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A00716 Summary:

BILL NOA00716
 
SAME ASNo Same As
 
SPONSORRozic
 
COSPNSRHyndman
 
MLTSPNSR
 
 
Prohibits the use of state aid by colleges and universities to fund or provide membership in academic institutions that are boycotting a country or higher education institutions of a country.
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A00716 Actions:

BILL NOA00716
 
01/11/2023referred to higher education
01/03/2024referred to higher education
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A00716 Memo:

NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY
MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION
submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
 
BILL NUMBER: A716
 
SPONSOR: Rozic
  TITLE OF BILL: An act to prohibit the use of state aid by colleges and universities for certain academic institutions   PURPOSE: This bill would prohibit any college from using state aid to fund an academic entity, provide funds for membership in an academic entity, or fund travel or lodging for any employee to attend any meeting of such academic entity if that academic entity has undertaken an official action boycotting certain countries or their respective higher education institutions.   SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS: Section 1: Legislative intent. Section 2: Prohibits any college from using state aid to fund an academ- ic entity, to provide funds for membership in an academic entity, or to fund travel or lodging for any employee to attend any meeting of such academic entity if that academic entity has undertaken an official action boycotting a host country or its higher education institutions. This applies if the country subject to the boycott hosts a higher educa- tion institution chartered by the Board of Regents. Colleges violating this ban would not be eligible for state aid during the academic year in which the violation occurs. Nothing in this section shall limit the attendance by any employee of a college at any event of an academic entity that boycotts a host country or higher education institution located in such country and attendance at meetings of any such entity shall not be used by the college with regard to employment decisions. The bill also contains three exemptions in which the provisions of this bill would not apply to colleges: located in a foreign country that is a state sponsor of terrorism, when the boycott is connected with a labor dispute, or when the boycott is for the purpose of protesting unlawful discriminatory practices.   JUSTIFICATION: Academic freedom is a cornerstone of the academic community in New York State's colleges and universities. Professors and students should be able to teach, study, and pursue research without unreasonable interfer- ence. Academic boycotts violate the principles of academic freedom, open exchange, and freedom of thought and expression. In addition, undertaking an official action boycotting certain countries or their higher education institutions limits access to research and ability to study other cultures and societies. It is important that New York State colleges promote and encourage access to international educational institutions for its students to succeed in a world marked by interde- pendence and diversity. A global education allows professors and students to connect, compete, and cooperate with their peers around the world. For these reasons, colleges should not use state funds to support boycotts of countries or higher education institutions located in coun- tries that host higher education chartered by the Board of Regents. In short, the legislation simply prohibits tax dollars from promoting discriminatory practices while at the same time preserving academic freedom.   LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: 2022: A420 (Rozic) - Higher Education 2021: A420 (Rozic) - Higher Education 2020: A7340 (Rozic) - Higher Education 2019: A7340 (Rozic) - Higher Education   FISCAL IMPLICATIONS: None.   EFFECTIVE DATE: This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall have become a law.
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A00716 Text:



 
                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                           716
 
                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                   IN ASSEMBLY
 
                                    January 11, 2023
                                       ___________
 
        Introduced  by  M. of A. ROZIC, HYNDMAN -- read once and referred to the
          Committee on Higher Education
 
        AN ACT to prohibit the use of state aid by colleges and universities for
          certain academic institutions
 
          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1. Legislative intent. The legislature hereby finds that it is
     2  beneficial to students of this state to have access to an education that
     3  is  not  bound by borders and to have the opportunity to obtain a global
     4  education. The legislature further finds that it is important  that  New
     5  York  state  undertake  efforts to ensure that its students succeed in a
     6  world that is continually becoming more interdependent and  diverse  and
     7  further  that  students  have  access  to international higher education
     8  institutions.  A global education allows students  to  connect,  compete
     9  and  cooperate  with  their  peers around the world. Therefore it is the
    10  policy of the state  that  colleges  not  use  state  funds  to  support
    11  boycotts of countries, or higher education institutions located in coun-
    12  tries, that host higher education institutions chartered by the board of
    13  regents of the university of the state of New York.
    14    § 2. 1. For purposes of this section the following shall apply:
    15    (a)  the term "academic entity" shall mean any organization comprising
    16  colleges, universities or professors that promotes or supports  academia
    17  in the United States and abroad.
    18    (b)  the  term  "college"  shall have the same meaning as such term is
    19  defined in subdivision 2 of section 2 of the education law.
    20    (c) the term "host country" shall mean those  countries  that  host  a
    21  higher  education  institution  chartered by the board of regents of the
    22  university of the state of New York.
    23    2. No college in this state may use state  aid  provided  directly  to
    24  such  college  to: fund an academic entity, provide funds for membership
    25  in an academic entity or fund travel or  lodging  for  any  employee  to

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD00449-01-3

        A. 716                              2
 
     1  attend  any  meeting of such academic entity if such entity has issued a
     2  public resolution or other official statement or undertaken an  official
     3  action  boycotting  a  host  country  or  higher  education institutions
     4  located in such country.
     5    3. Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, no college shall be eligi-
     6  ble  for  state  aid  during  the  academic year that such college is in
     7  violation of subdivision two of this section.
     8    4. The provisions of this section shall not apply to any college:
     9    (a) when such college is located in a country that  is  determined  by
    10  the United States secretary of state to be a state sponsor of terrorism;
    11    (b) when such boycott is connected with a labor dispute; or
    12    (c)  when  such  boycott  is  for  the  purpose of protesting unlawful
    13  discriminatory practices as determined by the laws, rules or regulations
    14  of this state.
    15    5. Nothing in this section shall limit the attendance by any  employee
    16  of  a  college  at  any event of an academic entity that boycotts a host
    17  country or higher education institutions located  in  such  country  and
    18  attendance  at  meetings  of  any  such  entity shall not be used by the
    19  college with regard to employment decisions.
    20    § 3. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day  after  it  shall
    21  have become a law.
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