NY State Senate Bill 2017-S1637

Senate Bill S1637

2017-2018 Legislative Session

Requires regulations to permit tuition waivers for two courses for firefighter students in baccalaureate/higher degree CUNY programs

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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 03, 2018	referred to higher education returned to senate died in assembly
Jun 07, 2017	referred to higher education delivered to assembly passed senate
Jun 05, 2017	advanced to third reading
May 24, 2017	2nd report cal.
May 23, 2017	1st report cal.1259
May 02, 2017	reported and committed to finance
Jan 10, 2017	referred to higher education

Votes

- Jun 7, 2017 - Floor Vote
  S1637
  
  62
  
  Aye
  
  0
  
  Nay
  
  0
  
  Absent
  
  1
  
  Excused
  
  0
  
  Abstained
  - - Floor Vote: Jun 7, 2017
      
      aye (62)
      
      Addabbo Jr.
      
      Akshar
      
      Alcantara
      
      Amedore
      
      Avella
      
      Bailey
      
      Benjamin
      
      Bonacic
      
      Boyle
      
      Breslin
      
      Brooks
      
      Carlucci
      
      Comrie
      
      Croci
      
      DeFrancisco
      
      Diaz
      
      Dilan
      
      Felder
      
      Flanagan
      
      Funke
      
      Gallivan
      
      Gianaris
      
      Golden
      
      Griffo
      
      Hamilton
      
      Hannon
      
      Helming
      
      Hoylman-Sigal
      
      Jacobs
      
      Kaminsky
      
      Kennedy
      
      Klein
      
      Krueger
      
      Lanza
      
      Larkin
      
      Latimer
      
      Little
      
      Marcellino
      
      Marchione
      
      Montgomery
      
      Murphy
      
      O'Mara
      
      Ortt
      
      Parker
      
      Peralta
      
      Persaud
      
      Phillips
      
      Ranzenhofer
      
      Ritchie
      
      Rivera
      
      Robach
      
      Sanders Jr.
      
      Savino
      
      Serino
      
      Serrano
      
      Seward
      
      Squadron
      
      Stavisky
      
      Stewart-Cousins
      
      Tedisco
      
      Valesky
      
      Young
      
      excused (1)
      
      LaValle
  May 2, 2017 - Higher Education Committee Vote
  S1637
  
  18
  
  Aye
  
  0
  
  Nay
  
  1
  
  Aye with Reservations
  
  0
  
  Absent
  
  0
  
  Excused
  
  0
  
  Abstained
  - - Higher Education Committee Vote: May 2, 2017
      
      aye (18)
      
      Alcantara
      
      Bailey
      
      Breslin
      
      Croci
      
      Funke
      
      Gallivan
      
      Griffo
      
      Helming
      
      Krueger
      
      LaValle
      
      Ortt
      
      Parker
      
      Peralta
      
      Ritchie
      
      Robach
      
      Serino
      
      Seward
      
      Stavisky
      
      aye wr (1)
      
      Rivera
  May 23, 2017 - Finance Committee Vote
  S1637
  
  36
  
  Aye
  
  0
  
  Nay
  
  1
  
  Aye with Reservations
  
  0
  
  Absent
  
  0
  
  Excused
  
  0
  
  Abstained
  - - Finance Committee Vote: May 23, 2017
      
      aye (36)
      
      Avella
      
      Bailey
      
      Bonacic
      
      Boyle
      
      Breslin
      
      Carlucci
      
      Comrie
      
      Diaz
      
      Dilan
      
      Felder
      
      Gallivan
      
      Golden
      
      Griffo
      
      Hannon
      
      Kaminsky
      
      Kennedy
      
      Krueger
      
      LaValle
      
      Lanza
      
      Larkin
      
      Little
      
      Marcellino
      
      Marchione
      
      Montgomery
      
      O'Mara
      
      Parker
      
      Peralta
      
      Ranzenhofer
      
      Ritchie
      
      Robach
      
      Savino
      
      Seward
      
      Squadron
      
      Stavisky
      
      Valesky
      
      Young
      
      aye wr (1)
      
      Rivera

co-Sponsors

2017-S1637 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A2773
Current Committee:: Senate Higher Education
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §6206, Ed L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2011-2012: S6437, A9370
2013-2014: S3958, A6599
2015-2016: S1473, A4230

2017-S1637 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires regulations to permit tuition waivers for two courses for firefighter students in baccalaureate/higher degree CUNY programs.

2017-S1637 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 BILL NUMBER:  S1637

 TITLE OF BILL :  An act to amend the education law, in relation to
certain tuition waivers for firefighters and fire officer students of
the city university of New York; and providing for the repeal of such
provisions upon expiration thereof

 PURPOSE :

To allow firefighters and fire officers employed by the New York City
Fire Department to attend two courses without tuition, at a senior
college of the City University System.

 SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS :

Section 1 of the bill adds a new paragraph (d) to subdivision 7 of
Education Law section 6206 to require the trustees of the City
University of New York ("CUNY") to promulgate regulations that would
afford firefighters employed by the Fire Department of the City of New
York ("FDNY") who are enrolled in a program leading to a baccalaureate
or higher degree to attend two courses without tuition, provided that
such attendance does not deny course attendance by another person who
is otherwise qualified under section 6206.

Section 2 of the bill provides that this bill shall take effect
immediately and shall expire and be deemed repealed on July 1, 2020.

 EXISTING LAW :

Currently, police officers employed by the New York City Police
Department ("NYPD") who are enrolled in a program leading to a
baccalaureate or higher degree are afforded the opportunity to attend
two tuition-free courses at CUNY. The same opportunity is not afforded
to firefighters employed by FDNY who are enrolled in a program leading
to a baccalaureate or higher degree.

 JUSTIFICATION :

Chapter 548 of the Laws of 2004 amended the Education Law to afford
police officers employed by NYPD who are enrolled in a program leading
to a baccalaureate or higher degree to attend two tuition-free courses
at CUNY. This program was originally set to expire on July 1, 2006. It
has been extended five times and is currently set to expire on July 1,
2018.

Firefighters should be afforded the same opportunity. The rationale
underlying the program for police officers, which is "to provide an
incentive for public safety personnel to pursue education early in
their careers so that the taxpaying citizens would enjoy the greatest
long-term benefit from an educated public safety service" is equally
applicable to firefighters.

 LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :

2016: S.1473-A - Passed the Senate
2015: S.1473 - Passed the Senate
2014: S.3958-B - Passed the Senate
2013: S.3958-B - Reported to Finance
2012: S.6437 - Referred to Higher Education

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :

None to the State

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
This bill shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be deemed
repealed on July 1, 2020.

2017-S1637 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   1637
 
                        2017-2018 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 10, 2017
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  GOLDEN -- 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 certain tuition  waiv-
   ers  for firefighters and fire officer students of the city university
   of New York; and providing for the  repeal  of  such  provisions  upon
   expiration thereof
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1.  Subdivision 7 of section 6206  of  the  education  law  is
 amended by adding a new paragraph (d) to read as follows:
   (D)  NOTWITHSTANDING  THE  PROVISIONS OF ANY OTHER GENERAL, SPECIAL OR
 LOCAL LAW, RULE OR REGULATION, THE BOARD OF  TRUSTEES  SHALL  PROMULGATE
 REGULATIONS TO PERMIT FIREFIGHTERS AND FIRE OFFICERS EMPLOYED BY THE NEW
 YORK  CITY  FIRE  DEPARTMENT,  WHO  ARE  ENROLLED IN PROGRAMS LEADING TO
 BACCALAUREATE OR HIGHER DEGREES AT A SENIOR COLLEGE OF THE CITY  UNIVER-
 SITY  TO  ATTEND TWO COURSES WITHOUT TUITION, PROVIDED THAT SUCH COURSES
 ARE RELATED TO THEIR EMPLOYMENT AS FIREFIGHTERS AND  FIRE  OFFICERS  AND
 THAT SUCH TUITION-WAIVED ATTENDANCE DOES NOT DENY COURSE ATTENDANCE AT A
 SENIOR  COLLEGE OF THE CITY UNIVERSITY BY AN INDIVIDUAL WHO IS OTHERWISE
 QUALIFIED UNDER THIS SECTION.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall  expire  and  be
 deemed repealed July 1, 2020.
 
 
 
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD06802-01-7

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Senate Bill S1637

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Sponsored By

Martin J. Golden