S6071-2011 - NY Senate Open Legislation - Creates the New York DREAM fund commission

Creates the New York DREAM fund commission, which shall be committed to advancing the educational opportunities of children of immigrants through scholarship programs that provide assistance with the costs of higher education.

Sponsor: ESPAILLAT

Co-sponsor(s): AVELLA, OPPENHEIMER, RIVERA

Committee: HIGHER EDUCATION
Law Section: Education Law
Law: Add S609, Ed L

S6071-2011 Actions

Feb 6, 2012: RECOMMIT, ENACTING CLAUSE STRICKEN
Jan 4, 2012: REFERRED TO HIGHER EDUCATION

S6071-2011 Memo

BILL NUMBER:S6071

TITLE OF BILL:
An act
to amend the education law, in relation to creating the New
York DREAM fund commission

PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
Creates the New York DREAM fund commission, which shall be committed
to advancing the educational opportunities of children of immigrants
through scholarship programs that provide assistance with the costs
of higher education.

SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section 1 of the bill amends the education law by adding a new
section 609.
Part 1 of new section 609 creates the dream fund commission which
shall be committed to advancing the educational opportunities of the
children of immigrants.
Part 2 of section 609 establishes a not-for-profit entity charged with
raising funds for the administration of this section and any
educational or training programs the commission is tasked with
administrating and funding scholarships to students who are children
of immigrants to the United States.
Part 3 of section 609 specifies that The New York DREAM fund
commission and the New York DREAM fund shall be subject to the
provisions of articles six and seven and section seventy-four of the
public officers law.

JUSTIFICATION:
This bill is necessary for advancing the educational opportunities of
children of undocumented parents/immigrants who have grown up and
live in New York State. These children cannot be expected to live on
the fringes of society because they lack the economic opportunities
to advance their lives, their families, and the very communities they
grew up in and are an essential part of.
Assistance with the costs of higher education through scholarship
opportunities is essential to help the hard-working children of
immigrants break the cycle of poverty and become vibrant members of
an engaged and enlightened community. These opportunities will not
only assist recipients, their families and ultimately their
communities but will also help motivate children by giving them Hope.
Investing in education for students with limited opportunities and
resources is an investment in our future.

PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
None.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
To be determined.

EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

S6071-2011 Text


                      S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
  ________________________________________________________________________

                                    6071

                              I N  SENATE

                                 (PREFILED)

                               January 4, 2012
                                 ___________

  Introduced by Sen. ESPAILLAT -- 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 creating the New York
    DREAM fund commission

    THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
  BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:


    Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 609 to
  read as follows:

    S  609. NEW YORK DREAM FUND COMMISSION.  1. (A) THERE SHALL BE CREATED
  A NEW YORK DREAM FUND COMMISSION WHICH SHALL BE COMMITTED  TO  ADVANCING
  THE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES OF THE CHILDREN OF IMMIGRANTS.
    (B)  THE  NEW  YORK  DREAM FUND COMMISSION SHALL BE COMPOSED OF TWELVE
  MEMBERS TO BE APPOINTED AS FOLLOWS:

    (I) FOUR MEMBERS SHALL BE APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR;
    (II) THREE MEMBERS SHALL BE APPOINTED BY THE  TEMPORARY  PRESIDENT  OF
  THE SENATE;
    (III) THREE MEMBERS SHALL BE APPOINTED BY THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY;
    (IV)  ONE  MEMBER  SHALL  BE  APPOINTED  BY THE MINORITY LEADER OF THE
  SENATE;
    (V) ONE MEMBER SHALL BE APPOINTED BY THE MINORITY LEADER OF THE ASSEM-
  BLY;
    (C) TO THE EXTENT PRACTICABLE, MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION SHALL REFLECT
  THE RACIAL, ETHNIC, GENDER, LANGUAGE, AND GEOGRAPHIC  DIVERSITY  OF  THE
  STATE.
    (D) TO THE EXTENT PRACTICABLE, MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION SHALL INCLUDE
  COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATORS AND FACULTY, AND OTHER INDIVIDUALS
  COMMITTED  TO ADVANCING THE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES OF THE CHILDREN OF
  IMMIGRANTS.
    (E) MEMBERS OF THE NEW YORK DREAM FUND  COMMISSION  SHALL  RECEIVE  NO
  COMPENSATION FOR THEIR SERVICES.
    2. (A) THE NEW YORK DREAM FUND COMMISSION SHALL HAVE THE POWER TO:

    (I) ADMINISTER THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION;
    (II) CREATE AND RAISE FUNDS FOR THE NEW YORK DREAM FUND;

   EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                        [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                             LBD13217-03-1

 S. 6071                             2

    (III) ESTABLISH A NOT-FOR-PROFIT ENTITY CHARGED WITH RAISING FUNDS FOR
  THE  ADMINISTRATION  OF  THIS  SECTION  AND  ANY EDUCATIONAL OR TRAINING
  PROGRAMS THE COMMISSION IS TASKED WITH ADMINISTRATING AND FUNDING SCHOL-
  ARSHIPS TO STUDENTS WHO ARE CHILDREN OF IMMIGRANTS TO THE UNITED STATES;
    (IV)  PUBLICIZE  THE  AVAILABILITY  OF  SCHOLARSHIPS FROM THE NEW YORK
  DREAM FUND;
    (V) DEVELOP CRITERIA AND A SELECTION PROCESS  FOR  THE  RECIPIENTS  OF
  SCHOLARSHIPS FROM THE NEW YORK DREAM FUND;
    (VI) RESEARCH ISSUES PERTAINING TO THE AVAILABILITY OF ASSISTANCE WITH
  THE  COSTS  OF HIGHER EDUCATION FOR THE CHILDREN OF IMMIGRANTS AND OTHER
  ISSUES REGARDING ACCESS FOR AND THE PERFORMANCE OF THE CHILDREN OF IMMI-
  GRANTS WITHIN HIGHER EDUCATION;
    (VII) ESTABLISH, PUBLICIZE, AND ADMINISTER TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR  HIGH
  SCHOOL  COUNSELORS,  ADMISSIONS  OFFICERS, AND FINANCIAL AID OFFICERS OF
  INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION. THE TRAINING PROGRAMS  SHALL  INSTRUCT
  PARTICIPANTS ON THE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE TO COLLEGE-BOUND
  STUDENTS  WHO ARE THE CHILDREN OF IMMIGRANTS, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED
  TO, IN-STATE TUITION AND SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMS. TO THE  EXTENT  PRACTICA-
  BLE, THE COMMISSION SHALL OFFER THE TRAINING PROGRAM TO SCHOOL DISTRICTS
  AND  BOARDS  OF  COOPERATIVE  EDUCATIONAL SERVICES THROUGHOUT THE STATE,
  PROVIDED HOWEVER, THAT PRIORITY SHALL BE GIVEN TO SCHOOL  DISTRICTS  AND
  BOARDS  OF  COOPERATIVE  EDUCATIONAL  SERVICES  WITH  LARGER  NUMBER  OF
  STUDENTS WHO ARE THE CHILDREN OF IMMIGRANTS OVER  SCHOOL  DISTRICTS  AND
  BOARDS  OF  COOPERATIVE  EDUCATIONAL  SERVICES  WITH  LESSER  NUMBER  OF
  STUDENTS WHO ARE THE CHILDREN OF IMMIGRANTS;
    (VIII) ESTABLISH A PUBLIC  AWARENESS  CAMPAIGN  REGARDING  EDUCATIONAL
  OPPORTUNITIES  AVAILABLE  TO COLLEGE BOUND STUDENTS WHO ARE THE CHILDREN
  OF IMMIGRANTS; AND
    (IX) ESTABLISH, BY  RULE,  PROCEDURES  FOR  ACCEPTING  AND  EVALUATING
  APPLICATIONS  FOR SCHOLARSHIPS FROM THE CHILDREN OF IMMIGRANTS AND ISSU-
  ING SCHOLARSHIPS TO SELECTED STUDENT APPLICANTS;
    (B) TO RECEIVE A SCHOLARSHIP  PURSUANT  TO  THIS  SECTION,  A  STUDENT
  APPLICANT MUST MEET THE FOLLOWING QUALIFICATIONS:

    (I)  HAVE RESIDED WITH HIS OR HER PARENTS OR GUARDIANS WHILE ATTENDING
  A PUBLIC OR PRIVATE HIGH SCHOOL IN THIS STATE;
    (II) HAVE GRADUATED FROM A PUBLIC OR PRIVATE HIGH SCHOOL  OR  RECEIVED
  THE EQUIVALENT OF A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA IN THIS STATE;
    (III)  HAVE ATTENDED A PUBLIC OR PRIVATE HIGH SCHOOL IN THIS STATE FOR
  AT LEAST THREE YEARS AS OF THE DATE HE OR SHE GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL
  OR RECEIVED THE EQUIVALENT OF A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA;
    (IV) HAVE AT LEAST ONE PARENT OR GUARDIAN WHO IMMIGRATED TO THE UNITED
  STATES.
    (C) THE NEW YORK DREAM FUND COMMISSION AND THE  NEW  YORK  DREAM  FUND
  SHALL  BE  FUNDED  ENTIRELY  BY PRIVATE CONTRIBUTIONS AND NO STATE FUNDS
  SHALL BE APPROPRIATED TO OR USED BY THE NEW YORK DREAM FUND.   NO  FUNDS
  OF  THE  DREAM FUND OR THE DREAM FUND COMMISSION SHALL BE TRANSFERRED TO
  THE GENERAL FUND OR ANY SPECIAL REVENUE FUND OR SHALL BE  USED  FOR  ANY
  PURPOSE OTHER THAN THE PURPOSES SET FORTH IN THIS SECTION.
    3.  THE  NEW  YORK  DREAM  FUND COMMISSION AND THE NEW YORK DREAM FUND
  SHALL BE SUBJECT TO THE PROVISIONS OF ARTICLES SIX AND SEVEN AND SECTION
  SEVENTY-FOUR OF THE PUBLIC OFFICERS LAW.
    S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

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S6071-2011: Creates the New York DREAM fund commission

S6071-2011 Actions

S6071-2011 Memo

S6071-2011 Text

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