Bill Text: NY A05148 | 2011-2012 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Establishes the volunteer firefighters and emergency medical service volunteer tuition assistance grant program; provides that counties shall have the option to establish such program by the enactment of a local law; provides for state reimbursement to counties for fifty percent of tuition assistance costs.

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2012-01-04 - referred to higher education [A05148 Detail]

Download: New_York-2011-A05148-Introduced.html

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                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                         5148
                              2011-2012 Regular Sessions
                                 I N  A S S E M B L Y
                                   February 14, 2011
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  GABRYSZAK, JAFFEE, MOLINARO, REILLY, CAHILL,
         LUPARDO,   SCHIMMINGER,   PHEFFER,   SCHROEDER,   GUNTHER,   P. LOPEZ,
         BROOK-KRASNY  --  Multi-Sponsored  by  --  M.    of A. BOYLAND, CONTE,
         CROUCH, DESTITO, FINCH, GIGLIO, LATIMER,  MAGEE,  McDONOUGH,  McENENY,
         McKEVITT,  OAKS,  RAIA,  SAYWARD,  SWEENEY, ZEBROWSKI -- read once and
         referred to the Committee on Higher Education
       AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to establishing a  volun-
         teer  firefighters  and  emergency  medical  service volunteer tuition
         assistance grant program
         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 609 to
    2  read as follows:
    3    S  609. VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE VOLUNTEER
    4  TUITION ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAM. 1. FOR PURPOSES OF THIS  SECTION,  THE
    5  FOLLOWING TERMS SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOWING MEANINGS:
    6    A.  "VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTER" SHALL MEAN AN ACTIVE VOLUNTEER MEMBER OF A
    7  FIRE COMPANY OF A COUNTY, A FIRE COMPANY OF  A  CITY,  TOWN  OR  VILLAGE
    8  LOCATED  WITHIN  SUCH COUNTY, OR A FIRE DISTRICT FIRE DEPARTMENT LOCATED
    9  WITHIN SUCH COUNTY, WHETHER OR NOT  ANY  SUCH  COMPANY  IS  INCORPORATED
   10  UNDER ANY GENERAL OR SPECIAL LAW.
   11    B.  "VOLUNTEER  EMERGENCY  MEDICAL  SERVICE  PERSONNEL"  SHALL MEAN AN
   12  ACTIVE VOLUNTEER MEMBER OF ANY EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE AS  ESTABLISHED
   13  WITHIN A COUNTY, TOWN, VILLAGE OR CITY OR LOCAL TAX DISTRICT, WHETHER OR
   14  NOT ANY SUCH SERVICE IS INCORPORATED UNDER ANY GENERAL OR SPECIAL LAW.
   15    C. "AT LEAST A PART-TIME BASIS" SHALL MEAN ENROLLMENT FOR AT LEAST SIX
   16  HOURS PER SEMESTER OR FOUR HOURS PER QUARTER.
   17    D.  "TUITION" SHALL MEAN THE TOTAL SEMESTER, QUARTER OR CLASSROOM HOUR
   18  COST OF INSTRUCTION TO THE STUDENT AT A  STATE-OPERATED  INSTITUTION  OR
   19  COMMUNITY COLLEGE, AS DEFINED PURSUANT TO SECTION THREE HUNDRED FIFTY OF
   20  THIS CHAPTER, EXCLUDING MANDATORY FEES, BOOK CHARGES AND ROOM AND BOARD.
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD08408-01-1
       A. 5148                             2
    1    2.  ANY COUNTY WITHIN THE STATE IS HEREBY AUTHORIZED, BY THE ENACTMENT
    2  OF   A   LOCAL   LAW,   TO   ESTABLISH   AND   IMPLEMENT   A   VOLUNTEER
    3  FIREFIGHTERS/EMERGENCY  MEDICAL  SERVICE  VOLUNTEER  TUITION  ASSISTANCE
    4  GRANT   PROGRAM   TO   PROVIDE   TUITION   ASSISTANCE    TO    VOLUNTEER
    5  FIREFIGHTERS/EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE VOLUNTEERS ENROLLED ON AT LEAST A
    6  PART-TIME  BASIS AT STATE-OPERATED INSTITUTIONS OR COMMUNITY COLLEGES AS
    7  THOSE TERMS ARE DEFINED IN SECTION THREE HUNDRED FIFTY OF THIS  CHAPTER.
    8  ANY  PROGRAM  ESTABLISHED PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION SHALL PROVIDE TUITION
    9  ASSISTANCE  GRANTS  TO  SUCH  VOLUNTEER  FIREFIGHTERS/EMERGENCY  MEDICAL
   10  SERVICE  VOLUNTEERS  IN  AN  AMOUNT  UP  TO FIFTY PERCENT OF THE TUITION
   11  REQUIRED TO BE PAID TO  SUCH  STATE-OPERATED  INSTITUTION  OR  COMMUNITY
   12  COLLEGE BY SUCH FIREFIGHTER/EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE VOLUNTEER.
   13    3.  ANY  COUNTY  WHICH  ESTABLISHES A VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS/EMERGENCY
   14  MEDICAL SERVICE VOLUNTEER TUITION ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAM  PURSUANT  TO
   15  THE  PROVISIONS  OF THIS SECTION SHALL BE ENTITLED TO REIMBURSEMENT FROM
   16  THE STATE FOR ONE-HALF OF THE ACTUAL COST OF TUITION ASSISTANCE PAID  BY
   17  SUCH  COUNTY  TO  VOLUNTEER  FIREFIGHTERS  OR  EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE
   18  PERSONNEL.
   19    S 2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to academ-
   20  ic semesters, quarters and classroom hours beginning on or after January
   21  1, 2013.