Senate Bill S6217

                                BILL NUMBER:S6217

TITLE OF BILL:
An act
to amend the tax law, in relation to providing personal income taxpayers
with a modification reducing federal adjusted gross income
for tuition paid at any institution of higher
education

SUMMARY:
Subsection (c) of section 612 of the tax law is amended to allow for
up to three thousand dollars of the amount paid for tuition at any
institution of higher education within New York State provided that
the expense is for the taxpayer or for the taxpayer or for a
dependent of the taxpayer.

JUSTIFICATION:
It is well known that the key to the future of our state lies in the
education of our young men and women. While it has always been the
mission of our institutions of higher education to assist in the
undergraduate population, recent budgetary cutbacks have severely
curtailed the educational opportunity for many. Every year tuition
rises and every the Legislature must make the difficult decision of
whether or not to cut the Tuition Assistance Program. This comes in a
time when our student population needs to be better educated, better
trained and better prepared for the workforce.
              

No longer can we, as state officials, expect to have a future tax base
when the educational tools are no longer available to our students.
In order to remedy this continual budgetary onslaught on institutions
of higher education, we must provide a monetary "rebate" to ensure
that our student population has the best chance to receive a quality
education and to become better equipped to contribute to the
continual rebirth of the Empire State.

In order to achieve this goal, I have proposed to offer a tax
deduction of up to three thousand dollars of the amount paid for
tuition at any institution of higher education within New York State,
provided that the expense is for the taxpayer with income less than
one hundred thousand dollars. This tax· credit will assist those
families most in need.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2009-10: S.1316 - REFERRED TO INVESTIGATIONS AND GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS
2008-09: S.1438 - REFERRED TO INVESTIGATIONS AND GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS
2005-06: S.2106 - REFERRED TO INVESTIGATIONS AND GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS
2003-04: S.2711 - REFERRED TO INVESTIGATIONS AND GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS
2001-02: S.938  - REFERRED TO INVESTIGATIONS AND GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS
2000-01: S.6535 - REFERRED TO INVESTIGATIONS AND GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined.

EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.