Bill Text: NY A05390 | 2009-2010 | General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: An act to amend the education law and the state finance law, in relation to creating the New York state for science program and fund which provides private or nonpublic elementary and secondary schools with assistance in obtaining essential scientific equipment, tools and/or resources; and making an appropriation therefor

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 13-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-06-09 - held for consideration in education [A05390 Detail]

Download: New_York-2009-A05390-Introduced.html
                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                         5390
                              2009-2010 Regular Sessions
                                 I N  A S S E M B L Y
                                   February 13, 2009
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by M. of A. MAISEL, DelMONTE, BROOK-KRASNY, KAVANAGH, MARKEY
         -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. BENJAMIN, BOYLAND, CLARK,  V. LOPEZ,
         PHEFFER,  SWEENEY,  TOWNS, WEISENBERG -- read once and referred to the
         Committee on Education
       AN ACT to amend the education law and the state finance law, in relation
         to creating the New York state for  science  program  and  fund  which
         provides  private  or  nonpublic elementary and secondary schools with
         assistance in obtaining essential scientific equipment,  tools  and/or
         resources; and making an appropriation therefor
         THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section 1. Legislative findings  and  declaration.    The  legislature
    2  hereby  finds  and  declares  it necessary to provide certain private or
    3  nonpublic elementary and secondary schools with financial assistance  in
    4  obtaining  scientific  equipment,  tools  and/or  resources necessary to
    5  provide students with a proper education in the study of science regard-
    6  less of their financial or social status.
    7    S 2. The education law is amended by adding a new article 78  to  read
    8  as follows:
    9                                 ARTICLE 78
   10                     NEW YORK STATE FOR SCIENCE PROGRAM
   11  SECTION 3817. NEW YORK STATE FOR SCIENCE PROGRAM.
   12          3818. ELIGIBILITY.
   13          3819. ALLOCATION AND DETERMINATION OF STATE AID.
   14    S 3817. NEW YORK STATE FOR SCIENCE PROGRAM.  1. THERE IS HEREBY ESTAB-
   15  LISHED A SPECIAL PROGRAM CALLED THE NEW YORK STATE FOR SCIENCE PROGRAM.
   16    2.  EACH  QUALIFYING  SCHOOL  DISTRICT SHALL BE ENTITLED TO RECEIVE AN
   17  ANNUAL GRANT IN STATE AID EQUAL TO AN AMOUNT OF FIVE DOLLARS  PER  CHILD
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD07202-01-9
       A. 5390                             2
    1  ENROLLED  IN A PRIVATE OR NONPUBLIC SCHOOL MAINTAINED WITHIN SUCH SCHOOL
    2  DISTRICT. SUCH AID SHALL BE SUPPLIED TOWARDS THE LOAN,  LEASE,  PURCHASE
    3  AND USE OF ANY SCIENTIFIC EQUIPMENT, TOOLS AND/OR RESOURCES. EACH QUALI-
    4  FYING  SCHOOL  DISTRICT SHALL APPROPRIATE MONIES TO ANY ELIGIBLE PRIVATE
    5  OR NONPUBLIC ELEMENTARY OR SECONDARY SCHOOL REGISTERED TO PARTICIPATE IN
    6  THIS PROGRAM PRIOR TO  THE  UPCOMING  SCHOOL  YEAR.  SUCH  PARTICIPATING
    7  SCHOOLS  SHALL  HAVE  SOLE  DISCRETION IN SELECTING THE EQUIPMENT, TOOLS
    8  AND/OR RESOURCES TO BE LOANED, LEASED OR PURCHASED.   SUCH SCHOOL  SHALL
    9  MAINTAIN RECORDS OF SUCH LOAN AGREEMENTS AND/OR PURCHASES.
   10    S  3818. ELIGIBILITY. 1. ANY SCHOOL DISTRICT HAVING A POPULATION WHERE
   11  AT LEAST FIVE PERCENT OF THE POPULATION FALLS WITHIN THE POVERTY  INCOME
   12  LEVEL  SHALL  QUALIFY  TO RECEIVE AN APPROPRIATION IN STATE AID EQUAL TO
   13  FIVE DOLLARS PER STUDENT ENROLLED IN A PRIVATE OR  NONPUBLIC  SCHOOL  IN
   14  SUCH DISTRICT.
   15    2.  ANY PRIVATE OR NONPUBLIC ELEMENTARY OR SECONDARY SCHOOL MAINTAINED
   16  WITHIN A QUALIFYING SCHOOL DISTRICT  AND  HAVING  A  STUDENT  POPULATION
   17  WHERE AT LEAST TEN PER CENTUM OF SUCH POPULATION FALLS BELOW THE  POVER-
   18  TY  INCOME  LEVEL SHALL BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE PROGRAM. ANY SUCH PRIVATE OR
   19  NONPUBLIC SCHOOL SHALL REGISTER FOR THIS PROGRAM PRIOR  TO  COMMENCEMENT
   20  OF  THE  UPCOMING  SCHOOL YEAR AND SHALL RE-REGISTER ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.
   21  UPON REGISTRATION, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL DETERMINE WHETHER  SUCH  PRIVATE
   22  OR  NONPUBLIC  SCHOOL  IS  ELIGIBLE  AND UPON THE RE-REGISTRATION, SHALL
   23  REDETERMINE ELIGIBILITY AND SHALL REQUIRE AN ACCOUNTING  OF  THE  EQUIP-
   24  MENT, TOOLS AND/OR RESOURCES LOANED, LEASED OR PURCHASED BY SUCH PRIVATE
   25  OR NONPUBLIC SCHOOL.
   26    S  3819.  ALLOCATION  AND  DETERMINATION  OF  STATE  AID. 1. NO SCHOOL
   27  DISTRICT SHALL ALLOCATE STATE AID TO ANY PRIVATE OR NONPUBLIC SCHOOL NOT
   28  MEETING THE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS ESTABLISHED WITHIN SECTION  THIRTY-
   29  EIGHT  HUNDRED  EIGHTEEN  OF THIS ARTICLE.  THE SCHOOL DISTRICT SHALL BE
   30  RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ALLOCATION OF  SUCH  AID  TO  PRIVATE  OR  NONPUBLIC
   31  SCHOOLS  ON  A  PRO RATED BASIS.   THE PERCENTAGE OF AID GRANTED TO EACH
   32  PRIVATE OR NONPUBLIC SCHOOL SHALL BE BASED ON THE PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS
   33  FALLING BELOW THE POVERTY LEVEL.
   34    2. NO SUCH PRIVATE OR NONPUBLIC SCHOOL  SHALL  BE  GRANTED  STATE  AID
   35  EXCEEDING  AN  AMOUNT  OF TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS PER YEAR, OR AS OTHERWISE
   36  DETERMINED BY THE COMMISSIONER.   ANY SUPERFLUOUS MONEY  RESULTING  FROM
   37  THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF STATE AID APPROPRIATED BY THE
   38  COMMISSIONER TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THE TOTAL STATE AID ALLOCATED BY
   39  SUCH  SCHOOL  DISTRICT TO ITS ELIGIBLE SCHOOLS SHALL BE TRANSFERRED BACK
   40  TO THE COMMISSIONER FOR FURTHER APPROPRIATION, IF NECESSARY, OR SHALL BE
   41  TRANSFERRED INTO THE NEW YORK STATE FOR SCIENCE FUND ESTABLISHED  PURSU-
   42  ANT TO SECTION NINETY-SIX-A OF THE STATE FINANCE LAW.
   43    S  3. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section 96-a to
   44  read as follows:
   45    S 96-A. NEW YORK STATE FOR SCIENCE FUND. 1.  THERE  IS  HEREBY  ESTAB-
   46  LISHED IN THE SOLE CUSTODY OF THE STATE COMPTROLLER A SPECIAL FUND TO BE
   47  KNOWN AS THE NEW YORK STATE FOR SCIENCE FUND.
   48    2.  THE FUND SHALL CONSIST OF MONIES TRANSFERRED FROM THE GENERAL FUND
   49  AND ALL OTHER MONEYS APPROPRIATED, CREDITED, OR TRANSFERRED THERETO FROM
   50  ANY OTHER FUND OR SOURCE PURSUANT TO  LAW.    NOTHING  CONTAINED  HEREIN
   51  SHALL PREVENT THE STATE FROM RECEIVING GRANTS, GIFTS OR BEQUESTS FOR THE
   52  PURPOSES OF THE FUND AS DEFINED IN THIS SECTION AND DEPOSITING THEM INTO
   53  THE FUND ACCORDING TO LAW.
   54    3.  MONEYS  OF  THE  FUND,  FOLLOWING APPROPRIATION BY THE LEGISLATURE
   55  SHALL BE EXPENDED ONLY FOR THE PURPOSES OF PROVIDING FUNDING FOR THE NEW
   56  YORK STATE FOR SCIENCE PROGRAM SET FORTH IN ARTICLE SEVENTY-EIGHT OF THE
       A. 5390                             3
    1  EDUCATION LAW FOR THE PURPOSE OF  PROVIDING  ASSISTANCE  TO  PRIVATE  OR
    2  NONPUBLIC  SCHOOLS  FOR  THE  LOAN,  LEASE AND/OR PURCHASE OF SCIENTIFIC
    3  EQUIPMENT, TOOLS AND/OR RESOURCES.   MONIES SHALL BE  PAYABLE  FROM  THE
    4  FUND  ON  THE  AUDIT AND WARRANT OF THE COMPTROLLER ON VOUCHERS APPROVED
    5  AND CERTIFIED BY THE COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION.    THE  COMMISSIONER  OF
    6  EDUCATION  SHALL  BE  SOLELY  RESPONSIBLE  FOR ALLOCATING MONIES TO EACH
    7  PARTICIPATING SCHOOL DISTRICT.
    8    S 4. The sum of one million dollars ($1,000,000.00), or so much there-
    9  of as may be necessary, is hereby  appropriated  to  the  department  of
   10  education out of any moneys in the state treasury in the general fund to
   11  the  credit  of  the  New  York state for science fund established under
   12  section 96-a of the state finance law, not otherwise  appropriated,  and
   13  made  immediately  available  for  the  sole purpose of carrying out the
   14  provisions of this act.  Such moneys shall be payable on the  audit  and
   15  warrant  of  the  comptroller  on  vouchers certified or approved by the
   16  commissioner of education in the manner prescribed by law.
   17    S 5. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
   18  it shall become a law. Effective immediately,  the  addition,  amendment
   19  and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation
   20  of this act on its effective date is authorized to be made and completed
   21  on or before such date.
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