Assembly Bill A7937

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7937
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                              April 16, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. NOVAKHOV -- read once and referred to the Commit-
   tee on Higher Education
 
 AN  ACT to amend the parks, recreation and historic preservation law, in
   relation to enacting the  "Lifeguard  incentive  and  debt  assistance
   (LIDA) act"
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may  be  cited  as
 the "Lifeguard incentive and debt assistance (LIDA) act".
   § 2. The parks, recreation and historic preservation law is amended by
 adding a new section 3.30 to read as follows:
   §  3.30  LIFEGUARD  INCENTIVE  AND DEBT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. 1. FOR THE
 PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, THE FOLLOWING TERMS SHALL HAVE  THE  FOLLOWING
 MEANINGS:
   (A)  "DEBT  RELIEF CHECK" SHALL MEAN A FINANCIAL BENEFIT EQUIVALENT TO
 THE AVERAGE MONTHLY STUDENT LOAN PAYMENT  IN  THE  STATE  OF  NEW  YORK,
 ISSUED FOR SIX MONTHS.
   (B)  "ELIGIBLE STUDENT" SHALL MEAN A STUDENT ENROLLED IN AN ACCREDITED
 PUBLIC OR PRIVATE COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY WITHIN THE STATE  OF  NEW  YORK,
 WHO:
   (I)  WORKS  AS  A  CERTIFIED LIFEGUARD AT A PUBLIC POOL OR BEACH FOR A
 MINIMUM OF FIVE MONTHS, FULL-TIME  OR  PART-TIME,  WITHIN  ONE  CALENDAR
 YEAR;
   (II) MAINTAINS SUCH LIFEGUARD CERTIFICATION FOR FOUR YEARS AFTER GRAD-
 UATION; AND
   (III)  DEMONSTRATES SATISFACTORY PERFORMANCE IN LIFEGUARD DUTIES WITH-
 OUT TERMINATION FOR CAUSE OR RESIGNATION WITHOUT VALID JUSTIFICATION.
   (C) "FINANCIAL AID" SHALL MEAN:
   (I) TWENTY-FIVE PERCENT OF THE STATE'S MONTHLY  AVERAGE  STUDENT  LOAN
 PAYMENT  FOR  UP TO FIVE MONTHS ANNUALLY FOR ELIGIBLE STUDENTS WHO MAIN-
 TAIN CERTIFICATION FOR POOL LIFEGUARD DUTY; AND
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD10879-01-5
              

 A. 7937                             2
 
   (II) FIFTY PERCENT OF THE STATE'S MONTHLY AVERAGE STUDENT LOAN PAYMENT
 FOR UP TO FIVE  MONTHS  ANNUALLY  FOR  ELIGIBLE  STUDENTS  WHO  MAINTAIN
 CERTIFICATION FOR BEACH LIFEGUARD DUTY.
   (D)  "LIFEGUARD CERTIFICATION" SHALL MEAN A VALID CERTIFICATION FROM A
 NEW YORK STATE-APPROVED LIFEGUARD TRAINING PROGRAM.
   (E) "PUBLIC POOL OR BEACH" SHALL MEAN ANY SWIMMING FACILITY OR  WATER-
 FRONT AREA MANAGED BY A MUNICIPAL, CITY, OR STATE ENTITY IN THE STATE OF
 NEW YORK.
   2.  THE OFFICE AND THE NEW YORK STATE HIGHER EDUCATION SERVICES CORPO-
 RATION SHALL ESTABLISH A JOINT PROGRAM, HEREAFTER  REFERRED  TO  AS  THE
 "PROGRAM",  TO  PROVIDE  FINANCIAL  AID  TO ELIGIBLE STUDENTS WORKING AS
 LIFEGUARDS DURING SUCH STUDENT'S TIME AT A COLLEGE OR  UNIVERSITY  AT  A
 PUBLIC  POOL  OR  BEACH. ELIGIBLE STUDENTS WHO MAINTAIN ACTIVE LIFEGUARD
 CERTIFICATION FOR FOUR YEARS POST-GRADUATION SHALL  RECEIVE  A  ONE-TIME
 DEBT  RELIEF  CHECK.  EACH ELIGIBLE STUDENT SHALL SUBMIT ANNUAL PROOF OF
 SERVICE AND LIFEGUARD CERTIFICATION RENEWAL TO THE OFFICE AND  NEW  YORK
 STATE HIGHER EDUCATION SERVICES CORPORATION TO REMAIN ELIGIBLE FOR POST-
 GRADUATION BENEFITS.
   3.  THE JOINT PROGRAM SHALL BE FUNDED FROM THE APPROPRIATIONS PROVIDED
 ANNUALLY TO THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.
   4. ANY STUDENT WHO FAILS TO MAINTAIN SUCH STUDENT'S LIFEGUARD  CERTIF-
 ICATION FOR FOUR YEARS POST-GRADUATION WITHOUT VALID JUSTIFICATION SHALL
 FORFEIT THE DEBT RELIEF CHECK BENEFIT.
   5. EACH FACILITY THAT EMPLOYS AN ELIGIBLE STUDENT SHALL PERFORM ANNUAL
 PERFORMANCE REVIEWS TO DETERMINE IF SUCH ELIGIBLE STUDENT IS MEETING THE
 REQUIREMENTS OF THE PROGRAM.
   6.  THE DEPARTMENT AND NEW YORK STATE HIGHER EDUCATION SERVICES CORPO-
 RATION SHALL ESTABLISH A JOINTLY  MANAGED  DATABASE  THAT  CONTAINS  THE
 FOLLOWING INFORMATION ON ELIGIBLE STUDENTS TO INCLUDE:
   (A)  THE  ELIGIBLE  STUDENTS'  ENROLLMENT  STATUS  WITH  AN ACCREDITED
 COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY;
   (B) THE ELIGIBLE STUDENTS' LIFEGUARD CERTIFICATION; AND
   (C) THE ELIGIBLE STUDENTS' EMPLOYMENT STATUS.
   7. THE DEPARTMENT AND NEW YORK STATE HIGHER EDUCATION SERVICES  CORPO-
 RATION SHALL ESTABLISH A JOINT REVIEW BOARD TO HANDLE DISPUTES, APPEALS,
 AND  EXEMPTION REQUESTS FOR ELIGIBLE STUDENTS WHO FAIL TO MEET ELIGIBIL-
 ITY REQUIREMENTS DUE TO EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES.
   8. THE DEPARTMENT AND NEW YORK STATE HIGHER EDUCATION SERVICES  CORPO-
 RATION ARE AUTHORIZED TO PROMULGATE SUCH RULES AND REGULATIONS AS NECES-
 SARY TO EFFECTUATE AND ENFORCE THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION.
   § 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
 it  shall  have  become  a law and shall apply to any eligible applicant
 beginning with the 2026-2027 academic year.