S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K ________________________________________________________________________ 2697 2009-2010 Regular Sessions I N S E N A T E February 26, 2009 ___________ Introduced by Sens. AUBERTINE, ADDABBO, C. JOHNSON, KLEIN, ONORATO, SAMPSON, SAVINO -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed 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. 21 2. ANY COUNTY WITHIN THE STATE IS HEREBY AUTHORIZED, BY THE ENACTMENT 22 OF A LOCAL LAW, TO ESTABLISH AND IMPLEMENT A VOLUNTEER 23 FIREFIGHTERS/EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE VOLUNTEER TUITION ASSISTANCE EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD02474-01-9 S. 2697 2 1 GRANT PROGRAM TO PROVIDE TUITION ASSISTANCE TO VOLUNTEER 2 FIREFIGHTERS/EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE VOLUNTEERS ENROLLED ON AT LEAST A 3 PART-TIME BASIS AT STATE-OPERATED INSTITUTIONS OR COMMUNITY COLLEGES AS 4 THOSE TERMS ARE DEFINED IN SECTION THREE HUNDRED FIFTY OF THIS CHAPTER. 5 ANY PROGRAM ESTABLISHED PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION SHALL PROVIDE TUITION 6 ASSISTANCE GRANTS TO SUCH VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS/EMERGENCY MEDICAL 7 SERVICE VOLUNTEERS IN AN AMOUNT UP TO FIFTY PERCENT OF THE TUITION 8 REQUIRED TO BE PAID TO SUCH STATE-OPERATED INSTITUTION OR COMMUNITY 9 COLLEGE BY SUCH FIREFIGHTER/EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE VOLUNTEER. 10 3. ANY COUNTY WHICH ESTABLISHES A VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS/EMERGENCY 11 MEDICAL SERVICE VOLUNTEER TUITION ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAM PURSUANT TO 12 THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION SHALL BE ENTITLED TO REIMBURSEMENT FROM 13 THE STATE FOR ONE-HALF OF THE ACTUAL COST OF TUITION ASSISTANCE PAID BY 14 SUCH COUNTY TO VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS OR EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE 15 PERSONNEL. 16 S 2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to academ- 17 ic semesters, quarters and classroom hours beginning on or after January 18 1, 2011.