S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   4956
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             February 10, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. CHANG -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on Higher Education
 
 AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to the admissions program
   for the state university of New York maritime college
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. Subdivisions 2 and 3 of section 352-a of the education law,
 subdivision  2  as  amended by section 1 of part II of chapter 56 of the
 laws of 2023 and subdivision 3 as added by section 1 of part F of  chap-
 ter 83 of the laws of 2002, are amended to read as follows:
   2.  (a)  Maritime  college  shall have a total of [two hundred eighty-
 four] FOUR HUNDRED THIRTY-SEVEN vacancy positions set aside  for  appli-
 cants  who are nominated by the governor, a state senator or a member of
 the assembly. Such vacancy nominations shall increase or decrease  based
 upon the number of senate districts authorized pursuant to article three
 of  the  New  York  state constitution. An applicant who receives such a
 nomination, is accepted for admission into the college and  participates
 in  the  regimental  program  shall  receive  a scholarship equal to the
 amount of the state tuition charge after the deduction of any  available
 grant  aid  for  the four consecutive years following [his or her] THEIR
 admission into the program provided, however, that the  student  remains
 in  the regimental/cadet degree program and remains at all times in good
 academic standing as determined by the maritime college  administration.
 In  no  event  shall a student lose [his or her] THEIR scholarship based
 upon legislative reapportionment or changes in  legislative  composition
 or membership.  Nothing herein shall be construed to limit or reduce the
 number of vacancies available to the general population.
   (b)  To  be  eligible  to receive such nomination and scholarship, the
 applicant must be a resident of the state. For purposes of this section,
 a state resident shall be defined as a person who  has  resided  in  the
 state of New York for a period of at least one year prior to the time of
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD07698-01-5
              

 A. 4956                             2
 
 nomination,  is  a  graduate  or  within  one year of graduation from an
 approved high school or has attained a New York state high school equiv-
 alency diploma or its equivalent as determined by the commissioner.
   3.  The  vacancy nominations shall be distributed as follows: five for
 the governor, five for the majority leader of the senate, five  for  the
 speaker  of  the  assembly,  two  for  each state senator other than the
 majority leader of the senate and [one]  TWO  for  each  member  of  the
 assembly  other  than the speaker of the assembly. The governor and each
 member of the legislature shall provide one principal and three alterna-
 tive nominations for consideration for admission. Final admission  deci-
 sions shall remain with the college and within administrative procedures
 and criteria.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.