Bill Text: NY S00937 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Creates a commission to evaluate the need for community colleges to participate in the educational opportunity program.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-03 - REFERRED TO HIGHER EDUCATION [S00937 Detail]
Download: New_York-2023-S00937-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 937 2023-2024 Regular Sessions IN SENATE January 9, 2023 ___________ Introduced by Sens. BAILEY, JACKSON -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Higher Education AN ACT relating to creating the commission on affordable college educa- tion to study the participation of community colleges in the educa- tional opportunity program; and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Legislative findings. The legislature hereby acknowledges 2 the need for a college education to compete in today's market. Further- 3 more, residents throughout New York state are in need of more affordable 4 higher education options. Currently, twelve out of the thirty SUNY 5 community colleges do not participate in the Educational Opportunity 6 Programs (EOP), which provide vital financial and academic support for 7 thousands of academic and economically disadvantaged New Yorkers 8 throughout the state. Subsequently, community college students from 9 those twelve two-year colleges, who seek to transfer into a four-year 10 school as Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP) or EOP applicants 11 risk potentially disqualifying themselves for such financial and academ- 12 ic support programs. 13 § 2. A temporary state commission, to be known as the "commission on 14 affordable college education", is hereby established to examine, evalu- 15 ate and make recommendations concerning the need for the twelve SUNY 16 community colleges to participate in EOP. The commission shall consider 17 the need for additional legislation to amend current eligibility crite- 18 ria for transfer students. 19 § 3. The commission shall consist of thirteen members, to be appointed 20 as follows: three members to be appointed by the governor; three members 21 to be appointed by the temporary president of the senate; three members 22 to be appointed by the speaker of the assembly; two members to be 23 appointed by the minority leader of the senate; and two members to be EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD00730-01-3S. 937 2 1 appointed by the minority leader of the assembly. The members shall have 2 demonstrated expertise in and experience in the field of higher educa- 3 tion, HEOP, or EOP. A chairperson and vice-chairperson of such commis- 4 sion shall be elected by the majority of its members, all members being 5 present. 6 § 4. The members of the commission shall receive no compensation for 7 their services, but shall be allowed their actual and necessary expenses 8 incurred in the performance of their duties hereunder. 9 § 5. The commission may employ and at pleasure remove such personnel 10 as it may deem necessary for the performance of its functions. Such 11 commission may meet and hold public and/or private hearings within or 12 without the state, and shall have all the powers of a legislative 13 committee pursuant to the legislative law. 14 § 6. For the accomplishment of its purposes, the commission shall be 15 authorized and empowered to undertake any studies, inquiries, surveys or 16 analyses it may deem relevant in cooperation with or by agreement with 17 any other public or private agency. 18 § 7. The commission shall make a report of its findings, including any 19 recommendations for legislative action as it may deem necessary and 20 appropriate, to the governor, the temporary president of the senate and 21 the speaker of the assembly no later than one year after the effective 22 date of this act. 23 § 8. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall 24 become a law and shall expire and be deemed repealed two years after 25 such date.
