S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
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                                   5692
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              March 13, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  PARKER -- 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 life long
   learning centers in the state university of New York
 
   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 355-f
 to read as follows:
   § 355-F. LIFE LONG LEARNING CENTERS. 1. THERE IS HEREBY ESTABLISHED IN
 THE STATE UNIVERSITY, SUBJECT TO THE JURISDICTION OF ITS BOARD OF  TRUS-
 TEES,  LIFE  LONG  LEARNING CENTERS TO BE OPERATED AT COMMUNITY COLLEGES
 AND THE COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES OF THE STATE UNIVERSITY TO  SERVE  MID
 LIFE  ADULTS FORTY YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER WHO ARE SEEKING TO EXPLORE LIFE
 OPTIONS, REMAIN CIVICALLY ENGAGED, CONTINUE THEIR EDUCATION AND  ACQUIRE
 SKILLS  FOR OR BEGIN TO PLAN FOR A SECOND CAREER, INCLUDING ENTREPRENEU-
 RIAL INSTRUCTION.
   2. THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE  STATE  UNIVERSITY  SHALL  SELECT  THE
 LOCATION OF SUCH CENTERS ON CAMPUSES OF COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES WITH A
 COMMITMENT  TO REINVENT THEIR CREDIT AND NON-CREDIT LEARNING PROGRAMS TO
 TARGET THE EMERGING NEEDS AND DEMANDS AND INTERESTS OF ADULTS AGE  FORTY
 AND OLDER WHO ARE INTERESTED IN EXPLORING LIFE OPTIONS, CIVIC ENGAGEMENT
 AND CONTINUED LEARNING.
   3.  THE  PURPOSE  OF  LIFE  LONG  LEARNING CENTERS IS TO ENCOURAGE THE
 OFFERING OF MID LIFE ADULT PROGRAMS THAT  ASSIST  ELIGIBLE  STUDENTS  IN
 ACQUIRING  THE  SKILLS AND ABILITIES NECESSARY TO PLAN FOR AND CARRY OUT
 NEW CAREERS FOR THEIR NEXT STAGE OF LIFE, AND HELP UNIVERSITIES MEET THE
 DEMANDS OF THIS GROUP. THE FOLLOWING SHALL BE THE PRIORITY ACTIVITIES OF
 SUCH CENTERS:
   A.  RETOOLING CAREER COUNSELING AND WORK FORCE RE-ENTRY  SERVICE  THAT
 ARE  OFFERED  ON  CAMPUS  TO  ATTRACT OLDER ADULTS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN
 PUBLIC SERVICE CAREERS;
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD07266-01-3
              

 S. 5692                             2
 
   B. FACILITATE PARTNERSHIPS ON AND OFF CAMPUS WITH INTERESTED PARTIES;
   C.  EXPANDING CONNECTIONS WITH LOCAL BUSINESSES AND EMPLOYERS TO IDEN-
 TIFY WORK FORCE SHORTAGES THAT COULD BE FILLED BY RE-TRAINED OLDER WORK-
 ERS;
   D. COLLABORATE AND OFFER TRAINING FOR NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AND
 EMPLOYERS TO WORK WITH OLDER ADULTS AND VOLUNTEERS; AND
   E. WORKING WITH INDIVIDUALS RESIDING IN RURAL AND URBAN AREAS THAT ARE
 TRADITIONALLY UNDERSERVED.
   4. THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE STATE UNIVERSITY SHALL, WITHIN  APPRO-
 PRIATIONS  MADE  THEREFOR,  AWARD GRANTS TO ESTABLISH LIFE LONG LEARNING
 CENTERS. GRANT APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED BY INSTITUTIONS OF  HIGHER  EDUCA-
 TION  SHALL  OUTLINE  PLANS OF INSTRUCTION AND CURRICULUM-RELATED ACTIV-
 ITIES AND SERVICES TO ADVANCE THE PURPOSE OF ASSISTING MID  LIFE  ADULTS
 INTERESTED  IN  EXPLORING  LIFE  OPTIONS, CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AND CONTINUED
 LEARNING. SUCH PLANS MAY PROVIDE FOR CONTRACTING BY THE ELIGIBLE  APPLI-
 CANT WITH SPECIFIED NOT-FOR-PROFIT COMMUNITY BASED EDUCATIONAL ORGANIZA-
 TIONS FOR THE PROVISION OF INSTRUCTION, ACTIVITIES AND SERVICES OUTLINED
 IN  THE  PLAN.  SUCH PLANS SHALL INCLUDE QUANTIFIABLE MEASURES TO ASSESS
 THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE INSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES AND SERVICES IN  PROMOT-
 ING THE PURPOSES OF THE PROGRAM. SUCH MEASURES SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE
 LIMITED TO:
   A.  THE RATE OF SUCCESS OF LINKING ELIGIBLE STUDENTS WITH WORK EXPERI-
 ENCES THAT SERVE COMMUNITY NEEDS;
   B. SUCCESS AT ADAPTING COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES WORK  FORCE  RE-ENTRY
 SERVICES,  CAREER  COUNSELING  AND  SKILL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES THAT
 ENABLE OLDER ADULTS TO HAVE MEANINGFUL CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AND  WORK  FORCE
 OPPORTUNITIES;
   C.  RATE OF ESTABLISHMENTS OF EXTERNAL LINKS WITH COMMUNITY, BUSINESS,
 GOVERNMENT AND OTHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS THAT MAY ENCOURAGE  ENTRE-
 PRENEURIAL  APPROACHES  AND PARTNERSHIPS THAT MAY HELP FURTHER THE GOALS
 OF THIS PROGRAM; AND
   D. ABILITY OF THE PROGRAM PLAN TO ASSIST IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF  INITI-
 ATIVES  DESIGNED TO ADDRESS THE UNIQUE NEEDS OF OLDER INDIVIDUALS RESID-
 ING IN RURAL AND URBAN COMMUNITIES THAT ARE TRADITIONALLY UNDERSERVED.
   THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES SHALL MAKE GRANT AWARDS BASED UPON A  REVIEW  OF
 SUBMITTED  APPLICATIONS  MAKING  SELECTIONS  FROM SUBMITTED APPLICATIONS
 THAT WOULD BEST MEET THE GOALS AND  OBJECTIVES  OF  THIS  SECTION.  SUCH
 APPROVED PLANS MAY BE AMENDED WITH THE APPROVAL OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES
 OF THE STATE UNIVERSITY.
   5. THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE STATE UNIVERSITY SHALL SUBMIT A REPORT
 ANNUALLY  TO  THE  GOVERNOR,  THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE, THE
 SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY, THE DIRECTOR OF THE STATE OFFICE FOR THE  AGING
 AND THE COMMISSIONER OF HEALTH.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.