New York Senate Bill S04551 Latest Draft

   
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 4551--A 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE February 6, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sens. FAHY, SALAZAR -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Education -- commit- tee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recom- mitted to said committee AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to degree-granting programs offered by SUNY's office of higher education in prison 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. Office of higher education in prison. 1. Within amounts 4 appropriated therefor, there shall be created within the state universi- 5 ty of New York an office of higher education in prison with the purpose 6 of promoting and coordinating access to higher education for individuals 7 during and after incarceration in New York state. Such office shall: 8 (a) no later than January first, two thousand twenty-nine, develop and 9 implement a plan, approved by the chancellor of the state university of 10 New York or such chancellor's designee, to establish and operate a 11 degree-granting program in every correctional facility, as defined by 12 section two of the correction law, that is located in the state and 13 determined to be viable by such office; and 14 (b) enroll a total of at least two thousand students in degree-grant- 15 ing programs established under paragraph (a) of this subdivision as soon 16 as practicable. 17 2. The commissioner of the department of corrections and community 18 supervision shall work with the state university of New York and the 19 office of higher education in prison to maximize educational opportu- 20 nities for students in programs established under paragraph (a) of 21 subdivision one of this section, including access to federal and state 22 financial aid. 23 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD08552-03-5