Relates to state appropriations to the state university of New York and the city university of New York

3 Co-sponsors

• Tony Avella
• Rich Funke
• Patty Ritchie

BILL NUMBER:S281A

Title of bill

An act to amend the education law, in relation to state appropriations to the state university of New York and the city university of New York

Purpose

Clarifies that the SUNY health science centers are included in the maintenance of effort provision pursuant to Chapter 260 of the Laws of 2011.

Summary of provisions

Amends Section 355 and section 6206 of the Education Law by adding SUNY health science centers to clarify that these facilities are included in the SUNY's maintenance of effort provision. It also adds building rentals and SUNY's maintenance of effort provision. It also adds building rentals and fringe benefits to items which should be included in the Maintenance of Effort for the SUNY and CUNY systems. This bill will make the MOE permanent and disconnect it from Tuition Increase bill Chapter 260 of 2011.

Justification

State support for SUNY's health science centers was created more than 20 years ago to recognize that the State has a responsibility to at least partially compensate these hospitals for their service to indigent populations and for the role they play in providing unique life-saving services not generally offered by private hospitals. These include bum units serving as the poison control centers and the major trauma centers for their regions and other vital services. Moreover, they fulfill an important academic mission in producing many of the State's physicians and other medical professionals.

While SUNY's hospitals are a major part of the State University and play a critical role in providing essential health care service to the State and communities they serve, the State has consistently reduced funding to these institutions over the last decade. In 2010, State support was reduced by almost 47 percent. These cuts have placed these institutions in serious financial jeopardy and have threatened their ability to carry out their health care service and academic missions. The enactment of this legislation is necessary to clarify that the Legislature intended for the health science centers to be part of the State's maintenance of effort provision pursuant to the NY SUNY 2020 legislation enacted in 2011, so that at a minimum, they will receive prior year levels of funding from the State. While this legislation will not solve the financial problems of these institutions, it is desperately needed to help stop the bleeding of state disinvestment to these critical state facilities:

This bill also clarifies what is to be included in the MOE besides the SUNY hospitals. It shall include collective bargaining costs including salary increments, fringe benefits and other non-personal services

costs such as utility costs and other inflationary expenses incurred by the State University and the City University.

Legislative history

2014 S.7725/A.9530

Fiscal implications

To be determined.

Effective date

This act shall take effect immediately provided that:

(a) the amendments to subparagraph 4 of paragraph h of subdivision 2 of section 355 of the education law made by section one of this act shall be subject to the expiration and reversion of such subparagraph pursuant to chapter 260 of the laws of 2011, as amended, when upon such date section two of this act shall take effect; and

(b) the amendments to paragraph (a) of subdivision 7 of section 6206 of the education law made by section three of this act shall be subject to the expiration and reversion of such paragraph pursuant to chapter 260 of the laws of 2011, as amended when upon such date section four of this act shall take effect.