Bill Text: NY A09659 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Directs the board of trustees of the state university of New York and the board of trustees of the city university of New York to develop and administer the tuition exemption for law enforcement program, which exempts police officers enrolled in full-time or part-time degree programs at the state university of New York or the city university of New York, including community colleges, from tuition and fees for the duration of their enrollment.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-03-27 - referred to higher education [A09659 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-A09659-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          9659

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                     March 27, 2024
                                       ___________

        Introduced by M. of A. REILLY -- read once and referred to the Committee
          on Higher Education

        AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to directing the board of
          trustees of the state university of New York and the board of trustees
          of  the  city  university  of  New  York to develop and administer the
          tuition exemption for law enforcement program

          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section  1.  Short  title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
     2  the "tuition exemption for law enforcement officers act"  or  the  "TELE
     3  act".
     4    §  2.  The  education  law is amended by adding a new section 669-i to
     5  read as follows:
     6    § 669-i. Tuition exemption for law enforcement program. 1. Definition.
     7  For purposes of this section, "police  officer"  means  a  member  of  a
     8  police  force or other organization of a municipality who is responsible
     9  for the prevention and detection of crime and  the  enforcement  of  the
    10  general  criminal  laws  of  the state, but shall not include any person
    11  serving as such solely by virtue of his occupying any  other  office  or
    12  position,  nor shall such term include a sheriff, under-sheriff, commis-
    13  sioner of police, chief of police, deputy or assistant chief  of  police
    14  or any person having an equivalent title who is appointed or employed by
    15  a municipality to exercise equivalent supervisory authority.
    16    2.  Administration.  (a) The board of trustees of the state university
    17  of New York and the board of trustees of the city university of New York
    18  are hereby directed to develop and administer the tuition exemption  for
    19  law  enforcement  program.  Such program shall be offered exclusively to
    20  active-duty police officers to provide  an  incentive  to  maintain  and
    21  increase employment levels at law enforcement agencies.
    22    (b)  Law enforcement agencies which employ police officers which apply
    23  for and receive such tuition exemptions shall monitor  and  enforce  the
    24  commitments outlined in this section.

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD14966-01-4
        A. 9659                             2

     1    (c)  The  state  university of New York and the city university of New
     2  York shall coordinate with law enforcement agencies to verify enrollment
     3  and eligibility criteria for the tuition exemption under this section.
     4    (d)  The  state  university of New York and the city university of New
     5  York shall coordinate with law enforcement agencies to develop an appli-
     6  cation process for the tuition exemption under this section.
     7    (e) If the grade point average of a participating  police  officer  is
     8  less  than  3.0, then such officer shall be placed on probation from the
     9  tuition exemption program for one semester. If the grade  point  average
    10  does not return to 3.0 or greater within one semester, then such officer
    11  shall become ineligible for the tuition exemption program.
    12    3.  Tuition  exemption. Police officers enrolled in full-time or part-
    13  time degree programs, including credit and non-credit bearing  programs,
    14  at  the state university of New York or the city university of New York,
    15  including community colleges, shall be exempt from tuition and fees  for
    16  the  duration  of  their  enrollment.  Such  tuition  exemption shall be
    17  applied to the cost of any courses or  programs  offered  by  the  state
    18  university of New York or the city university of New York.
    19    4.  Commitment  to service. (a) Any police officer benefiting from the
    20  tuition exemption under this section shall commit to serving a state  or
    21  municipal law enforcement agency for a minimum period of:
    22    (i) Five years if enrolled in an associate degree or workforce program
    23  or until the criteria for retirement from such office are met.
    24    (ii)  Ten  years  if  enrolled in an undergraduate degree or until the
    25  criteria for retirement from such office are met.
    26    (iii) Five years if enrolled in a graduate degree or until the  crite-
    27  ria for retirement from such office are met.
    28    (b)  Failure  to  fulfill  the commitment outlined in paragraph (a) of
    29  this subdivision shall result in such police officer being obligated  to
    30  repay  a  proportional amount of the tuition waived, based on the number
    31  of years served.
    32    (i) If the employment of a police officer  is  terminated  with  their
    33  respective  agency  before completing the commitment period specified in
    34  this subdivision, such officer shall repay  a  prorated  amount  of  the
    35  tuition waived to the state university of New York or the city universi-
    36  ty of New York.
    37    (ii)  The  prorated  repayment  specified in this subdivision shall be
    38  made within a reasonable period determined by the  state  university  of
    39  New  York or the city university of New York following such police offi-
    40  cer's termination of employment or resignation.
    41    (c) Should such police officer be injured  in  the  line  of  duty  or
    42  removed  from  their  office due to medical necessity, the commitment to
    43  service shall be deemed to have been met in full. The  agency  by  which
    44  such  police officer is employed shall submit proof of injury or medical
    45  leave to the state university of New York or the city university of  New
    46  York.
    47    5.  Funding.  The state university of New York and the city university
    48  of New York are hereby directed to establish a  police  officer  tuition
    49  exemption  account  to  support  this section. Any costs incurred by the
    50  state university of New York and the city university of  New  York  from
    51  such  tuition  exemption  account  shall  be reimbursed from the general
    52  fund.
    53    § 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
    54  it shall have become a law.