NY State Senate Bill 2015-S650

Senate Bill S650

2015-2016 Legislative Session

Establishes the volunteer firefighters and emergency medical service volunteer tuition assistance grant program

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Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Higher Education Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Actions

View Actions

	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 06, 2016	referred to higher education
Jun 02, 2015	reported and committed to finance
Jan 07, 2015	referred to higher education

Votes

- Jun 2, 2015 - Higher Education Committee Vote
  S650
  
  17
  
  Aye
  
  0
  
  Nay
  
  1
  
  Aye with Reservations
  
  0
  
  Absent
  
  0
  
  Excused
  
  0
  
  Abstained
  - - Higher Education Committee Vote: Jun 2, 2015
      
      aye (17)
      
      Breslin
      
      Croci
      
      Espaillat
      
      Funke
      
      Gallivan
      
      Griffo
      
      LaValle
      
      Ortt
      
      Parker
      
      Peralta
      
      Ritchie
      
      Rivera
      
      Robach
      
      Serino
      
      Seward
      
      Stavisky
      
      Valesky
      
      aye wr (1)
      
      Krueger

co-Sponsors

2015-S650 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Higher Education
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Add §609, Ed L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2009-2010: S2697
2011-2012: S4724
2013-2014: S534
2017-2018: S1813
2019-2020: S577

2015-S650 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Establishes the volunteer firefighters and emergency medical service volunteer tuition assistance grant program; provides that counties shall have the option to establish such program by the enactment of a local law; provides for state reimbursement to counties for fifty percent of tuition assistance costs.

2015-S650 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 BILL NUMBER:  S650

 TITLE OF BILL :  An act to amend the education law, in relation to
establishing a volunteer firefighters and emergency medical service
volunteer tuition assistance grant program

 PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL :

This legislation would help to address the continuing difficulty local
volunteer fire and emergency medical service (EMS) departments have
had recruiting and retaining volunteers. This difficulty is
particularly true for young people who are hard pressed to pursue
their careers and their education while volunteering for these
critically important services.

 SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS :

This bill allows counties to establish a local tuition grants program
for active volunteer firefighters and EMS personnel at state operated
institutions. The grant can be for up to fifty percent of tuition
required at state operated institutions or community colleges.  This
legislation also provides that, where a county has created a tuition
grants program, the state would reimburse the county at one-half the
actual tuition grant established by the county for each eligible
volunteer.

 JUSTIFICATION :

During the last several years it has become increasingly difficult for
local volunteer fire and EMS departments to recruit and retain new
members. The demands on young people to meet various responsibilities
in their family and personal lives continue to grow. Family life,
career development and other demands limit people's ability to
volunteer their time. This is particularly true for volunteer firemen
and EMS personnel, who need special training in light of the
life-threatening situations they are exposed to and confronted at any
given time.

Over the last decade, the legislature has taken a variety of steps to
protect volunteers and their families. This includes special insurance
protection and retirement benefits for these volunteers.  However,
these incentives lend themselves to long tenured members and provide
little, if any, incentive for young people to become involved.

This legislation attempts to provide some direct help by focusing on
education. This should help local fire and EMS departments recruit
young people who are attending college but are willing to volunteer
their time to become part of a local firefighter or emergency medical
services organization.

 PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :

2008:  S.7094/A.1194
2009:  S.2697/A.6029
2011-12: S.4724/A.5147 Referred to Higher Education
2013-2014: S.534 Higher Ed

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :

At county option.

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to academic
semesters, quarters and classroom hours beginning on or after January
1, 2017.

2015-S650 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

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

                                   650

                       2015-2016 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                               (PREFILED)

                             January 7, 2015
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sen. KENNEDY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
  printed to be committed to the Committee on Higher Education

AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to establishing a  volun-
  teer  firefighters  and  emergency  medical  service volunteer tuition
  assistance grant program

  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. VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE VOLUNTEER
TUITION ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAM. 1. FOR PURPOSES OF 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. "AT LEAST A PART-TIME BASIS" SHALL MEAN ENROLLMENT FOR AT LEAST SIX
HOURS PER SEMESTER OR FOUR HOURS PER QUARTER.
  D.  "TUITION" SHALL MEAN THE TOTAL SEMESTER, QUARTER OR CLASSROOM HOUR
COST OF INSTRUCTION TO THE STUDENT AT A  STATE-OPERATED  INSTITUTION  OR
COMMUNITY COLLEGE, AS DEFINED PURSUANT TO SECTION THREE HUNDRED FIFTY OF
THIS CHAPTER, EXCLUDING MANDATORY FEES, BOOK CHARGES AND ROOM AND BOARD.
  2.  ANY COUNTY WITHIN THE STATE IS HEREBY AUTHORIZED, BY THE ENACTMENT
OF   A   LOCAL   LAW,   TO   ESTABLISH   AND   IMPLEMENT   A   VOLUNTEER
FIREFIGHTERS/EMERGENCY  MEDICAL  SERVICE  VOLUNTEER  TUITION  ASSISTANCE

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

                                                           LBD03165-01-5

S. 650                              2

GRANT   PROGRAM   TO   PROVIDE   TUITION   ASSISTANCE    TO    VOLUNTEER
FIREFIGHTERS/EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE VOLUNTEERS ENROLLED ON AT LEAST A
PART-TIME  BASIS AT STATE-OPERATED INSTITUTIONS OR COMMUNITY COLLEGES AS
THOSE  TERMS  ARE  DEFINED IN SECTION THREE HUNDRED FIFTY OF THIS TITLE.
ANY PROGRAM ESTABLISHED PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION SHALL  PROVIDE  TUITION
ASSISTANCE  GRANTS  TO  SUCH  VOLUNTEER  FIREFIGHTERS/EMERGENCY  MEDICAL
SERVICE VOLUNTEERS IN AN AMOUNT UP  TO  FIFTY  PERCENT  OF  THE  TUITION
REQUIRED  TO  BE  PAID  TO  SUCH STATE-OPERATED INSTITUTION OR COMMUNITY
COLLEGE BY SUCH FIREFIGHTER/EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE VOLUNTEER.
  3. ANY COUNTY WHICH  ESTABLISHES  A  VOLUNTEER  FIREFIGHTERS/EMERGENCY
MEDICAL  SERVICE  VOLUNTEER TUITION ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAM PURSUANT TO
THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION SHALL BE ENTITLED TO  REIMBURSEMENT  FROM
THE  STATE FOR ONE-HALF OF THE ACTUAL COST OF TUITION ASSISTANCE PAID BY
SUCH COUNTY TO  VOLUNTEER  FIREFIGHTERS  OR  EMERGENCY  MEDICAL  SERVICE
PERSONNEL.
  S 2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to academ-
ic semesters, quarters and classroom hours beginning on or after January
1, 2017.

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Senate Bill S650

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Sponsored By

Timothy M. Kennedy