Enacts the higher education community service act to promote volunteer service by higher education students; creates a council for higher education community service to regulate and recognize persons and programs associated therewith; requires a report to the governor, temporary president of the senate and speaker of the assembly.

---

S630-2013 Actions

• Jan 9, 2013: REFERRED TO HIGHER EDUCATION

S630-2013 Memo

BILL NUMBER:S630

TITLE OF BILL:

An act
to amend the education law, in relation to enacting the "higher
education community service act"

PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF THE BILL:

To encourage postsecondary student participation in volunteer
community service activities.

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Amends the education law by adding a new �319 creating the higher
education community service act..

JUSTIFICATION:

The Community Education Service Act seeks to create a model to unite
education and community service. Through the activities advanced in
this bill, social responsibility and citizenship can be addressed by
civic education and community service. Volunteers will be encouraged
to continue worthwhile community service throughout New York State.

PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2010: S.4847 Passed Senate

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.

EFFECTIVE DATE:

This act shall take effect on the first of September next succeeding
the date on which it shall have become a law.

S630-2013 Text

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

                                     630

                         2013-2014 Regular Sessions

                              I N  SENATE

                                 (PREFILED)

                               January 9, 2013
                                 ___________

  Introduced  by Sen. STAVISKY -- 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 enacting  the  "higher
    education community service act"

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


    Section 1.   Legislative findings. The legislature  hereby  finds  and
  declares  that  the American tradition of volunteer community service is
  essential to the common good and is vital to the success    of  not-for-
  profit  agencies,  institutions  and  organizations  dealing with a vast
  array of critical social problems. It recognizes growing support for the
  idea that postsecondary students should receive recognition for substan-
  tial commitment to  volunteer  service,  and  should  be  given  greater
  encouragement  to participate in volunteer community service activities.
  Volunteers and volunteer programs should be praised for their efforts in
  helping and serving others, which result  in  changes  in  the  way  the
  community  views  young  people  and  in the way young people view their
  responsibilities to the community.
    The legislature further declares its desire to promote  further  inte-
  gration  of  community  service  at  institutions of higher education by
  encouraging student-initiated and student-designated  community  service
  projects.
    S  2. The education law is amended by adding a new section 319 to read
  as follows:

    S 319. HIGHER EDUCATION COMMUNITY SERVICE ACT. 1. SHORT TITLE.    THIS
  SECTION  SHALL BE KNOWN AND MAY BE CITED AS THE "HIGHER EDUCATION COMMU-
  NITY SERVICE ACT".
    2. ESTABLISHMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION COMMUNITY SERVICE ACT.  THERE  IS
  HEREBY  ESTABLISHED  A  HIGHER  EDUCATION  COMMUNITY SERVICE ACT FOR THE
  PURPOSE OF PROMOTING AND RECOGNIZING VOLUNTEER  SERVICE  INVOLVEMENT  BY

   EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                        [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                             LBD04215-01-3

 S. 630                              2

  STUDENTS  IN  HIGHER  EDUCATION.  ACTIVITIES  CONDUCTED UNDER THE HIGHER
  EDUCATION COMMUNITY SERVICE ACT SHALL INCLUDE:

    A.  A CAMPUS BASED SCREENING PROCESS TO IDENTIFY AND NOMINATE SUCCESS-
  FUL AND PROMISING COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECTS AND INITIATIVES FOR  RECOG-
  NITION;
    B.  IDENTIFICATION  OF  EXISTING  QUALITY  COMMUNITY SERVICE PROGRAMS,
  PROJECTS AND INITIATIVES INVOLVING POSTSECONDARY STUDENTS THAT PRODUCE A
  SENSE OF SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND COMMITMENT TO THE COMMUNITY;
    C. INCENTIVES FOR INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION, STUDENTS AND OTHER
  MEMBERS OF THE COLLEGE COMMUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN LONG  TERM  COMMUNITY
  SERVICE PROGRAMS;
    D.  ENCOURAGEMENT OF INSTITUTIONS TO FORMULATE A SYSTEMATIC PROCESS TO
  DISSEMINATE INFORMATION CONCERNING PROSPECTIVE VOLUNTEER PROJECTS TO THE
  PARTICIPANTS OF GENERAL VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS ON OR OFF CAMPUS;
    E. ESTABLISHMENT OF A FOUNDATION TO RECEIVE PRIVATE FUNDS TO  BE  USED
  TO  PROMOTE  A  WIDE  VARIETY OF SERVICE RELATED PROJECTS. PRIVATE FUNDS
  SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO DONATIONS, GRANTS AND  FUNDRAISERS;
  AND
    F.  ESTABLISHMENT OF A THREE-YEAR PROGRAM OF IMPLEMENTATION, INCLUDING
  PILOT PROGRAMS AND ONGOING REVIEW AND EVALUATION.
    3.  ESTABLISHMENT  OF  VOLUNTEER  CONNECTIONS.  THE  COMMISSIONER,  IN
  CONSULTATION WITH THE CHANCELLOR OF THE STATE UNIVERSITY, THE CHANCELLOR
  OF  THE  CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AND THE PRESIDENT OF THE COMMISSION
  ON INDEPENDENT COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES  SHALL  DEVELOP  A  PROGRAM  TO
  ESTABLISH EFFECTIVE VOLUNTEER CONNECTIONS BETWEEN INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER
  EDUCATION AND THEIR RESPECTIVE COMMUNITIES.
    4.  COUNCIL  FOR  HIGHER EDUCATION COMMUNITY SERVICE. A. A COUNCIL FOR
  HIGHER EDUCATION COMMUNITY  SERVICE  SHALL  BE  ESTABLISHED  WITHIN  THE
  DEPARTMENT  FOR  THE  PURPOSE  OF CONDUCTING ACTIVITIES PURSUANT TO THIS
  SECTION. THE COUNCIL SHALL BE COMPOSED OF ELEVEN MEMBERS,  ONE  OF  WHOM
  SHALL  BE  THE  COMMISSIONER,  EX  OFFICIO,  AND  TEN  OF  WHOM SHALL BE
  APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR: TWO ON THE RECOMMENDATION  OF  THE  TEMPORARY
  PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE, TWO ON THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE SPEAKER OF THE
  ASSEMBLY,  ONE  ON  THE  RECOMMENDATION  OF  THE  MINORITY LEADER OF THE
  SENATE, AND ONE ON THE RECOMMENDATION OF  THE  MINORITY  LEADER  OF  THE
  ASSEMBLY.  SUCH  MEMBERS  SHALL  INCLUDE  REPRESENTATIVES  OF  THE STATE
  UNIVERSITY, CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK, THE  INDEPENDENT  COLLEGES  AND
  UNIVERSITIES  OF  NEW  YORK  AND THE NEW YORK CAMPUS COMPACT. TWO OF THE
  COUNCIL MEMBERS SHALL BE STUDENTS, SELECTED BY THE GOVERNOR.  THE  COUN-
  CIL SHALL SELECT FROM AMONG ITS APPOINTED MEMBERS A CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR
  WHO  SHALL SERVE IN OFFICE FOR TERMS OF ONE YEAR AND WHO SHALL BE ELIGI-
  BLE FOR REELECTION FOR SUCCESSIVE TERMS.
    B. THE COUNCIL SHALL OVERSEE THE CREATION OF A STATEWIDE POSTSECONDARY
  COMMUNITY SERVICE CENTER TO DISSEMINATE INFORMATION REGARDING   EXISTING
  VOLUNTEER  ACTIVITIES,  MAKE  VOLUNTEER CONNECTIONS BETWEEN STUDENTS AND
  THE COMMUNITIES, INTEGRATE PUBLIC AND COMMUNITY SERVICE INTO THE CURRIC-
  ULUM, PROVIDE GUIDANCE AND COORDINATION, MONITOR AND EVALUATE  VOLUNTEER
  PROGRAMS  AND  ACTIVITIES  AND  PROMOTE  THE  CONTINUATION OF PUBLIC AND
  COMMUNITY SERVICE.
    C. THE COUNCIL SHALL MEET AT LEAST FOUR TIMES EACH  YEAR.  MEMBERS  OF
  THE  COUNCIL  SHALL RECEIVE NO COMPENSATION FOR THEIR SERVICES BUT SHALL
  BE REIMBURSED BY THE HIGHER EDUCATION COMMUNITY SERVICE  FOUNDATION  FOR
  REASONABLE  EXPENSES  ACTUALLY  AND  NECESSARILY INCURRED BY THEM IN THE
  PERFORMANCE OF THEIR DUTIES PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION.
    D. THE COUNCIL SHALL REPORT BY SEPTEMBER FIRST EACH YEAR TO THE GOVER-
  NOR, THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEM-

 S. 630                              3

  BLY ON THE PROGRESS OF IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS SECTION, WITH  RECOMMENDA-
  TIONS FOR FUTURE ACTIVITIES.
    5.  PETITIONING  BY  COUNCIL. THE COUNCIL SHALL, WITHIN NINETY DAYS OF
  ITS APPOINTMENT, PETITION THE REGENTS TO INCORPORATE AS A PRIVATE,  NOT-
  FOR-PROFIT  EDUCATION CORPORATION UNDER THIS CHAPTER, THE NEW YORK FOUN-
  DATION FOR HIGHER EDUCATION COMMUNITY SERVICE, TO RECEIVE  FUNDS  TO  BE
  USED  AS  REQUESTED  BY THE COUNCIL TO SUPPORT AND ADMINISTER ACTIVITIES
  AUTHORIZED IN THIS SECTION, AND OTHER PROJECTS THAT ENCOURAGE AND ASSIST
  COMMUNITY SERVICE ACTIVITIES.
    S 3. This act shall  take  effect  on  the  first  of  September  next
  succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law.