15152-01-9

A. 9370                             2

CATALOGUE OF THE INSTITUTION,  SPECIFICALLY  EXCLUDING  MANDATORY  FEES,
BOOK CHARGES AND ROOM AND BOARD.
  (F)  "DEGREE  PRODUCING  CURRICULUM"  SHALL  MEAN  A SERIES OF COURSES
PROGRAMMED TO CULMINATE IN A SPECIFIC POST-SECONDARY DEGREE  OR  DIPLOMA
WHEN SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED.
  2.  ANY COUNTY WITHIN THE STATE IS AUTHORIZED, BY ENACTMENT OF A LOCAL
LAW, TO ESTABLISH AND IMPLEMENT A TUITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FOR  VOLUN-
TEER  FIREFIGHTERS  AND VOLUNTEER EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE PERSONNEL TO
PROVIDE TUITION ASSISTANCE TO VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS AND VOLUNTEER EMER-
GENCY MEDICAL SERVICE PERSONNEL ENROLLED ON AT LEAST A  PART-TIME  BASIS
IN A DEGREE PRODUCING CURRICULUM IN ANY INSTITUTION.  ANY PROGRAM ESTAB-
LISHED  PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION SHALL PROVIDE TUITION ASSISTANCE GRANTS
TO SUCH VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTER OR  VOLUNTEER  EMERGENCY  MEDICAL  SERVICE
PERSONNEL IN AN AMOUNT UP TO ONE HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE TUITION REQUIRED
TO  BE  PAID TO SUCH INSTITUTION BY SUCH VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTER OR VOLUN-
TEER EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE PERSONNEL.
  3. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION OF LAW, RULE OR REGULATION  ANY
VOLUNTEER  FIREFIGHTER  OR VOLUNTEER EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE PERSONNEL
SHALL BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE TUITION ASSISTANCE PROVIDED  BY  THIS  SECTION
PROVIDED  SUCH  VOLUNTEER  FIREFIGHTER  OR  VOLUNTEER  EMERGENCY MEDICAL
SERVICE PERSONNEL SERVES IN SUCH POSITION WHILE  ENROLLED  IN  A  DEGREE
PRODUCING  CURRICULUM AT AN INSTITUTION AND FOR ONE ADDITIONAL YEAR UPON
COMPLETION OF ENROLLMENT AT SUCH INSTITUTION.
  4. ANY COUNTY WHICH  ESTABLISHES  A  TUITION  ASSISTANCE  PROGRAM  FOR
VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS AND VOLUNTEER EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE PERSONNEL
PURSUANT  TO  THE  PROVISIONS  OF  THIS  SECTION  SHALL  BE  ENTITLED TO
REIMBURSEMENT FROM THE STATE FOR ONE HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE ACTUAL  COST
OF  TUITION  ASSISTANCE PAID BY SUCH COUNTY TO VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS OR
VOLUNTEER EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE PERSONNEL.
  S 2. This act shall take effect January 1, 2011.