What's happening
This bill allows New York taxpayers to voluntarily contribute to the Tuition Assistance Program on their personal income tax returns.
Why it matters
Creates a direct way for taxpayers to support college financial aid. By allowing voluntary contributions to the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) directly on tax returns, the bill gives individuals a concrete, accessible method to help fund higher education for New Yorkers in need.
Ensures new donations supplement, not replace, existing funding. The bill explicitly states that any money collected from these voluntary contributions must be used in addition to current state funding for TAP, preventing the state from reducing its own investment as public contributions increase.
Establishes strict fund management and transparency. All contributions are kept in a separate, dedicated fund, managed jointly by the state comptroller and the tax commissioner, with clear rules ensuring these funds are only used for authorized TAP purposes, offering assurance to donors about the use of their money.
Potentially increases available aid without raising taxes. This voluntary system could grow the pool of TAP funds without requiring tax increases, potentially expanding aid to more students or increasing award amounts, depending on donor participation.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Let Taxpayers Fund Tuition Aid
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
2 Multi-sponsors
History
- Referred to ways and means
- Referred to ways and means
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.
Donate to College Aid
In Senate Committee · Investigations And Government Operations · Sponsor Kevin S. Parker
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
779
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 9, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. BICHOTTE -- read once and referred to the Committee on Ways and Means
AN ACT to amend the tax law and the state finance law, in relation to allowing taxpayers to contribute to the tuition assistance program on personal income tax returns
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The tax law is amended by adding a new section 630-e to read as follows:
§ 630-e. Gifts to the tuition assistance program. Effective for any taxable year commencing on or after January first, two thousand twenty, an individual in any taxable year may elect to contribute to the gifts to the tuition assistance program fund established in section eighty-two of the state finance law. Such contribution shall be in any whole dollar amount and shall not reduce the amount of state tax owed by such individual. The commissioner shall include space on the personal income tax return to enable a taxpayer to make such contribution. Notwithstanding any other provision of law all revenues collected pursuant to this section shall be credited to the gifts to the tuition assistance program fund; used in addition to, not to supplant, existing funding under the tuition assistance program; and used for only those purposes enumerated in section six hundred sixty-seven of the education law.
§ 2. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section 82 to read as follows:
§ 82. Gifts to the tuition assistance program fund. 1. There is hereby established in the joint custody of the state comptroller and the commissioner of taxation and finance a special fund to be known as the gifts to the tuition assistance program fund.
2. Such fund shall consist of all moneys received by the department of taxation and finance from gifts to the tuition assistance program pursuant to section six hundred thirty-e of the tax law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02123-01-7
A. 779 2
3. Moneys in such fund shall be kept separately from and shall not be commingled with any other moneys in the custody of the state comptroller.
4. Such moneys, after appropriation by the legislature, shall be available to the president of the New York state higher education services corporation for the distribution of tuition assistance program awards. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, all revenues collected pursuant to section six hundred thirty-e of the tax law shall be credited to the gifts to the tuition assistance program fund, used in addition to, not to supplant, existing funding under the tuition assistance program and used for only those purposes enumerated in section six hundred sixty-seven of the education law.
5. The moneys in such fund shall be appropriated and paid out on audit and warrant of the comptroller on the certification of the commissioner of education or such other officer or employee or officers or employees as such comptroller and such commissioner shall authorize to make such requisitions.
§ 3. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law and shall apply to taxable years occurring on or after such date.
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.