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

                                 6480--A

                            I N  S E N A T E

                            January 19, 2016
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sen. RITCHIE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
  printed to be committed to the Committee on Veterans, Homeland Securi-
  ty and Military Affairs -- reported favorably from said committee  and
  committed  to  the  Committee on Finance -- committee discharged, bill
  amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said  commit-
  tee

AN  ACT  to  amend  the  education law, in relation to granting academic
  credit at state operated institutions of the state university  of  New
  York  and  the  senior  colleges of the city university of New York to
  veterans, members of the military, and reservists

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

  Section 1. Section 350 of the education law is amended by adding three
new subdivisions 14, 15 and 16 to read as follows:
  14.  "VETERAN" MEANS A PERSON, MALE OR FEMALE, RESIDENT OF THIS STATE,
WHO HAS SERVED IN THE ACTIVE MILITARY OR NAVAL  SERVICE  OF  THE  UNITED
STATES  DURING A WAR IN WHICH THE UNITED STATES ENGAGED AND WHO HAS BEEN
RELEASED FROM SUCH SERVICE BY  ANY  MEANS  OTHER  THAN  BY  DISHONORABLE
DISCHARGE, OR WHO HAS BEEN FURLOUGHED TO THE RESERVE.
  15. "MEMBER OF THE MILITARY" MEANS ANY PERSON WHO IS ACTIVELY ENROLLED
IN A BRANCH OF THE ARMED FORCES OF THE UNITED STATES.
  16.  "RESERVIST"  MEANS ANY PERSON WHO IS A MEMBER OF A RESERVE COMPO-
NENT OF THE ARMED FORCES OF THE UNITED STATES.
  S 2. The education law is amended by adding a new section 362 to  read
as follows:
  S 362. COURSE CREDIT FOR VETERANS, MEMBERS OF THE MILITARY, AND RESER-
VISTS.  1.  EVERY  VETERAN,  MEMBER  OF  THE  MILITARY, OR RESERVIST, AS
DEFINED IN SECTION THREE HUNDRED FIFTY OF THIS ARTICLE, WHO IS  ENROLLED
ON  A  FULL-TIME  OR PART-TIME BASIS AS AN UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT IN GOOD
STANDING AT AN INSTITUTION WITHIN THE  STATE  UNIVERSITY  SYSTEM  SHALL,
UPON  APPLICATION,  BE  GRANTED  UP TO SIX ACADEMIC CREDITS PER YEAR AND
SIXTY CREDITS IN THE AGGREGATE TOWARDS HIS OR HER DEGREE FOR  COMPLETION
OF  COURSES THAT WERE PART OF SUCH PERSON'S MILITARY TRAINING OR SERVICE
IF THE COMPLETED COURSES MEET THE STANDARDS OF THE AMERICAN  COUNCIL  ON

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

                                                           LBD13295-03-6

S. 6480--A                          2

EDUCATION  OR  ITS  EQUIVALENT  FOR THE AWARDING OF ACADEMIC CREDITS. NO
FEE, TUITION OR OTHER CHARGE SHALL BE ASSESSED AGAINST A VETERAN, MEMBER
OF THE MILITARY, OR RESERVIST, WHO QUALIFIES FOR SUCH CREDIT PURSUANT TO
THIS SECTION.
  2.  THE  BOARD  OF  TRUSTEES  OF THE STATE UNIVERSITY SHALL ADOPT SUCH
PROCEDURES AS ARE NECESSARY TO FULLY IMPLEMENT THE  PROVISIONS  OF  THIS
SECTION.
  S  3. Section 6202 of the education law is amended by adding three new
subdivisions 10, 11 and 12 to read as follows:
  10. THE TERM "VETERAN" MEANS A PERSON, MALE  OR  FEMALE,  RESIDENT  OF
THIS  STATE,  WHO  HAS SERVED IN THE ACTIVE MILITARY OR NAVAL SERVICE OF
THE UNITED STATES DURING A WAR IN WHICH THE UNITED  STATES  ENGAGED  AND
WHO  HAS  BEEN  RELEASED  FROM  SUCH  SERVICE BY ANY MEANS OTHER THAN BY
DISHONORABLE DISCHARGE, OR WHO HAS BEEN FURLOUGHED TO THE RESERVE.
  11. THE TERM "MEMBER OF THE MILITARY" MEANS ANY PERSON WHO IS ACTIVELY
ENROLLED IN A BRANCH OF THE ARMED FORCES OF THE UNITED STATES.
  12. THE TERM "RESERVIST" MEANS ANY PERSON WHO IS A MEMBER OF A RESERVE
COMPONENT OF THE ARMED FORCES OF THE UNITED STATES.
  S 4. The education law is amended by adding a new section 6217 to read
as follows:
  S 6217. COURSE CREDIT FOR  VETERANS,  MEMBERS  OF  THE  MILITARY,  AND
RESERVISTS.  1.  EVERY VETERAN, MEMBER OF THE MILITARY, OR RESERVIST, AS
DEFINED IN SECTION  SIXTY-TWO  HUNDRED  TWO  OF  THIS  ARTICLE,  WHO  IS
ENROLLED  ON  A FULL-TIME OR PART-TIME BASIS AS AN UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT
IN GOOD STANDING AT AN INSTITUTION WITHIN  THE  CITY  UNIVERSITY  SYSTEM
SHALL,  UPON APPLICATION, BE GRANTED UP TO SIX ACADEMIC CREDITS PER YEAR
AND SIXTY CREDITS IN  THE  AGGREGATE  TOWARDS  HIS  OR  HER  DEGREE  FOR
COMPLETION  OF COURSES THAT WERE PART OF SUCH PERSON'S MILITARY TRAINING
OR SERVICE IF THE COMPLETED COURSES MEET THE STANDARDS OF  THE  AMERICAN
COUNCIL  ON  EDUCATION  OR  ITS  EQUIVALENT FOR THE AWARDING OF ACADEMIC
CREDITS. NO FEE, TUITION OR OTHER CHARGE SHALL  BE  ASSESSED  AGAINST  A
VETERAN,  MEMBER  OF  THE MILITARY, OR RESERVIST, WHO QUALIFIES FOR SUCH
CREDIT PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION.
  2. THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE CITY  UNIVERSITY  OF  NEW  YORK  SHALL
ADOPT SUCH PROCEDURES AS ARE NECESSARY TO FULLY IMPLEMENT THE PROVISIONS
OF THIS SECTION.
  S  5.  This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding
the date on which it shall have become a law.