What's happening
The bill requires New York to provide free digital literacy training for residents over 55, with annual classes and a yearly report.
Why it matters
Bridges the digital divide for older adults. By targeting residents over 55 with tailored, beginner-friendly digital skills training, the bill addresses a key barrier to social and economic participation for seniors, helping them access online services, stay connected, and avoid isolation.
Standardizes and ensures statewide access. Requiring at least one annual class in every county (with more if demand is high) ensures that older adults in both urban and rural areas have equitable opportunities to develop digital skills, rather than relying on patchy local initiatives.
Promotes accountability and program improvement. The mandated annual report—including attendance, instructor feedback, and budget data—creates transparency, helps identify gaps or successes, and can inform future investments or curriculum changes.
Strengthens outreach and awareness. The bill’s requirements for advance notice through local media, public postings, and notifications to officials are designed to maximize participation and ensure that the target audience is aware of the program, reducing barriers to enrollment.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Free Computer Classes for Seniors
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
Senator · Senate District 62
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Reported and committed to finance
- Referred to aging
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
7825
IN SENATE
March 1, 2018
Introduced by Sen. ORTT -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Aging
AN ACT to amend the elder law, in relation to directing the office for the aging to offer a digital literacy training program at no cost to all New York state residents over the age of 55
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Bolstering Online Opportunity, Modernizing Economic Readiness, and Teaching the Elderly Computers Act" or the "BOOMER TEC Act".
§ 2. The elder law is amended by adding a new section 224 to read as follows:
§ 224. Digital literacy training program. 1. The office is hereby authorized and directed to create a digital literacy training program. The office shall offer the digital literacy training program at no cost to all New York residents over the age of fifty-five. The digital literacy training program shall be based on the curriculum developed by the office and the department of education under subdivision two of this section. One class shall be offered annually in each county or more frequently upon demonstration of high demand.
2. (a) Within one year of the effective date of this section, the office shall, in consultation with the department of education, develop a curriculum for the digital literacy training program. Such curriculum shall be tailored for senior citizens with no or minimal computer experience. The curriculum shall include, but not be limited to, the following topics:
(i) basic word processing and printing skills;
(ii) basic internet navigation skills; and
(iii) basic email skills.
(b) The curriculum shall enable a senior citizen upon completion of the digital literacy training program to complete tasks including, but not limited to:
(i) opening a word processor, typing a basic letter, and printing a document;
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD14921-01-8
S. 7825 2
(ii) opening an internet browser, visiting a webpage when given an address or URL, and using a search engine; and
(iii) creating, accessing, and using an email account.
3. When the office is offering a digital literacy training program in a county, the office shall:
(a) issue a media advisory to local media outlets within the county no less than one week before the digital literacy training program is offered;
(b) post written posters, flyers, or brochures in the offices of the office within the county no less than one month before the digital literacy training program is offered;
(c) post on the calendar on the office's website no less than sixty days before the digital literacy training program is to be offered; and
(d) send notification to the following officials no less than sixty days before the digital literacy training program is to be offered:
(i) all town supervisors or mayors within the county where a class is being offered; and
(ii) all state legislators representing the county where a class is being offered.
4. The office shall generate a report on the digital literacy training program. The report shall be submitted no later than January fifteenth each year to the chairs of the senate and assembly committees on aging. This report shall include, but is not limited to, the following information from the previous calendar year:
(a) attendance data for each class offered;
(b) qualitative analysis of the program by instructors; and
(c) relevant financial and budgetary information.
§ 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the elder law, in relation to directing the office for the aging to offer a digital literacy training program at no cost to all New York state residents over the age of 55
Purpose of bill
To create a program to train seniors on the basics of computers.
Summary of specific provisions
Section 1 titles the bill the "Bolstering Online Opportunity, Moderniz- ing Economic Readiness, and Teaching the Elderly Computers Act" or "BOOMER TEC Act."
Section 2 amends the elder law by requiring office for the aging to develop a digital literacy curriculum, offer classes on the curriculum, notify certain officials of upcoming classes, and report to the legisla- ture on the program.
Section 3 sets the effective date.
Justification
Computers have never played a larger role in our lives. In addition to personal enjoyment from learning, communicating, and shopping on the computer, computers are increasingly important in the workplace. Computers also help residents interact with the state government because the internet enables residents to find information and file taxes with ease.
For those reasons, residents who cannot use a computer are put at a considerable disadvantage. Information becomes harder to find and commu- nication becomes slower. The state also has to employ more people to field questions via phone or read paper applications and tax forms.
Schools in our state have addressed this issue by training schoolchil- dren on computers, so younger generations can enter the economy with the necessary computer skills.
However, older generations were not taught computers in school, and may have never had the opportunity to learn.
Offering this class would enable seniors with no computer knowledge to learn the basic skills of computers, enhancing their ability to partic- ipate in the modern economy and society.
As the state moves more applications online and encourages residents to e-file their taxes, the state should also provide residents with the necessary training to use the computer properly.
Prior legislative history
New bill
Fiscal implications for state and local governments
To be determined
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.