NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A2802
SPONSOR: Rajkumar TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the education law, in relation to granting academic
credit at state operated institutions of the state university of New
York and the city university of New York to veterans
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
Allows the granting of academic credit at state-operated institutions to
veterans.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1: Section 355 of the education law is amended by adding a new
subdivision 20 to the education law to state that State operated insti-
tutions must recognize courses and award educational credits for courses
that were part of a veteran's military training or service if the cours-
es meet the standards of the American Council on Education or equivalent
standards for awarding academic credits.
Section 2: Specifies effective date.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ORIGINAL AND AMENDED VERSION (IF APPLICABLE):
Click here to enter text.
JUSTIFICATION:
Military service members receive an education each day, whether it is on
the battlefield, through training, or through on the job experience.
Based on their military experiences and training, service members may
have college credit recommendations to apply toward a degree requirement
or program of study.
Earning college credit can be accomplished in a number of ways. The
military transcript of a service member is recognized by the American
Council on Education (ACE), the national accrediting agency, who
convenes teams of teaching faculty who travel to military installations
to evaluate military training courses and occupation-based skills, know-
ledge, and abilities. These evaluations are conducted to determine the
learning acquired through these experiences. Team members review train-
ing materials for programs of instruction, including lesson plans,
instructor materials, and examination materials. The evaluators also
interview service members, their supervisors, and subject-matter
specialists.
Review teams then determine if the demonstrated learning outcomes are
equivalent, in part or in whole, to the learning outcomes derived from
college level coursework. Equivalencies are then expressed as credit
recommendations that are quantified in terms of semester hours and qual-
ified in terms of course titles or academic areas. ACE is the only high-
er education organization that represents presidents and chancellors of
all types of U.S. accredited, degree-granting institutions: community
colleges and four-year institutions, private and public universities,
and nonprofit and for-profit colleges. This cross-sector membership
enables ACE to serve as higher education's unifying voice.
For more than 60 years, ACE has reviewed and made credit recommendations
for thousands of college level courses offered by the military services.
In 1974, ACE started the evaluation of military occupational specialties
as well. Institutions of higher learning operating in New York State
often accept the military transcript as a source of transfer credit. The
law should be -clarified to state that they shall always accept those
courses which are certified by ACE as credit-worthy.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2009-2010: A10594 referred to higher education
2011-2012: A1335 referred to higher education
2013-2014: A6973 referred to higher education
2015-2016: A6362 referred to higher education
2017-18 A3179 referred to higher education
2019-20 A7999 referred to higher education
2021-22 A8255 referred to higher education
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
None.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding the date on which
it shall become a law.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
2802
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 27, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. RAJKUMAR, PHEFFER AMATO -- read once and referred
to the Committee on Higher Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to granting academic
credit at state operated institutions of the state university of New
York and the city university of New York to veterans
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 355 of the education law is amended by adding a new
2 subdivision 22 to read as follows:
3 22. a. For purposes of this subdivision, the term "veteran" means a
4 person who served in the United States army, navy, air force, marines,
5 coast guard, and/or reserves thereof, and/or in the army national guard,
6 air national guard, New York guard and/or New York naval militia and who
7 (1) has received an honorable or general discharge from such service, or
8 (2) has a qualifying condition, as defined in section one of the veter-
9 ans' services law, and has received a discharge other than bad conduct
10 or dishonorable from such service, or (3) is a discharged LGBT veteran,
11 as defined in section one of the veterans' services law, and has
12 received a discharge other than bad conduct or dishonorable from such
13 service.
14 b. Every veteran who is enrolled on a full-time basis as an undergrad-
15 uate student in good standing, at an institution within the state
16 university system, shall upon application be granted academic credits
17 without limitation towards his or her degree for completion of courses
18 that were part of such veteran's military training or service if the
19 completed courses meet the standards of the institution awarding such
20 credits. No fee, tuition or other charge shall be assessed against a
21 veteran who qualifies for such credit pursuant to this subdivision.
22 c. The board of trustees shall adopt such procedures as are necessary
23 to fully implement the provisions of this subdivision.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05503-01-3
A. 2802 2
1 § 2. Section 6206 of the education law is amended by adding a new
2 subdivision 22 to read as follows:
3 22. a. For purposes of this subdivision, the term "veteran" means a
4 person who served in the United States army, navy, air force, marines,
5 coast guard, and/or reserves thereof, and/or in the army national guard,
6 air national guard, New York guard and/or New York naval militia and who
7 (1) has received an honorable or general discharge from such service, or
8 (2) has a qualifying condition, as defined in section one of the veter-
9 ans' services law, and has received a discharge other than bad conduct
10 or dishonorable from such service, or (3) is a discharged LGBT veteran,
11 as defined in section one of the veterans' services law, and has
12 received a discharge other than bad conduct or dishonorable from such
13 service.
14 b. Every veteran who is enrolled on a full-time basis as an undergrad-
15 uate student in good standing, at an institution within the city univer-
16 sity system, shall upon application be granted academic credits without
17 limitation towards his or her degree for completion of courses that were
18 part of such veteran's military training or service if the completed
19 courses meet the standards of the institution awarding such credits. No
20 fee, tuition or other charge shall be assessed against a veteran who
21 qualifies for such credit pursuant to this subdivision.
22 c. The board of trustees shall adopt such procedures as are necessary
23 to fully implement the provisions of this subdivision.
24 § 3. This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding
25 the date on which it shall have become a law; provided, however, that if
26 part PP of chapter 56 of the laws of 2022 has not yet taken effect then
27 this act shall take effect on the same date and in the same manner as
28 such part takes effect.
