Requires the state university of New York and the city university of New York to examine and conduct a study on the availability of campus services, programs and resources for veteran students.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A7721
SPONSOR: Solages TITLE OF BILL:
An act requiring the state university of New York and the city universi-
ty of New York to examine and conduct a study on the availability of
campus services, programs and resources for veterans
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this bill is to study what services and programs are
currently provided, and where resources may be directed in the future to
enhance these services offered to students as veterans.
SUMMARY:
Section 1. Requires the State University of New York (SUNY) to examine
and study the availability of existing campus services, programs and
resources for a veteran attending any SUNY college as a student, as well
as provide any recommendations on how to increase the availability of
existing services and programs in a report to governor and legislature
within one year of the bill becoming law.
Section 2. Requires the City University of New York (CUNY) to examine
and study the availability of existing campus services, programs and
resources for a veteran attending any CUNY college as a student, as well
as provide any recommendations on how to increase the availability of
existing services and programs in a report to governor and legislature
within one year of the bill becoming law.
Section 3. Requires a final report by both CUNY and SUNY to be sent to
the Governor and the Legislature within one year of the effective date.
Section 4. Sets the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
Veterans can face particular challenges entering and graduating from
college. To address these challenges, CUNY, SUNY and other schools
throughout the state are working to assist veterans on campus, but exam-
ples from other states show there is more New York can do to help veter-
ans across the state achieve college success. States are also taking
extra steps to ensure sufficient on-campus resources for veterans, such
as navigators, resource centers and mentors. New Jersey's Troops to
College legislation assists the state's colleges and universities to
coordinate services provided to veterans, and Texas leveraged its exist-
ing Veterans Commission to create a network of veteran education counse-
lors to assist colleges to improve on-campus services for veterans. This
bill would allow SUNY, CUNY, and the legislature to study what services
and programs are currently provided, and where resources may be directed
in the future to enhance these services offered to students as veterans
based upon recommendations made in consultation with relevant stakehold-
ers.
RACIAL JUSTICE IMPACT:
TBD.
GENDER JUSTICE IMPACT:
TBD.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2021-22: A6498; referred to higher education.
2019-20: A4480; referred to higher education.
2017-18: A1080; referred to higher education.
2016: A10494; referred to higher education.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
7721
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
June 6, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. SOLAGES -- read once and referred to the Commit-
tee on Higher Education
AN ACT requiring the state university of New York and the city universi-
ty of New York to examine and conduct a study on the availability of
campus services, programs and resources for veterans
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The board of trustees of the state university of New York
2 shall examine and conduct a study on the availability of campus
3 services, programs and resources for a veteran attending any college of
4 the state university of New York as a student, which shall consider, but
5 not be limited to the following:
6 (a) Existing services, programs, and resources offered by campus
7 veterans services offices, which may include, but not be limited to
8 academic, financial, and career advising services, as well as personal
9 counseling services for such students;
10 (b) The number of veterans attending each college as students compared
11 to the number of available full-time counselors and/or advisors employed
12 at each college campus for such students; and
13 (c) Any recommendations, based on consultation with relevant stake-
14 holders, on how to increase the availability of existing services,
15 programs, and resources that may better facilitate the transition period
16 for a veteran attending any college of the state university of New York
17 as a student.
18 § 2. The board of trustees of the city university of New York shall
19 examine and conduct a study on the availability of campus services,
20 programs and resources for a veteran attending any college of the city
21 university of New York as a student, which shall consider, but not be
22 limited to the following:
23 (a) Existing services, programs, and resources offered by campus
24 veterans services offices, which may include, but not be limited to
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05699-01-3
A. 7721 2
1 academic, financial, and career advising services, as well as personal
2 counseling services for such students;
3 (b) The number of veterans attending college as students compared to
4 the number of available full-time counselors and/or advisors on staff at
5 each college campus for such students; and
6 (c) Any recommendations, based on consultation with relevant stake-
7 holders, on how to increase the availability of existing services,
8 programs, and resources that may better facilitate the transition period
9 for a veteran attending any college of the city university of New York
10 as a student.
11 § 3. The board of trustees of the state university of New York and the
12 board of trustees of the city university of New York shall each submit a
13 final report of its findings and recommendations to the governor, tempo-
14 rary president of the senate, the speaker of the assembly, and the
15 chairs of the higher education committees in the assembly and senate
16 within one year of the effective date of this act.
17 § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.
