S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   5701
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             February 20, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. SOLAGES -- read once and referred to the Commit-
   tee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions
 
 AN ACT to direct the Metropolitan Transportation  Authority  to  provide
   discounted monthly passes to college and career education students for
   the purpose of commuting to and from classes

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. a. Notwithstanding  any  provision  to  the  contrary,  the
 Metropolitan Transportation Authority ("the Authority") shall extend the
 provisions   of  its  Monthly  Tickets  for  Schools  program  providing
 discounted monthly transportation passes to include  students  utilizing
 the  Long  Island Railroad and the Metro-North Commuter Railroad Company
 to commute to  attend  post-secondary  education  classes  at  qualified
 colleges,  universities  and  career education schools. The extension of
 the program shall be known as the College and Career Education  Partner-
 ship Program.
   b.  In order to qualify for the the College and Career Education Part-
 nership Program, a college, university or career education school must:
   (i) be accredited by the New York  State  Board  of  Regents  and  the
 Commissioner  of  Education  or  accredited  by  a nationally recognized
 accrediting agency or association accepted as such by the regents of the
 state of New York;
   (ii) make application to the Authority to be  added  to  the  list  of
 colleges,  universities  and  career  education schools approved for the
 program; and
   (iii) upon notification of Authority approval, provide access  through
 its official website for full-time college and career education students
 attending the college, university or career education school to register
 through their website for the reduced fee passes.
   c. A qualifying college may be a community college.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD09935-01-5
 A. 5701                             2
              

 
   d. Any full-time student attending a qualifying college, university or
 career education school may purchase the reduced fare pass. A student in
 their  final term prior to graduating from a qualifying college, univer-
 sity or career education school shall qualify to  purchase  the  reduced
 fare pass, even if such student is not carrying a full-time course load.
   e.  Passes issued through the College and Career Education Partnership
 Program shall offer a minimum monthly discount of 25% off the full-price
 cost of a monthly pass for students.
   f. The College and  Career  Education  Partnership  Program  shall  be
 implemented  by the Authority prior to the commencement of the 2025-2026
 school year and shall apply to  that  school  year  and  all  subsequent
 school years.  The Authority shall not pay any costs or expenses related
 to  the  reduced  fare program from its operating or capital budgets and
 may only implement the reduced fare program with funds  appropriated  to
 it by the State of New York for such purpose.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.