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History
- Substituted by A300
- Advanced to third reading
- 2nd report cal.
- 1st report cal.43
- Referred to higher education
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Enacts the "New York higher education cares act" to distribute student residual consumer goods from state universities and colleges to not-for-profit organizations
Signed by Governor · Sponsor Joan Millman
Full text
The text isn't available here yet. Check nysenate.gov.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the education law, in relation to enacting the "New York higher education cares act"
Purpose
This bill enacts the "SUNY/CUNY Cares Act" which allows the administrations of city and state universities and colleges, independent and private higher education institutions to develop and implement a program that would collect and distribute possessions left behind by students at the end of a school year to local not-for-profits.
Summary of provisions
The education law is amended by adding a new section 239-a which authorizes the administrations of New York City and State colleges and universities to develop and implement rules and regulations for a program to collect and distribute student's discarded and abandoned consumer goods to not-for-profits located in the community where the campus is located.
Justification
At the end of each school year, college students vacate their dorms leaving behind numerous items including, but not limited to, home furnishings, nonperishable and canned foods, cookware, lighting fixtures, appliances, sports equipment, clothing and electronics that are still in good condition. The custodial staffs of the individual colleges ultimately become responsible for disposing the bulk of the goods left behind, with most going to the local landfill. By implementing a program to resell or donate items left behind, the amount of solid waste going to the landfill would be significantly reduced and the 'proceeds' whether monies raised or products donated, would benefit any number of non for-profit organizations in meeting the needs of their constituency.
Examples of successful programs include Penn State University's annual "Trash to Treasure Sale," a campus-wide collection and sale of student's unwanted items during the last weekend of the school year. In 2007, this charity event raised $49,870 for the 39 human services agencies funded by the Centre County United Way, donated approximately four tons of food to area food banks, saved the University the cost of disposing the abandoned items and prevented nearly 357 tons of solid waste from becoming landfill. At Colorado University at Boulder, the Environment Service Center designates spots on the campus where students can leave unwanted and reusable items. Last year, all of the items were given to Habitat for Humanity for a charity event that raised money for local housing projects.
With 64 NYS university campuses and 23 NYC university campuses (although not all city campuses offer residential facilities) 'recycling' programs such as those described above would provide local not-for-profits a new resource for new or gently-used appliances, furnishing, clothing, electronics, etc. or the funds to supplement programs around the community.
Fiscal implications
None.
Legislative history
This bill was previously introduced.
Effective date
Immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.