Senate Bill S6194

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   6194
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               March 6, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  PARKER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Education
 
 AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to  providing  access  to
   laptops  for  high  school and higher education students and textbooks
   for higher education students

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Section 753 of the education law is amended by adding a new
 subdivision 6 to read as follows:
   6. BEGINNING IN THE TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-SIX--TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-SEVEN
 SCHOOL  YEAR, WITHIN AMOUNTS APPROPRIATED THEREFOR, EACH SCHOOL DISTRICT
 IN THE STATE SHALL IMPLEMENT A PROGRAM TO PROVIDE EACH  STUDENT  IN  THE
 DISTRICT IN GRADES NINE THROUGH TWELVE A LAPTOP WITHOUT CHARGE.
   § 2. The education law is amended by adding a new article 15-D to read
 as follows:
                               ARTICLE 15-D
             ACCESS TO HIGHER EDUCATION TEXTBOOKS AND LAPTOPS
 SECTION 730. ACCESS TO HIGHER EDUCATION TEXTBOOKS AND LAPTOPS.
   § 730. ACCESS TO HIGHER EDUCATION TEXTBOOKS AND LAPTOPS. 1. (A) BEGIN-
 NING  IN  THE  TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-SIX--TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-SEVEN SCHOOL
 YEAR, WITHIN AMOUNTS APPROPRIATED THEREFOR,  EVERY  INSTITUTION  OF  THE
 STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AND EVERY INSTITUTION OF THE CITY UNIVERSI-
 TY  OF  NEW  YORK  SHALL  IMPLEMENT A PROGRAM TO PROVIDE ANY STUDENT WHO
 ATTENDS SUCH INSTITUTION A LAPTOP WITHOUT CHARGE.
   (B) BEGINNING IN THE TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-SIX--TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-SEV-
 EN SCHOOL YEAR,  WITHIN  AMOUNTS  APPROPRIATE  THEREFOR,  EVERY  PRIVATE
 COLLEGE  OR  UNIVERSITY  WITHIN  THE  STATE SHALL IMPLEMENT A PROGRAM TO
 PROVIDE ANY QUALIFYING STUDENT WHO ATTENDS  SUCH  INSTITUTION  A  LAPTOP
 WITHOUT  CHARGE.    FOR  THE  PURPOSES  OF  THIS  PARAGRAPH, "QUALIFYING
 STUDENT" SHALL MEAN A STUDENT  WHO  PROVIDES  SUCH  PRIVATE  COLLEGE  OR
 UNIVERSITY  DOCUMENTATION  OF  FINANCIAL  NEED  BASED  UPON  INFORMATION
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD10029-01-5
              

 S. 6194                             2
 
 PROVIDED ON SUCH STUDENT'S FREE  APPLICATION  FOR  FEDERAL  STUDENT  AID
 (FAFSA).
   2.  (A) BEGINNING IN THE TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-SIX--TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-
 SEVEN SCHOOL YEAR, WITHIN AMOUNTS APPROPRIATED THEREFOR, EVERY  INSTITU-
 TION  OF THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK, EVERY INSTITUTION OF THE CITY
 UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AND EVERY PRIVATE COLLEGE  OR  UNIVERSITY  WITHIN
 THE STATE SHALL IMPLEMENT A PROGRAM TO PROVIDE FREE COLLEGE TEXTBOOKS TO
 EVERY STUDENT ATTENDING SUCH INSTITUTION.
   (B) SUCH PROGRAM SHALL PROVIDE EACH STUDENT WITH A VOUCHER TO PURCHASE
 NECESSARY  TEXTBOOKS  WITH THE CONDITION ALL TEXTBOOKS SHALL BE RETURNED
 AT THE END OF EACH SEMESTER IN A SERVICEABLE CONDITION.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.