Assembly Bill A5612

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   5612
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             February 18, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. BUTTENSCHON, CRUZ, JACKSON, JONES, SANTABARBARA,
   SAYEGH, SIMPSON, STERN, STIRPE, WILLIAMS, WOERNER  --  read  once  and
   referred to the Committee on Higher Education
 
 AN  ACT  to  amend the education law, in relation to the volunteer fire-
   fighters of New York higher education learning plan

   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 669-i
 to read as follows:
   § 669-I. VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS OF NEW YORK HIGHER EDUCATION  LEARNING
 PLAN.  1. ELIGIBILITY. UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS WHO ARE MATRICULATED IN AN
 APPROVED UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM AT THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW  YORK  AND
 ARE  MEMBERS IN GOOD STANDING IN ONE OF NEW YORK'S VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPA-
 NIES SHALL BE ELIGIBLE FOR AN AWARD UNDER  THIS  SECTION,  PROVIDED  THE
 APPLICANT:  (A)  SIGNS  A CONTRACT WITH THE CORPORATION AGREEING TO WORK
 FOR A NEW YORK VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY ON  A  FULL-TIME  BASIS  FOR  FIVE
 YEARS;  AND  (B) COMPLIES WITH THE APPLICABLE PROVISIONS OF THIS ARTICLE
 AND ALL REQUIREMENTS PROMULGATED BY THE  CORPORATION  FOR  THE  ADMINIS-
 TRATION OF THE PROGRAM.
   2.  WITHIN  THE AMOUNTS APPROPRIATED THEREFOR, AWARDS SHALL BE GRANTED
 TO APPLICANTS THAT THE CORPORATION HAS CERTIFIED ARE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE
 SUCH AWARDS. SUCH AWARDS SHALL BE MADE TO RECIPIENTS AFTER THE  SUCCESS-
 FUL COMPLETION OF EACH ACADEMIC YEAR, AS DEFINED BY THE CORPORATION.
   3.  AN  AWARD  SHALL  ENTITLE THE RECIPIENT TO ANNUAL PAYMENTS FOR NOT
 MORE THAN FOUR ACADEMIC YEARS OF FULL-TIME UNDERGRADUATE STUDY.
   4. RECIPIENTS SHALL RECEIVE  AN  ANNUAL  PAYMENT  FOR  THE  SUCCESSFUL
 COMPLETION  OF  AN  ACADEMIC YEAR, EQUAL TO UP TO ONE HUNDRED PERCENT OF
 THE ANNUAL TUITION CHARGED  TO  STATE  RESIDENT  STUDENTS  ATTENDING  AN
 UNDERGRADUATE  PROGRAM FULL-TIME AT THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK, OR
 ACTUAL TUITION CHARGED, WHICHEVER IS LESS.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD09682-01-5
 A. 5612                             2
              

 
   5. THE CORPORATION SHALL CONVERT TO A STUDENT LOAN THE FULL AMOUNT  OF
 THE  AWARD  GIVEN PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION PLUS INTEREST, ACCORDING TO A
 SCHEDULE TO BE DETERMINED BY THE CORPORATION IF: (A) A  RECIPIENT  FAILS
 TO COMPLETE THEIR COURSE OF STUDIES AS AGREED TO WITH THE CORPORATION OR
 IS  NOT  A  MEMBER IN GOOD STANDING IN A NEW YORK VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY
 WHILE OBTAINING SUCH RECIPIENT'S DEGREE; OR  (B)  TWO  YEARS  AFTER  THE
 COMPLETION  OF THEIR COURSE OF STUDIES AS AGREED TO WITH THE CORPORATION
 IT IS FOUND THAT THE RECIPIENT IS NOT WORKING FOR A NEW  YORK  VOLUNTEER
 FIRE COMPANY; OR (C) A RECIPIENT HAS NOT WORKED FOR A NEW YORK VOLUNTEER
 FIRE  COMPANY  FOR FIVE OF THE SEVEN YEARS AFTER THE COMPLETION OF THEIR
 COURSE OF STUDIES AS AGREED TO WITH THE CORPORATION; OR (D) A  RECIPIENT
 FAILS  TO  RESPOND  TO  REQUESTS  BY THE FIREFIGHTERS ASSOCIATION OF THE
 STATE OF NEW YORK FOR THE STATUS OF SUCH RECIPIENT'S ACADEMIC OR PROFES-
 SIONAL PROGRESS.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.