Provides grants to SUNY schools, CUNY schools, and certain other degree-granting colleges and universities in NY to provide support and services for students with disabilities for postsecondary success.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A2360
SPONSOR: Weprin TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the education law, in relation to enhancing support and
services for students with disabilities for postsecondary success
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
This bill enhances crucial support for college and university students
with disabilities at all four sectors of higher education throughout the
State of New York (CUNY, SUNY, private colleges and universities, and
proprietary colleges).
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section 1 adds a new section 6457 to the education law.
Section 2 provides an effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
The State's annual allocation to CUNY for basic services for students
with disabilities has been stagnant since FY 1993-94. The $2.5 million
allocation is a sharp decrease in services-representing a 44 percent
decrease in funds now than in 1994. The amount of students that need
these services is however on the rise. With a 30 percent increase of
students with disabilities enrolling at CUNY school s, there is not
enough allocation of funds to adequately support these students. This
initiative will provide opportunities for the Universities to develop
new training materials for faculty and staff and help identify the
necessary services for students with disabilities who are not currently
receiving them.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New Bill.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
2360
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 25, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. WEPRIN -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to enhancing support and
services for students with disabilities for postsecondary success
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 6457
2 to read as follows:
3 § 6457. Enhancing support and services for students with disabilities
4 postsecondary success. 1. Subject to an appropriation, the commissioner
5 shall allocate funds available for enhancing support and services for
6 students with disabilities in New York state degree-granting colleges
7 and universities so they can succeed in their education. Such grants
8 shall be awarded to institutions of the state university of New York and
9 institutions of the city university of New York, and the commissioner
10 shall enter into contracts with degree-granting colleges and universi-
11 ties in New York state that are currently funded under the tuition
12 assistance program under article fourteen of this chapter for the
13 purposes of providing additional services and expenses to expand oppor-
14 tunities for students with disabilities.
15 2. For the purposes of this section "students with disabilities" shall
16 mean students who have a physical or mental impairment that substantial-
17 ly limits one or more major life activity, a record of such impairment,
18 or being regarded as having such impairment and who are enrolled in a
19 degree-granting institution.
20 3. (a) Funds appropriated in the two thousand twenty-three--two thou-
21 sand twenty-four academic year and thereafter for the purpose of this
22 initiative shall be allocated upon successful application through a
23 process developed by the commissioner, proportionally to each degree-
24 granting institution of higher education identified in subdivision one
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00407-01-3
A. 2360 2
1 of this section which shall be determined based upon the data submitted
2 annually by the institution to the commissioner.
3 (b) Funds shall be awarded to eligible institutions directly and not
4 through entities that do not directly enroll students.
5 4. Funds shall be awarded through a formula in equal amount per iden-
6 tified student with a disability to each institution eligible for fund-
7 ing. The number of students with a disability at each institution shall
8 be determined based upon the data submitted annually by the institution
9 to the commissioner.
10 5. Moneys made available to institutions under this section shall be
11 spent for the following purposes:
12 (a) to supplement funding for support and accommodation of students
13 with disabilities, to expand support and services provided at the state
14 university of New York, the city university of New York, and other
15 degree-granting higher education institutions;
16 (b) to support summer college preparation programs to assist individ-
17 uals with disabilities in transitioning to college, and prepare them to
18 navigate campus facilities and systems;
19 (c) to provide full and part-time faculty and staff at the state
20 university of New York, the city university of New York, and other
21 degree-granting higher education institutions with disability training;
22 and
23 (d) to improve the identification process of individuals with disabil-
24 ities and enhance data collection capabilities at the state university
25 of New York, the city university of New York, and other degree-granting
26 higher education institutions.
27 6. Eligible institutions shall file an application for approval by the
28 commissioner no later than the first of May each year demonstrating a
29 need for such funding, including, but not limited to, how the funding
30 would be used and how many students with disabilities would be assisted
31 with such funding. The commissioner shall review all applications for
32 compliance with all eligibility criteria and other requirements set
33 forth in regulations of the commissioner. Successful applicants shall be
34 funded as provided in subdivision four of this section.
35 7. No funds pursuant to this section shall be made available to
36 support the regular academic programs of any institution participating
37 in this program.
38 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
