Bill Text: NY S06930 | 2017-2018 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Enacts the "VIP program"; establishes a virtual inclusion plan grant fund which will give grants to schools to implement technologies allowing for critically ill students to continue to maintain their studies while unable to attend class; makes a five hundred thousand dollar appropriation therefor.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-01-03 - REFERRED TO FINANCE [S06930 Detail]

Download: New_York-2017-S06930-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                          6930
                               2017-2018 Regular Sessions
                    IN SENATE
                                    October 25, 2017
                                       ___________
        Introduced  by  Sen. VALESKY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules
        AN ACT to amend the education law and the state finance law, in relation
          to enacting the "VIP program"; 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.  This  act  shall  be  known  and may be cited as the "VIP
     2  program".
     3    § 2. The education law is amended by adding a new  section  3641-c  to
     4  read as follows:
     5    §  3641-c.  Virtual inclusion plan grant program.  1. The commissioner
     6  shall establish a program of competitively  awarded  grants  within  the
     7  amount  in  the  virtual  inclusion  plan  grant  fund established under
     8  section ninety-seven-rrrr of the state finance law each year  to  public
     9  school  districts  to purchase technology which would enable students to
    10  participate in classroom activities  remotely  if  a  medical  condition
    11  precludes them from attending in-person classroom sessions.
    12    2.  For  a  public  school  district to qualify for a grant under this
    13  program, the public school district shall promulgate a remote  classroom
    14  virtual inclusion policy which establishes guidelines for when a student
    15  would be eligible for remote classroom virtual inclusion teaching due to
    16  a  medical  condition.  The policy should also be in compliance with the
    17  rules and regulations set forth by the commissioner as well as  laws  as
    18  they pertain to classroom attendance requirements.
    19    3.  The  commissioner  shall  promulgate any necessary rules and regu-
    20  lations for the application and distribution of any  funds  pursuant  to
    21  this section.
    22    §  3. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section 97-rrrr
    23  to read as follows:
    24    § 97-rrrr. Virtual inclusion plan  grant  fund.  1.  There  is  hereby
    25  established  in  the  joint custody of the commissioner of education and
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD13575-04-7
        S. 6930                             2
     1  the comptroller a fund to be known as the "virtual inclusion plan  grant
     2  fund".
     3    2.  The fund shall consist of all monies appropriated for its purpose,
     4  and all monies required by this section or any other provision of law to
     5  be paid into or credited to such fund. The fund shall  not  contain  any
     6  monies which are not intended for the fund.
     7    3.  Monies of the fund, when allocated, shall be available pursuant to
     8  section thirty-six hundred forty-one-c of the education law.
     9    4. Monies shall be payable from the fund on the audit and  warrant  of
    10  the  state comptroller on vouchers approved and certified by the commis-
    11  sioner of education.
    12    § 4. The sum of five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000), or  so  much
    13  thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated to the department of
    14  education out of any moneys in the state treasury in the general fund to
    15  the  credit  of  the virtual inclusion plan grant program, not otherwise
    16  appropriated, and made immediately available, for the purpose of  carry-
    17  ing  out the provisions of this act. Such moneys shall be payable on the
    18  audit and warrant of the comptroller on vouchers certified  or  approved
    19  by the commissioner of education in the manner prescribed by law.
    20    § 5. This act shall take effect April 1, 2018.