New York Senate Bill S04135 Latest Draft

   
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 4135 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE February 3, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. PARKER -- 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 Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 355-f 2 to read as follows: 3 § 355-f. Life long learning centers. 1. There is hereby established in 4 the state university, subject to the jurisdiction of its board of trus- 5 tees, life long learning centers to be operated at community colleges 6 and the colleges and universities of the state university to serve mid 7 life adults forty years of age or older who are seeking to explore life 8 options, remain civically engaged, continue their education and acquire 9 skills for or begin to plan for a second career, including entrepreneu- 10 rial instruction. 11 2. The board of trustees of the state university shall select the 12 location of such centers on campuses of colleges and universities with a 13 commitment to reinvent their credit and non-credit learning programs to 14 target the emerging needs and demands and interests of adults age forty 15 and older who are interested in exploring life options, civic engagement 16 and continued learning. 17 3. The purpose of life long learning centers is to encourage the 18 offering of mid life adult programs that assist eligible students in 19 acquiring the skills and abilities necessary to plan for and carry out 20 new careers for their next stage of life, and help universities meet the 21 demands of this group. The following shall be the priority activities of 22 such centers: 23 a. retooling career counseling and work force re-entry service that 24 are offered on campus to attract older adults who are interested in 25 public service careers; EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD07699-01-5 
 S. 4135 2 1 b. facilitate partnerships on and off campus with interested parties; 2 c. expanding connections with local businesses and employers to iden- 3 tify work force shortages that could be filled by re-trained older work- 4 ers; 5 d. collaborate and offer training for not-for-profit organizations and 6 employers to work with older adults and volunteers; and 7 e. working with individuals residing in rural and urban areas that are 8 traditionally underserved. 9 4. The board of trustees of the state university shall, within appro- 10 priations made therefor, award grants to establish life long learning 11 centers. Grant applications submitted by institutions of higher educa- 12 tion shall outline plans of instruction and curriculum-related activ- 13 ities and services to advance the purpose of assisting mid life adults 14 interested in exploring life options, civic engagement and continued 15 learning. Such plans may provide for contracting by the eligible appli- 16 cant with specified not-for-profit community based educational organiza- 17 tions for the provision of instruction, activities and services outlined 18 in the plan. Such plans shall include quantifiable measures to assess 19 the effectiveness of the instruction activities and services in promot- 20 ing the purposes of the program. Such measures shall include, but not be 21 limited to: 22 a. the rate of success of linking eligible students with work experi- 23 ences that serve community needs; 24 b. success at adapting colleges and universities work force re-entry 25 services, career counseling and skill development opportunities that 26 enable older adults to have meaningful civic engagement and work force 27 opportunities; 28 c. rate of establishments of external links with community, business, 29 government and other educational institutions that may encourage entre- 30 preneurial approaches and partnerships that may help further the goals 31 of this program; and 32 d. ability of the program plan to assist in the development of initi- 33 atives designed to address the unique needs of older individuals resid- 34 ing in rural and urban communities that are traditionally underserved. 35 The board of trustees shall make grant awards based upon a review of 36 submitted applications making selections from submitted applications 37 that would best meet the goals and objectives of this section. Such 38 approved plans may be amended with the approval of the board of trustees 39 of the state university. 40 5. The board of trustees of the state university shall submit a report 41 annually to the governor, the temporary president of the senate, the 42 speaker of the assembly, the director of the state office for the aging 43 and the commissioner of health. 44 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.