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History
- Reported and committed to finance
- Referred to veterans, homeland security and military affairs
- Referred to rules
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 "NY Cares Act"
In Assembly Committee · Higher Education · Sponsor Felix Ortiz
Full text
The text isn't available here yet. Check nysenate.gov.
Sponsor's memo
BILL NUMBER:S5981
Title of bill
An act to amend the education law, in relation to enacting the "NY Cares Act"
Purpose or general idea of bill
Maximize the ability of student service members and their family members to transition to college. Create models for consistently, transparently, and effectively awarding credit for military training and experience that can be scaled regionally and nationally. Establish strong partnerships with institutions and organizations for the purpose of promoting shared interests. Generates a system for documenting and tracking academic profession at the state level.
Summary of specific provisions
Instruct the Board of Regents to require all universities and colleges in New York to accept military service for some college credit (e.g., a combat engineer should receive some engineering curriculum credit; a medical specialist/corpsman receive organic chemistry credit, etc.) based on the training and experience received as compared to the college credit hours and course curriculum recurred. Similar to the life skills credits many colleges such as Empire state college offer.
Instruct the Board of Regents to require SUNY and CUNY to create a systemwide website so that veterans can easily see what credits they can qualify for, based on their branch of service, occupation, training dates and rank, and at which school they could do so.
Requires SUNY and CUNY to hire or use counselors who were trained in the military and/or are veterans' affairs to administer and facilitate this initiative.
Requires the Governor, with the aid of the State Education Department, to negotiate a Multi-State Consortium (hopefully consisting of NY, NJ, CT, and MA at a minimum) to share best practices for integrating the returning service members back into colleges that provide them with experience/skillbased credit.
The Multi-State Consortium on military credit may have representation from any state, state higher education executive officers, agencies, university systems, campuses, and other organizations from each state such as the New York Department of Veterans Affairs.
The Consortium shall develop and deliver innovative solutions for student service members arid veterans entering into higher education as well as provide data on such groups.
Justification
New York is home to tens of thousands of returning service members and veterans who have received some of the best training while serving on active duty. Yet, when these individuals return home from conflict, the knowledge they have obtained does not translate to course credit. This legislation seeks to prevent our service members and veterans from being unjustly penalized for their military experience. In
addition, this bill would encourage service members and veterans to attend academic institutions fully accredited by the New York State Board of Regents.
Prior legislative history
New bill
Fiscal implications for state and local governments
This will create new revenue.
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding the date or which it shall have become a law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.