Assembly Bill A6641

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   6641
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               March 6, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. ALVAREZ -- read once and referred to the Commit-
   tee on Higher Education
 
 AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to establishing an  emer-
   gency aid grant matching program
 
   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. EMERGENCY AID GRANT MATCHING PROGRAM. 1. DEFINITIONS. AS USED
 IN THIS SECTION, THE FOLLOWING TERMS SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOWING MEANINGS:
   (A)  "EMERGENCY  AID  GRANT"  SHALL MEAN A GRANT PROVIDED TO A STUDENT
 ATTENDING AN INSTITUTION OF HIGHER  EDUCATION  IN  NEW  YORK  STATE  AND
 DETERMINED TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR SUCH GRANT BY SUCH INSTITUTION, WHO DUE TO
 UNEXPECTED  OR  UNFORESEEN  EVENTS  REQUIRES  FINANCIAL  ASSISTANCE  FOR
 EXPENSES WHICH MAY INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO, GROCERIES, CLOTHING,
 HOUSING, COURSE MATERIALS, TECHNOLOGY, TRANSPORTATION, MEDICAL EXPENSES,
 AND CHILD CARE. AN  EMERGENCY  AID  GRANT  SHALL  NOT  BE  USED  TO  PAY
 OUTSTANDING TUITION OR FEES OR IN THE REPAYMENT OF STUDENT LOANS.
   (B)  "EMERGENCY  AID  GRANT  MATCHING  PROGRAM" SHALL MEAN THE PROGRAM
 ESTABLISHED BY THE CORPORATION  PURSUANT  TO  SUBDIVISION  TWO  OF  THIS
 SECTION TO PROVIDE MATCHING FUNDS TO CAMPUSES OF THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF
 NEW  YORK AND THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK FOR THE PROVISION OF EMER-
 GENCY AID GRANTS TO ELIGIBLE STUDENTS.
   (C) "CAMPUS EMERGENCY AID GRANT PROGRAM" SHALL MEAN ANY PROGRAM  AT  A
 CAMPUS OF THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK OR THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW
 YORK THAT PROVIDES EMERGENCY AID GRANTS TO ELIGIBLE STUDENTS.
   2.  (A)  THE  CORPORATION,  WHEN  MONIES HAVE BEEN APPROPRIATED BY THE
 LEGISLATURE OR ARE OTHERWISE  AVAILABLE  THEREFOR,  SHALL  ESTABLISH  AN
 EMERGENCY  AID  GRANT  MATCHING  PROGRAM  TO  MATCH EMERGENCY AID GRANTS
 PROVIDED BY CAMPUSES OF THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK  AND  THE  CITY
 UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD08508-01-5
              

 A. 6641                             2
 
   (B)  THE  CORPORATION  MAY  PROVIDE  MATCHING  GRANTS  OF UP TO TWELVE
 HUNDRED FIFTY DOLLARS PER STUDENT AND  UP  TO  SIXTY-TWO  THOUSAND  FIVE
 HUNDRED  DOLLARS  IN TOTAL MATCHING GRANTS PER CAMPUS PER ACADEMIC YEAR;
 PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT CAMPUSES FUNDING EMERGENCY AID GRANTS AT A  RATE
 OF  MORE THAN TWELVE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS PER STUDENT MAY BE ELIGI-
 BLE FOR THE MAXIMUM MATCHING GRANT PER STUDENT PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION.
 IN ADDITION TO ELIGIBLE USES FOR AN  EMERGENCY  AID  GRANT  PURSUANT  TO
 PARAGRAPH  (A) OF SUBDIVISION ONE OF THIS SECTION, THE CORPORATION SHALL
 BE AUTHORIZED TO STIPULATE ADDITIONAL ELIGIBLE USES FOR SUCH  GRANT,  AS
 SUCH CORPORATION DEEMS APPROPRIATE.
   (C)  CAMPUSES  MAY  APPLY  FOR  EMERGENCY  AID GRANTS PURSUANT TO THIS
 SECTION TO MATCH FUNDS PROVIDED BY  AN  EXISTING  CAMPUS  EMERGENCY  AID
 GRANT  PROGRAM;  PROVIDED,  HOWEVER,  SUCH  CAMPUS  EMERGENCY  AID GRANT
 PROGRAM MEETS OR IS MODIFIED TO MEET THE REQUIREMENTS ESTABLISHED BY THE
 CORPORATION TO RECEIVE SUCH MATCHING FUNDS, OR AFTER THE CREATION  OF  A
 CAMPUS  EMERGENCY  AID  GRANT PROGRAM THAT MEETS THE REQUIREMENTS ESTAB-
 LISHED BY THE CORPORATION  TO  RECEIVE  SUCH  MATCHING  FUNDS.  CAMPUSES
 APPLYING  FOR GRANTS PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION MAY ESTABLISH REQUIREMENTS
 FOR STUDENTS TO BE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE EMERGENCY AID  GRANTS  THROUGH  A
 CAMPUS  EMERGENCY  AID  GRANT  PROGRAM;  PROVIDED,  HOWEVER,  THAT  SUCH
 REQUIREMENTS DO NOT CONFLICT WITH THE REQUIREMENTS  ESTABLISHED  BY  THE
 CORPORATION TO RECEIVE MATCHING FUNDS.
   3.  THE  CORPORATION  SHALL  ESTABLISH  AN APPLICATION PROCESS FOR THE
 EMERGENCY AID GRANT MATCHING PROGRAM ESTABLISHED PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION
 TWO OF THIS SECTION AND MAY ESTABLISH REQUIREMENTS, AS SUCH  CORPORATION
 DEEMS NECESSARY FOR CAMPUSES OF THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AND THE
 CITY  UNIVERSITY  OF  NEW YORK TO ACCESS MATCHING FUNDS PURSUANT TO SUCH
 EMERGENCY AID GRANT MATCHING PROGRAM; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT:
   (A) EMERGENCY AID GRANTS SHALL NOT BE USED TO REIMBURSE ANY  OUTSTAND-
 ING TUITION OR FEES OWED TO THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK OR THE CITY
 UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK;
   (B)  EMERGENCY  AID  GRANTS  SHALL  NOT  BE  TREATED AS INCOME FOR THE
 PURPOSES OF CALCULATING FINANCIAL AID OFFERS OR AWARDS OR WHEN DETERMIN-
 ING ANY EXPECTED STUDENT AND/OR FAMILY CONTRIBUTION; AND
   (C) CAMPUSES DEMONSTRATE, TO THE SATISFACTION OF THE CORPORATION, THAT
 IN ADDITION TO OR AS  A  COMPONENT  OF  A  CAMPUS  EMERGENCY  AID  GRANT
 PROGRAM,  SUCH CAMPUS HAS SUFFICIENT RESOURCES AND SERVICES AVAILABLE TO
 SUPPORT STUDENTS EXPERIENCING FINANCIAL DISTRESS AS A  RESULT  OF  UNEX-
 PECTED OR UNFORESEEN EVENTS.
   4.  (A)  EACH  CAMPUS OF THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AND THE CITY
 UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK RECEIVING MATCHING FUNDS PURSUANT TO THE EMERGEN-
 CY AID GRANT MATCHING PROGRAM ESTABLISHED PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION TWO OF
 THIS SECTION SHALL COMPILE AND SUBMIT AN ANNUAL  REPORT  TO  THE  CORPO-
 RATION WHICH SHALL INCLUDE:
   (I)  THE  NUMBER OF STUDENTS RECEIVING FUNDS THROUGH SUCH CAMPUS EMER-
 GENCY AID GRANT PROGRAM;
   (II) THE AVERAGE DOLLAR AMOUNT PROVIDED TO EACH  STUDENT  PURSUANT  TO
 SUCH EMERGENCY AID GRANT MATCHING PROGRAM; AND
   (III)  THE  PERCENTAGE  OF  STUDENTS  WHO RECEIVED EMERGENCY AID FUNDS
 DURING THE PREVIOUS  ACADEMIC  YEAR  AND  ARE  STILL  ENROLLED  OR  HAVE
 SUCCESSFULLY  COMPLETED  SUCH  STUDENTS'  DEGREE  PROGRAM  AT  THE STATE
 UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK OR CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK.
   (B) NO LATER THAN NINETY DAYS  AFTER  THE  CORPORATION  RECEIVES  SUCH
 INFORMATION  FROM  PARTICIPATING  CAMPUSES AS REQUIRED PURSUANT TO PARA-
 GRAPH (A) OF THIS SUBDIVISION, THE CORPORATION SHALL COMPILE SUCH INFOR-
 A. 6641                             3
 
 MATION AND ANY OTHER INFORMATION AS SUCH CORPORATION DEEMS NECESSARY AND
 PUBLISH AN ANNUAL REPORT ON THE CORPORATION'S WEBSITE.
   §  2.  This  act  shall take effect immediately and shall apply to the
 academic year next succeeding the date on which it shall have  become  a
 law.