What's happening
This bill establishes lifelong learning centers at SUNY colleges to provide educational and career support for adults aged 40 and older.
Why it matters
Addresses the needs of adults aged 40+. by creating specialized centers focused on career changes, civic engagement, and continued learning—reflecting the growing trend of longer working lives and the evolving needs of an aging workforce.
Promotes partnerships and community engagement. by encouraging collaborations not just on campus, but also with local businesses, not-for-profits, and underserved rural and urban communities—helping to bridge gaps in workforce shortages and community services.
Holds SUNY institutions accountable. through requirements for measurable outcomes, such as tracking successful job placements, the effectiveness of career counseling, and the development of community links—ensuring these programs deliver tangible benefits for mid-life adults.
Directs targeted funding and oversight. by establishing a grant system for SUNY colleges, with annual reporting to state leadership, to ensure program quality, effectiveness, and ongoing alignment with state workforce and educational priorities.
Albany, before your first meeting.
Every bill that moved yesterday, summarized in a sentence and ranked by impact. The Albany Scorecard follows on Sundays.
Free. Unsubscribe in one click. Want alerts on specific bills? Create an account.
Who cares
Headline styles
Lifelong Learning for Older Adults
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
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
4372
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
March 11, 2019
Introduced by Sens. PARKER, BAILEY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Higher Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to establishing life long learning centers in the state university of New York
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 355-d to read as follows:
§ 355-d. Life long learning centers. 1. There is hereby established in the state university, subject to the jurisdiction of its board of trustees, life long learning centers to be operated at community colleges and the colleges and universities of the state university to serve mid life adults forty years of age or older who are seeking to explore life options, remain civically engaged, continue their education and acquire skills for or begin to plan for a second career, including entrepreneurial instruction.
2. The board of trustees of the state university shall select the location of such centers on campuses of colleges and universities with a commitment to reinvent their credit and non-credit learning programs to target the emerging needs and demands and interests of adults age forty and older who are interested in exploring life options, civic engagement and continued learning.
3. The purpose of life long learning centers is to encourage the offering of mid life adult programs that assist eligible students in acquiring the skills and abilities necessary to plan for and carry out new careers for their next stage of life, and help universities meet the demands of this group. The following shall be the priority activities of such centers:
a. retooling career counseling and work force re-entry service that are offered on campus to attract older adults who are interested in public service careers;
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD10539-01-9
S. 4372 2
b. facilitate partnerships on and off campus with interested parties;
c. expanding connections with local businesses and employers to identify work force shortages that could be filled by re-trained older workers;
d. collaborate and offer training for not-for-profit organizations and employers to work with older adults and volunteers; and
e. working with individuals residing in rural and urban areas that are traditionally underserved.
4. The board of trustees of the state university shall, within appropriations made therefor, award grants to establish life long learning centers. Grant applications submitted by institutions of higher education shall outline plans of instruction and curriculum-related activities and services to advance the purpose of assisting mid life adults interested in exploring life options, civic engagement and continued learning. Such plans may provide for contracting by the eligible applicant with specified not-for-profit community based educational organizations for the provision of instruction, activities and services outlined in the plan. Such plans shall include quantifiable measures to assess the effectiveness of the instruction activities and services in promoting the purposes of the program. Such measures shall include, but not be limited to:
a. the rate of success of linking eligible students with work experiences that serve community needs;
b. success at adapting colleges and universities work force re-entry services, career counseling and skill development opportunities that enable older adults to have meaningful civic engagement and work force opportunities;
c. rate of establishments of external links with community, business, government and other educational institutions that may encourage entrepreneurial approaches and partnerships that may help further the goals of this program; and
d. ability of the program plan to assist in the development of initiatives designed to address the unique needs of older individuals residing in rural and urban communities that are traditionally underserved.
The board of trustees shall make grant awards based upon a review of submitted applications making selections from submitted applications that would best meet the goals and objectives of this section. Such approved plans may be amended with the approval of the board of trustees of the state university.
5. The board of trustees of the state university shall submit a report annually to the governor, the temporary president of the senate, the speaker of the assembly, the director of the state office for the aging and the commissioner of health.
§ 2. 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 education law, in relation to establishing life long learning centers in the state university of New York
Purpose or general idea of the bill
Creates life-long learning centers at state universities, under the jurisdiction of the board of trustees to encourage the offering of mid life adult programs that assist eligible students in acquiring the skills and abilities necessary to plan for and carry out new careers.
Summary of provisions
Amends the education law by adding a new section 355-d which establishes life-long learning centers to help older people prepare for second careers or to better their skills, to retool career counseling and work- force re-entry services that can attract older adults to campus, to facilitate partnerships with universities and off campus interested parties including local businesses and employers and to work with indi- viduals residing in rural and urban areas that are traditionally under- served.
Justification
The demographic projections are showing clearly that older workers will continue to make up a rapidly growing percentage of the work force. This growth represents the fact that the population as a whole is getting older due to several factors, including the aging of the Baby Boom generation, lower birth rates for generations immediately following the baby boom longer life expectancies and younger generations leaving the state to work elsewhere. This legislation creates life long learning centers are campuses designated by the board of trustees for the purpose of preparing older adults for second careers or to better their skills, retooling career counseling and workforce re-entry services that can attract older adults to campus, facilitating partnerships with universi- ties and off campus interested parties including local businesses and employers and to work with individuals residing in rural and urban areas that are traditionally underserved. This legislation will help PUNY campuses by bringing in more revenue and by increasing the age mix on campuses and will help older adults with second career choices skills development.
Legislative history
2017-18: S3278 - Referred to Higher Education 2015-16: S.1767/A.2819 - Referred to Higher Education 2013-14: S.5470/A.5795 - Referred to Higher Education
Fiscal implications
None
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.