What's happening
This bill requires SUNY and CUNY schools to refund students for unused housing and boarding charges during COVID-19 closures in spring 2020.
Why it matters
Financial Relief for Students. Students who paid for on-campus housing or meal plans but were unable to use them due to pandemic-related closures would receive direct monetary refunds, helping to ease unexpected financial burdens from the abrupt shutdown.
Institutional Accountability. The bill compels SUNY and CUNY schools to proactively calculate and issue refunds, ensuring institutions take responsibility for services they could not deliver rather than leaving students to individually seek recourse.
Precedent for Crisis Response. The legislation could set a standard for how public universities handle future emergencies or disruptions, potentially influencing policies on student rights and refunds in similar situations moving forward.
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Who cares
SUNY and CUNY students with housing or boarding charges
Students at campuses that close because of the coronavirus pandemic would receive prorated refunds for the period from March 11, 2020, through their campus’s scheduled end of spring classes and examinations.
SUNY and CUNY campus administrators
Each college or university that closes because of the pandemic would have to determine its own prorated refund amounts and issue refunds to students.
SUNY and CUNY housing and dining offices
Housing credits and boarding charges used or charged during the specified period would be subject to the refund requirement.
Headline styles
Refund Dorm Fees During Closures
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
Senator · Senate District 14
History
- Referred to higher education
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.
Refund College Room and Board
In Assembly Committee · Higher Education · Sponsor Alicia Hyndman
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
8107
IN SENATE
March 23, 2020
Introduced by Sen. COMRIE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Higher Education
AN ACT in relation to requiring SUNY and CUNY schools to refund students for housing credits and boarding charges used or charged for the period of time when such schools are closed or shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, all colleges and universities of the state university of New York and the city university of New York that close or shut down as a result of the coronavirus pandemic shall refund to each student attending such college or university, on a pro-rata basis, that portion of housing credits and boarding charges used or charged for the period beginning March 11, 2020 and ending on the date such college or university was scheduled to compete all classes and examinations for the spring semester of the 2020 academic year.
§ 2. Such pro rata amount required to be refunded pursuant to section one of this act shall be determined individually by each college and university of the state university of New York and the city university of New York.
§ 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD16005-01-0
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act in relation to requiring SUNY and CUNY schools to refund students for housing credits and boarding charges used or charged for the period of time when such schools are closed or shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic
Purpose
To ensure that SUNY and CUNY students are made whole for housing credits and boarding charges that they incurred for the Spring 2020 Semester which effectively ended on March 11, 2020 when normal activities at the institution were shut down.
Summary of specific provisions
This bill requires all SUNY and CUNY colleges and universities that shut down as a result of the coronavirus pandemic to refund. Or a pro-rata basis, the portion of housing credits and boarding charges from the period of, march 11, 2020 until the end of the Spring 2020 Semester.
Justification
The Coronavirus Pandemic has shuttered normal activities and one of the first major actions taken in New York State was the effective closing of SUNY and CUNY colleges and universities. As a matter of fundamental fairness, and to encourage students to return post-pandemic, all housing credits and boarding charges pertaining to the period of closure, from March 11, 2020 until the end of the Spring 2020 semester should be refunded.
Prior legislative history
New Bill.
Fiscal implications
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.