STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                          7110
                    IN SENATE
                                       (Prefiled)
                                     January 3, 2018
                                       ___________
        Introduced  by  Sen.  ORTT  --  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 the recruitment incen-
          tive and retention program for members of the New York state organized
          militia, reducing the  minimum  required  course  load  for  part-time
          students  and  permitting application for the tuition benefit prior to
          matriculation
          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
     1    Section 1. Paragraph e of subdivision 3 of section 669-b of the educa-
     2  tion  law,  as  added  by chapter 268 of the laws of 1996, is amended to
     3  read as follows:
     4    e. The term "part-time study" shall mean  enrollment  in  an  approved
     5  post-secondary  degree  program  for  at least [six] three but less than
     6  twelve semester hours, or the  equivalent  per  semester,  or  at  least
     7  [four] two but less than eight semester hours per quarter in an institu-
     8  tion.
     9    §  2.  Section  669-b  of the education law is amended by adding a new
    10  subdivision 3-a to read as follows:
    11    3-a. Notwithstanding the provisions of any other general, special,  or
    12  local  law,  rule,  or  regulation,  any active member may apply for the
    13  tuition benefit provided by this section prior to  matriculating  at  an
    14  institution.
    15    §  3.  This  act  shall take effect immediately and shall be deemed to
    16  have been in full force and effect on and after April 1, 2017  provided,
    17  however,  that the amendments to section 669-b of the education law made
    18  by sections one and two of this act shall not affect the repeal of  such
    19  section and shall be deemed repealed therewith.
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD13871-01-7