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

                                         1050

                              2011-2012 Regular Sessions

                                   I N  S E N A T E

                                      (PREFILED)

                                    January 5, 2011
                                      ___________

       Introduced  by  Sens. PARKER, SAMPSON -- read twice and ordered printed,
         and when printed to be committed to the  Committee  on  Investigations
         and Government Operations

       AN  ACT  to  amend the tax law and the state finance law, in relation to
         allowing taxpayers to contribute to the tuition assistance program  on
         personal income tax returns

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

    1    Section 1. Part 2 of article 22 of the tax law is amended by adding  a
    2  new section 630-c to read as follows:
    3    S  630-C.  GIFTS  TO THE TUITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. EFFECTIVE FOR ANY
    4  TAXABLE YEAR COMMENCING ON OR AFTER JANUARY FIRST, TWO THOUSAND  TWELVE,
    5  AN  INDIVIDUAL  IN ANY TAXABLE YEAR MAY ELECT TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE GIFTS
    6  TO THE TUITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FUND ESTABLISHED IN SECTION EIGHTY-ONE
    7  OF THE STATE FINANCE LAW. SUCH CONTRIBUTION SHALL BE IN ANY WHOLE DOLLAR
    8  AMOUNT AND SHALL NOT REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF STATE TAX OWED BY  SUCH  INDI-
    9  VIDUAL.  THE COMMISSIONER SHALL INCLUDE SPACE ON THE PERSONAL INCOME TAX
   10  RETURN TO ENABLE A TAXPAYER TO MAKE SUCH CONTRIBUTION.   NOTWITHSTANDING
   11  ANY  OTHER  PROVISION  OF  LAW  ALL  REVENUES COLLECTED PURSUANT TO THIS
   12  SECTION SHALL BE CREDITED TO THE GIFTS TO THE TUITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
   13  FUND; USED IN ADDITION TO, NOT TO SUPPLANT, EXISTING FUNDING  UNDER  THE
   14  TUITION  ASSISTANCE PROGRAM; AND USED FOR ONLY THOSE PURPOSES ENUMERATED
   15  IN SECTION SIX HUNDRED SIXTY-SEVEN OF THE EDUCATION LAW.
   16    S 2. The state finance law is amended by adding a new  section  81  to
   17  read as follows:
   18    S 81. GIFTS TO THE TUITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FUND. 1. THERE IS HEREBY
   19  ESTABLISHED  IN  THE  JOINT  CUSTODY  OF  THE  STATE COMPTROLLER AND THE
   20  COMMISSIONER OF TAXATION AND FINANCE A SPECIAL FUND TO BE KNOWN  AS  THE
   21  GIFTS TO THE TUITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FUND.

        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD01728-01-1

S. 1050 2 1 2. SUCH FUND SHALL CONSIST OF ALL MONEYS RECEIVED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF 2 TAXATION AND FINANCE FROM GIFTS TO THE TUITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM PURSU- 3 ANT TO SECTION SIX HUNDRED THIRTY-C OF THE TAX LAW. 4 3. MONEYS IN SUCH FUND SHALL BE KEPT SEPARATELY FROM AND SHALL NOT BE 5 COMMINGLED WITH ANY OTHER MONEYS IN THE CUSTODY OF THE STATE COMP- 6 TROLLER. 7 4. SUCH MONEYS, AFTER APPROPRIATION BY THE LEGISLATURE, SHALL BE 8 AVAILABLE TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE NEW YORK STATE HIGHER EDUCATION 9 SERVICES CORPORATION FOR THE DISTRIBUTION OF TUITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM 10 AWARDS. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION OF LAW, ALL REVENUES 11 COLLECTED PURSUANT TO SECTION SIX HUNDRED THIRTY-C OF THE TAX LAW SHALL 12 BE CREDITED TO THE GIFTS TO THE TUITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FUND, USED IN 13 ADDITION TO, NOT TO SUPPLANT, EXISTING FUNDING UNDER THE TUITION ASSIST- 14 ANCE PROGRAM AND USED FOR ONLY THOSE PURPOSES ENUMERATED IN SECTION SIX 15 HUNDRED SIXTY-SEVEN OF THE EDUCATION LAW. 16 5. THE MONEYS IN SUCH FUND SHALL BE APPROPRIATED AND PAID OUT ON AUDIT 17 AND WARRANT OF THE COMPTROLLER ON THE CERTIFICATION OF THE COMMISSIONER 18 OF EDUCATION OR SUCH OTHER OFFICER OR EMPLOYEE OR OFFICERS OR EMPLOYEES 19 AS SUCH COMPTROLLER AND SUCH COMMISSIONER SHALL AUTHORIZE TO MAKE SUCH 20 REQUISITIONS. 21 S 3. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeed- 22 ing the date on which it shall have become a law and shall apply to 23 taxable years occurring on or after such date.