S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    982
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                              January 6, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. HYNDMAN -- read once and referred to the Commit-
   tee on Higher Education
 
 AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to the  state  university
   of New York educational opportunity centers
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. Subdivision 3 of section  352  of  the  education  law,  as
 amended  by  a  chapter  of  the laws of 2020 amending the education law
 relating to the state university of  New  York  educational  opportunity
 centers,  as  proposed in legislative bills numbers S. 4549 and A. 9804,
 is amended to read as follows:
   3. The state university shall consist of the four  university  centers
 at  Albany, Binghamton, Buffalo and Stony Brook, the designated colleges
 of arts and sciences at Brockport, Buffalo, Cortland, Fredonia, Geneseo,
 New Paltz, Old  Westbury,  Oneonta,  Oswego,  Plattsburgh,  Potsdam  and
 Purchase,  empire state college, the agricultural and technical colleges
 at Alfred, Canton, Cobleskill, Delhi, Farmingdale and Morrisville, down-
 state medical center, upstate medical center, the college of  optometry,
 the college of environmental science and forestry, maritime college, the
 college  of technology at Utica/Rome, the statutory or contract colleges
 at Cornell university and Alfred university, and such additional univer-
 sities, colleges and other institutions, facilities and research centers
 as have been or hereafter may  be  acquired,  established,  operated  or
 contracted  to  be  operated for the state by the state university trus-
 tees[, including, but not limited to educational opportunity centers  as
 defined in this article].
   §  2. Section 355-d of the education law, as added by a chapter of the
 laws of 2020 amending the education law relating to the state university
 of New York educational opportunity centers, as proposed in  legislative
 bills numbers S. 4549 and A. 9804, is amended to read as follows:

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD07160-01-1
              

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   §  355-d.  Educational  opportunity centers. 1. There shall be created
 within the state university  of  New  York  a  comprehensive  system  of
 [tuition  free]  higher  education [institutions providing] programs and
 services that promote the growth and stability  of  the  state's  educa-
 tionally  and economically challenged communities as referred to in this
 section as educational opportunity centers.
   2. Such educational opportunity centers shall be  managed  and  super-
 vised  by  the  state university and shall provide programs and services
 that include, but are not limited to THE FOLLOWING,  PROVIDED  THAT  THE
 STATE UNIVERSITY SHALL HAVE THE DISCRETION TO DETERMINE THE PROGRAMS AND
 SERVICES OFFERED AT EACH EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY CENTER:
   (a)  academic programs leading to and increasing persistence in higher
 education;
   (b) vocational programs leading to career pathways, gainful employment
 and self-sufficiency;
   (c) counseling and guidance services to enhance student retention;
   (d) targeted services for business and industry to upgrade  the  skill
 levels  of  emerging  and  incumbent  workers  such  that  they  support
 increased productivity and the creation and retention  of  job  opportu-
 nities;
   (e)  collaboration  with  secondary  schools to assist in the academic
 preparation of at-risk youth;
   (f) collaborative programs with colleges and universities to  increase
 opportunities for center graduates for advanced placement and receipt of
 academic credits for academic work completed at such center;
   (g)  collaboration  with  other  state  and  local agencies, workforce
 development boards and charitable organizations to meet emerging  state-
 wide priorities for serving the disadvantaged; and
   (h)  entrepreneurial training opportunities that may lead to community
 economic development.
   3. The state university shall formulate a plan and guidelines for  the
 organization,  development,  coordination  and  operation of educational
 opportunity centers and may promulgate such rules and regulations neces-
 sary to carry out the  provisions  of  this  section.  Such  plan  shall
 include:
   (a)  definition of academic and economic eligibility [provided, howev-
 er, that state residency be a minimum eligibility requirement];
   (b) procedures for the selection of such students for admission  to  a
 center;
   (c)  program  objectives  including coordination with the university's
 long range mission and goals; and
   (d) program evaluation and reporting.
   [4. Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the employees
 of the educational opportunity centers operated in cooperation with  the
 city  university of New York and/or a college within the city university
 of New York shall be employees of the city university of  New  York  and
 shall  retain  their respective bargaining unit representation.  Nothing
 in this section shall be deemed to waive or impair any rights  or  bene-
 fits  of  employees  of  the  city university of New York that otherwise
 would be available to them pursuant to the terms of  agreements  between
 the  certified representatives of such employees and the city university
 of New York pursuant to article fourteen of the civil service law.]
   § 3. Nothing set forth in this  act  shall  be  construed  to  impede,
 infringe  or  diminish  the rights and benefits that accrue to employees
 and employers through collective bargaining agreements, impact or change

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 an employee's membership in a bargaining unit, or otherwise diminish the
 integrity of the collective bargaining relationship.
   §  4.  This  act  shall  take  effect on the same date and in the same
 manner as a chapter of the laws  of  2020  amending  the  education  law
 relating  to  the  state  university of New York educational opportunity
 centers, as proposed in legislative bills numbers S.4549  and  A.  9804,
 takes effect.