What's happening
This bill prohibits state and city funding to New York public colleges that allow or fund student groups linked to terrorist organizations or advocacy.
Why it matters
Expands financial consequences for colleges. The bill threatens the loss of all state or city funding—not just for specific student groups, but for entire institutions—if they permit organizations designated as terrorist groups under federal law to operate on campus, potentially impacting budgets, programs, and student services.
Broadens the scope of prohibited activities. Not only does it ban funding for groups directly affiliated with federally designated terrorist organizations, but it also targets student organizations that "promote, encourage, advocate, or permit any terrorist advocacy or activities," which could include a wide range of speech or association, raising questions about how "terrorist advocacy" will be defined and enforced.
Imposes new compliance and oversight burdens. SUNY and CUNY trustees are required to create and enforce rules to identify and defund any student group suspected of prohibited activities, which may require significant administrative monitoring and could impact campus climate, student activism, and freedom of expression.
Extends to all public higher education sectors. The policy applies to SUNY, CUNY, and community colleges, reaching across New York’s entire public higher education system, meaning its effects could be felt by hundreds of thousands of students statewide.
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Who cares
Headline styles
No Funds for Terror-linked Groups
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
History
- Defeated in higher education
- Notice of committee consideration - requested
- 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
722
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE (Prefiled)
January 8, 2025
Introduced by Sens. RHOADS, BORRELLO, CANZONERI-FITZPATRICK, MARTINS, MATTERA, MURRAY, OBERACKER, ORTT, PALUMBO, ROLISON, WEBER, WEIK -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 prohibiting funding of any state university of New York, city university of New York or community college if such institutions permit certain organizations on campus
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 355 of the education law is amended by adding two new subdivisions 22 and 23 to read as follows:
22. The state university trustees shall ensure that no financial aid shall be granted to any institution of the state university of New York which, directly or indirectly, permits organizations designated as terrorist organizations pursuant to 8 U.S.C. § 1189.
23. The state university trustees shall adopt rules and regulations that any student group or student organization that receives funding from the state university of New York and that directly or indirectly promotes, encourages, advocates, or permits any terrorist advocacy or activities on campus, shall be ineligible for funding, including funding from student activity fee proceeds.
§ 2. Paragraph 1 of subdivision A of section 6221 of the education law, as amended by chapter 554 of the laws of 1985, is amended to read as follows:
1. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, all expenditures for the senior college programs and services of the city university of New York shall continue to be pre-financed from city of New York funds; provided, however, any senior college which, directly or indirectly, permits organizations designated as terrorist organizations pursuant to
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02629-01-5
8 U.S.C. § 1189 shall not receive any funding from the city. No state student group or student organization that receives funding from the city university of New York and that directly or indirectly promotes, encourages, advocates, or permits any terrorist advocacy or activities on campus, shall be ineligible for funding, including funding from student activity fee proceeds. The comptroller of the state of New York may establish a separate fund for the receipt and deposit of such prefinancing funds from the city of New York pursuant to this subdivision, and all other monies deemed appropriate by the state comptroller and the state director of the budget, except that all monies presently required by law to be paid directly to the city university construction fund shall continue to be so paid. All monies appropriated for such senior college programs and services, or derived from other sources in the course of the administration thereof, shall be expended upon vouchers approved by the chancellor of the city university, as chief administrative officer of the city university, or by such authority or authorities in the city university as shall be designated by the chancellor by a rule or written direction filed with the comptroller, when and in the manner authorized by the board of trustees. No monies appropriated for such senior college programs and services, or derived from other sources in the course of the administration thereof, shall be expended until a certificate of the aggregate funds available for expenditure pursuant to section forty-nine of the state finance law has been approved by the director of the budget and copies thereof filed with the state comptroller, the [chairman] chair of the senate finance committee and the [chairman] chair of the assembly ways and means committee. In regard to the city university, the director of the budget shall exercise the authority granted under section forty-nine of the state finance law in accordance with the provisions of paragraph b of subdivision four of section three hundred fifty-five of this chapter.
§ 3. Subdivision 1 of section 6304 of the education law is amended by adding two new paragraphs a-1 and a-2 to read as follows:
a-1. No state financial aid issued pursuant to paragraph a of this subdivision shall be granted to any community college which, directly or indirectly, permits organizations designated as terrorist organizations pursuant to 8 U.S.C. § 1189.
a-2. The state university trustees shall adopt rules and regulations that any student group or student organization that receives funding from the state university of New York and that directly or indirectly promotes, encourages, advocates, or permits any terrorist advocacy or activities on campus, shall be ineligible for funding, including funding from student activity fee proceeds.
§ 4. This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to school years commencing on and after July 1, 2026.
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 prohibiting funding of any state university of New York, city university of New York or commu- nity college if such institutions permit certain organizations on campus
Purpose
To amend the education law, in relation to prohibiting funding of any state university of New York or community college if such institutions permit certain organizations on campus.
Summary of provisions
Section 1. Section 355 of the education law is amended by adding new subdivision 22 and 23 The state university trustees shall ensure that no financial aid shall be granted to any institution of any university of New York which directly or indirectly, permits organizations designated as terrorist organizations pursuant to 8 U.S.0 § 1189.
Section 2 Paragraph 1 of subdivision A of 6221 of the education law, as amended by chapter 554 of the laws of 1985, is amended to read as follows
Section 3 Subdivision 1 of section 6304 of the education law is amended by adding two new paragraphs a-1 and a-2 to read as follows
Section 4 This act shall take effect immediately.
Justification
The sudden, brutal and unconscionable Hamas attack against Israeli civilians on October 7, 2023, has led to a stunning increase in hate. US-based advocacy groups are reporting a sustained spike in hate inci- dents against Jewish and Muslim individuals since the attack and the resulting outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas.
In fact, the Anti-Defamation League had already recorded over 2,000 antisemitic incidents in the United States through July of 2023. The ADL found that in the eight weeks immediately following the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, antisemitic incidents in the United States increased by 337%, according to data shared with CNN. Between October 7 and December 7, the Anti-Defamation League reported 2031 antisemitic incidents, over two-thirds of which were directly linked to the fighting in Israel and Gaza. By comparison, there were 465 incidents over the same period in 2022. Shockingly over 400 of these incidents occurred on college and university campuses.
SUNY and CUNY campuses should be institutions of higher learning where all students have the opportunity to learn in an environment free from dangerous speech and/or actions in support of terrorism or groups that sponsor or commit acts of terrorism as recognized by the Federal govern- ment. This amendment to the state Education Law seeks to prevent our institutions from becoming ideological war zones where hate, the incite- ment of violence and the celebration and glorification of acts of
terrorism and organizations that promote them, are permitted to flour- ish.
This Amendment establishes requires the withholding of financial aid from any institution of the State University of New York or City Univer- sity of New York which directly or indirectly permits organizations designated as terrorist organizations under 8 U.S.C. § 1189 and bans the funding and use of campus facilities or property by any student or faculty group, organization or other entity which directly or indirectly promotes, encourages, advocates for or permits activities on campus in support of terrorist organizations as designated under 8 U.S.C. § 1189. SUNY/CUNY land and taxpayer dollars will no longer provide the stage for purveyors of hate, violence and terror to perform.
Legislative history
New bill.
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.