S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                         6896
                                   I N  S E N A T E
                                    March 27, 2014
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by  Sen.  PARKER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
         printed to be committed to the Committee on Finance
       AN ACT directing the state department of education to place a moratorium
         on the use of Test Assessing Secondary Completion (TASC) until certain
         requirements are met; and to amend the state finance law, in  relation
         to the high school equivalency account
         THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section 1. The commissioner of the state education department is here-
    2  by directed to place a moratorium on  the  use  of  the  Test  Assessing
    3  Secondary  Completion  (TASC)  high  school equivalency assessment until
    4  such time as the department has:
    5    1. developed a TASC curriculum;
    6    2. trained high  school  equivalency  diploma  instructors,  including
    7  instructors  at the board of cooperative educational services, community
    8  based programs and community colleges, with regard to  the  common  core
    9  aligned TASC;
   10    3. provided basic computer based skills to applicants;
   11    4.  provided for fee forgiveness for those applicants who paid for and
   12  took the General Educational Development (GED) course at state universi-
   13  ty community colleges but have not taken the exam;
   14    5. implemented a process ensuring that the TASC results will be  proc-
   15  essed  and made available to the applicant within sixty days of the test
   16  date.
   17    S 2. Subdivisions 2 and 3 of section 97-hhh of the state finance  law,
   18  as added by section 84 of part A of chapter 436 of the laws of 1997, are
   19  amended to read as follows:
   20    2.  Notwithstanding any other law, rule or regulation to the contrary,
   21  the  state  comptroller is hereby authorized and directed to receive for
   22  deposit to the credit of  the  high  school  equivalency  account,  fees
   23  established  by the commissioner of education and approved by the direc-
   24  tor of the budget to supplement administration of  the  [general  educa-
   25  tional  development]  TEST  ASSESSING SECONDARY COMPLETION tests for the
   26  high school equivalency diploma.
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD14534-01-4
       S. 6896                             2
    1    3.  Moneys of this account, following appropriation  by  the  legisla-
    2  ture,  shall be available to the state education department for services
    3  and expenses related to the administration of the  [general  educational
    4  development]  TEST  ASSESSING  SECONDARY  COMPLETION  tests for the high
    5  school equivalency diploma.
    6    S 3. This act shall take effect immediately.