Bill Text: NY A04942 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Amended
Bill Title: Requires the SUNY and CUNY boards of trustees and boards of trustees of community colleges to establish a policy for the awarding of posthumous degrees; requires such policy to waive any remaining credits for enrolled matriculated students who die and would otherwise have been eligible for graduation had they been able to complete their academic career.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 29-1)
Status: (Passed) 2023-10-25 - signed chap.549 [A04942 Detail]
Download: New_York-2023-A04942-Amended.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 4942--B 2023-2024 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY February 27, 2023 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. FORREST, TAYLOR, DARLING, HYNDMAN, LEVENBERG, SILLITTI, MAHER, SIMON, RAGA, OTIS, McDONALD, CHANDLER-WATERMAN, CLARK, PRETLOW, DE LOS SANTOS, TAPIA, ALVAREZ, GIBBS, REYES, SEPTIMO, EPSTEIN, WEPRIN, ZACCARO, STIRPE, MAMDANI, SHRESTHA -- read once and referred to the Committee on Higher Education -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to establishing policies for the awarding of posthumous degrees The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as "Melquain 2 Jatelle Anderson's (Mel's) Law". 3 § 2. Subdivision 2 of section 355 of the education law is amended by 4 adding a new paragraph f-2 to read as follows: 5 f-2. Notwithstanding any law, rule or regulation to the contrary, the 6 state university of New York board of trustees shall establish a policy 7 authorizing state-operated institutions and community colleges within 8 the state university to grant posthumous degrees to enrolled matriculat- 9 ed students whose death occurs prior to graduation. Such policy shall 10 provide that, upon terms set in the policy, any remaining credit 11 requirements shall be waived for any student who dies and who otherwise 12 would have been eligible for graduation had they been able to complete 13 their academic career. 14 § 3. Section 6206 of the education law is amended by adding a new 15 subdivision 22 to read as follows: 16 22. Notwithstanding any law, rule or regulation to the contrary, the 17 board of trustees shall establish a policy authorizing senior colleges 18 and community colleges within the city university of New York to grant 19 posthumous degrees to enrolled matriculated students whose death occurs EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD04553-06-3A. 4942--B 2 1 prior to graduation. Such policy shall provide that, upon terms set in 2 the policy, any remaining credit requirements shall be waived for any 3 student who dies and who otherwise would have been eligible for gradu- 4 ation had they been able to complete their academic career. 5 § 4. Such posthumous degrees shall not be counted in the conferred 6 degrees during the accreditation process or negatively impact a school's 7 standing during the accreditation process. 8 § 5. This act shall take effect immediately.