Relates to regents awards for children of deceased police officers, peace officers, firefighters and volunteer firefighters.

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S6099-2011 Actions

• Jan 18, 2012: REPORTED AND COMMITTED TO FINANCE
• Jan 4, 2012: REFERRED TO HIGHER EDUCATION

S6099-2011 Meetings

Higher Education: Jan 18, 2012

S6099-2011 Votes

S6099-2011 Memo

BILL NUMBER:S6099

TITLE OF BILL:
An act
to amend the education law, in relation to regents awards for children
of deceased police officers, peace officers, firefighters and volunteer
firefighters

PURPOSE:
This bill amends the education law to increase the regents scholarship
for children of deceased police officers, peace officers,
firefighters and volunteer firefighters from the current award of
$450 per year to the cost of tuition and room and board at the State
University of New York (SUNY).

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 of the bill amends subdivisions one and two of section 668a
of the education law to increase the regents scholarship for children
of deceased police officers, peace officers, firefighters and
volunteer firefighters from the current award of $450 per year to the
cost of tuition and room and board at the State University of New
York (SUNY).

Section 2 of the bill sets for the effective date.

JUSTIFICATION:
Over the last decade, there has been no change to the regents
scholarship award amount that the child of a deceased police officer,
peace officer, firefighter or volunteer firefighter who dies in the
line of duty would receive. However, the cost of a college education
has increase dramatically.

When faced with the tragic situation of losing a parent, overcoming
that grief and obtaining a higher education can be extremely
daunting. Considering the emotional and financial hardship children
who lose parents in the line of duty often face and the extreme
sacrifice those parents have made, this bill seeks to lessen that
hardship and acknowledge that sacrifice by increasing the scholarship
amount from $450 a year to the cost of SUNY tuition, including room
and board.

This scholarship could be applied to the college of the eligible
child's choice and would ease the financial burden of trying to
obtain a college degree.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New legislation.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
To be determined.

EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately.

S6099-2011 Text

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

                                    6099

                              I N  SENATE

                                 (PREFILED)

                               January 4, 2012
                                 ___________

  Introduced  by  Sen. LAVALLE -- 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  regents  awards  for
    children of deceased police officers, peace officers, firefighters and
    volunteer firefighters

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


    Section 1. Section 668-a of the education law, as amended  by  chapter
  887  of  the  laws  of  1981,  the  section heading and subdivision 1 as
  amended by chapter 568 of the laws of 1999 and subdivision 3 as added by
  chapter 335 of the laws of 1987, is amended to read as follows:

    S 668-a. Regents awards for  children  of  deceased  police  officers,
  peace  officers,  firefighters  and  volunteer firefighters. 1. Eligible
  students.  Awards shall be made to resident children of police  officers
  and  peace officers as defined in the criminal procedure law, firefight-
  ers and volunteer firefighters and correction officers of the  state  or
  any  political  subdivision  thereof,  or volunteer firefighters of fire
  departments or companies under contract to provide fire protection to  a
  municipality  or  fire  district  who have died as a result of an injury
  sustained in the line of duty,  WHO  ARE  MATRICULATED  IN  AN  APPROVED
  PROGRAM,  AS DEFINED BY THE COMMISSIONER PURSUANT TO ARTICLE THIRTEEN OF
  THIS CHAPTER.
    2. Amount and duration. Every recipient shall receive an annual  award
  [of  four  hundred  fifty  dollars] EQUAL TO THE AMOUNT OF UNDERGRADUATE
  TUITION FOR RESIDENTS OF NEW YORK STATE CHARGED BY THE STATE  UNIVERSITY
  OF  NEW YORK INCLUDING THE COST FOR ROOM AND BOARD OR ACTUAL TUITION AND
  THE AVERAGE COST OF ROOM AND BOARD CHARGED AT THE  STATE  UNIVERSITY  OF
  NEW  YORK,  WHICHEVER  IS  LESS, for each of not more than four academic
  years of undergraduate study or five academic years if a program normal-
  ly requires five years, as defined by the commissioner pursuant to arti-
  cle thirteen of this chapter.
    3. Notwithstanding any inconsistent  provision  of  this  chapter,  no
  child  of  a  correction  officer of the state who is receiving an award
  under the provisions of section six hundred sixty-nine of  this  article
  shall receive an award under the provisions of this section.
    S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

   EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                        [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                             LBD13889-01-2