What's happening
This bill classifies community colleges as state agencies and their trustees as state officers or employees for ethics law purposes.
Why it matters
Expands ethical oversight. By classifying community colleges as “state agencies” and their trustees as “state officers or employees,” the bill subjects these trustees to stricter state ethics laws, including conflict of interest and financial disclosure requirements.
Increases accountability. This change ensures that trustees, regardless of whether they are paid, must adhere to the same ethical standards as other state officials, potentially reducing opportunities for corruption or self-dealing in decision-making.
Aligns community colleges with broader SUNY/CUNY governance. The amendment puts community college trustees on par with other public higher education officials, standardizing oversight and expectations across the state’s public education system.
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Who cares
Community college trustees
The bill would classify them as state officers or employees under Public Officers Law section 73, regardless of whether they receive compensation.
Community colleges
The bill would classify them as state agencies for purposes of section 73’s rules on business and professional activities.
SUNY and CUNY administrators
The bill would expand section 73’s state-agency definition to include SUNY community colleges and independent institutions operating statutory or contract colleges on behalf of the state.
Headline styles
Treat Community Colleges as State
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
Assembly Member · Assembly District 40
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to higher education
- Referred to higher education
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
3495
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 27, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. KIM -- read once and referred to the Committee on Higher Education
AN ACT to amend the education law and the public officers law, in relation to certain activities by members of a board of a community college
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 6306 of the education law is amended by adding a new subdivision 11 to read as follows:
11. A community college shall be deemed a "state agency", and members of a board of trustees of a community college shall be deemed "state officers or employees" for the purposes of section seventy-three of the public officers law.
§ 2. Paragraph (g) of subdivision 1 of section 73 of the public officers law, as amended by chapter 283 of the laws of 1996, is amended to read as follows:
(g) The term "state agency" shall mean any state department, or division, board, commission, or bureau of any state department, any public benefit corporation, public authority or commission at least one of whose members is appointed by the governor, or the state university of New York or the city university of New York, including all their constituent units [except] including community colleges of the state university of New York and the independent institutions operating [statutory] statutorily, or contract colleges on behalf of the state.
§ 3. Paragraph (i) of subdivision 1 of section 73 of the public officers law, as amended by chapter 242 of the laws of 1989, is amended to read as follows:
(i) The term "state officer or employee" shall mean:
(i) heads of state departments and their deputies and assistants other than members of the board of regents of the university of the state of
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05251-01-7
A. 3495 2
New York who receive no compensation or are compensated on a per diem basis;
(ii) officers and employees of statewide elected officials;
(iii) officers and employees of state departments, boards, bureaus, divisions, commissions, councils or other state agencies other than officers of such boards, commissions or councils who receive no compensation or are compensated on a per diem basis; [and]
(iv) members or directors of public authorities, other than multistate authorities, public benefit corporations and commissions at least one of whose members is appointed by the governor, who receive compensation other than on a per diem basis, and employees of such authorities, corporations and commissions[.]; and
(v) members of a board of trustees of a community college regardless of whether they receive compensation.
§ 4. This act shall take effect immediately.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.