STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 2360 2023-2024 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY January 25, 2023 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. WEPRIN -- read once and referred to the Committee on Education AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to enhancing support and services for students with disabilities for postsecondary success The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 6457 2 to read as follows: 3 § 6457. Enhancing support and services for students with disabilities 4 postsecondary success. 1. Subject to an appropriation, the commissioner 5 shall allocate funds available for enhancing support and services for 6 students with disabilities in New York state degree-granting colleges 7 and universities so they can succeed in their education. Such grants 8 shall be awarded to institutions of the state university of New York and 9 institutions of the city university of New York, and the commissioner 10 shall enter into contracts with degree-granting colleges and universi- 11 ties in New York state that are currently funded under the tuition 12 assistance program under article fourteen of this chapter for the 13 purposes of providing additional services and expenses to expand oppor- 14 tunities for students with disabilities. 15 2. For the purposes of this section "students with disabilities" shall 16 mean students who have a physical or mental impairment that substantial- 17 ly limits one or more major life activity, a record of such impairment, 18 or being regarded as having such impairment and who are enrolled in a 19 degree-granting institution. 20 3. (a) Funds appropriated in the two thousand twenty-three--two thou- 21 sand twenty-four academic year and thereafter for the purpose of this 22 initiative shall be allocated upon successful application through a 23 process developed by the commissioner, proportionally to each degree- 24 granting institution of higher education identified in subdivision one EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD00407-01-3A. 2360 2 1 of this section which shall be determined based upon the data submitted 2 annually by the institution to the commissioner. 3 (b) Funds shall be awarded to eligible institutions directly and not 4 through entities that do not directly enroll students. 5 4. Funds shall be awarded through a formula in equal amount per iden- 6 tified student with a disability to each institution eligible for fund- 7 ing. The number of students with a disability at each institution shall 8 be determined based upon the data submitted annually by the institution 9 to the commissioner. 10 5. Moneys made available to institutions under this section shall be 11 spent for the following purposes: 12 (a) to supplement funding for support and accommodation of students 13 with disabilities, to expand support and services provided at the state 14 university of New York, the city university of New York, and other 15 degree-granting higher education institutions; 16 (b) to support summer college preparation programs to assist individ- 17 uals with disabilities in transitioning to college, and prepare them to 18 navigate campus facilities and systems; 19 (c) to provide full and part-time faculty and staff at the state 20 university of New York, the city university of New York, and other 21 degree-granting higher education institutions with disability training; 22 and 23 (d) to improve the identification process of individuals with disabil- 24 ities and enhance data collection capabilities at the state university 25 of New York, the city university of New York, and other degree-granting 26 higher education institutions. 27 6. Eligible institutions shall file an application for approval by the 28 commissioner no later than the first of May each year demonstrating a 29 need for such funding, including, but not limited to, how the funding 30 would be used and how many students with disabilities would be assisted 31 with such funding. The commissioner shall review all applications for 32 compliance with all eligibility criteria and other requirements set 33 forth in regulations of the commissioner. Successful applicants shall be 34 funded as provided in subdivision four of this section. 35 7. No funds pursuant to this section shall be made available to 36 support the regular academic programs of any institution participating 37 in this program. 38 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.