STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 6419 2021-2022 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY March 17, 2021 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. STIRPE -- read once and referred to the Committee on Education AN ACT to amend the education law and the state finance law, in relation to enacting the "VIP program"; and making an appropriation therefor The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "VIP 2 program". 3 § 2. The education law is amended by adding a new section 3641-c to 4 read as follows: 5 § 3641-c. Virtual inclusion plan grant program. 1. The commissioner 6 shall establish a program of competitively awarded grants within the 7 amount in the virtual inclusion plan grant fund established under 8 section ninety-seven-uuuu of the state finance law each year to public 9 school districts to purchase technology which would enable students to 10 participate in classroom activities remotely if a medical condition 11 precludes them from attending in-person classroom sessions. 12 2. For a public school district to qualify for a grant under this 13 program, the public school district shall promulgate a remote classroom 14 virtual inclusion policy which establishes guidelines for when a student 15 would be eligible for remote classroom virtual inclusion teaching due to 16 a medical condition. The policy should also be in compliance with the 17 rules and regulations set forth by the commissioner as well as laws as 18 they pertain to classroom attendance requirements. 19 3. The commissioner shall promulgate any necessary rules and regu- 20 lations for the application and distribution of any funds pursuant to 21 this section. 22 § 3. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section 97-uuuu 23 to read as follows: 24 § 97-uuuu. Virtual inclusion plan grant fund. 1. There is hereby 25 established in the joint custody of the commissioner of education and EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD07221-01-1

A. 6419 2 1 the comptroller a fund to be known as the "virtual inclusion plan grant 2 fund". 3 2. The fund shall consist of all monies appropriated for its purpose, 4 and all monies required by this section or any other provision of law to 5 be paid into or credited to such fund. The fund shall not contain any 6 monies which are not intended for the fund. 7 3. Monies of the fund, when allocated, shall be available pursuant to 8 section thirty-six hundred forty-one-c of the education law. 9 4. Monies shall be payable from the fund on the audit and warrant of 10 the state comptroller on vouchers approved and certified by the commis- 11 sioner of education. 12 § 4. The sum of five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000), or so much 13 thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated to the department of 14 education out of any moneys in the state treasury in the general fund to 15 the credit of the virtual inclusion plan grant program, not otherwise 16 appropriated, and made immediately available, for the purpose of carry- 17 ing out the provisions of this act. Such moneys shall be payable on the 18 audit and warrant of the comptroller on vouchers certified or approved 19 by the commissioner of education in the manner prescribed by law. 20 § 5. This act shall take effect April 1, 2023.

Enacts the "VIP program"; appropriation

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