Relates to establishing the Gold Award and Eagle Scout achievement scholarship; authorizes a scholarship of $500 per year for high school graduates attending a New York state public post-secondary institution who have achieved a Gold Award from the Girl Scouts of the United States of America or an Eagle Scout from the Boy Scouts of America.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A3340
SPONSOR: Smith TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the education law, in relation to establishing the Gold
Award and Eagle Scout achievement scholarship
PURPOSE:
To. create an annual scholarship to a New York State public college or
university or students who receive Girl Scouts Gold or Boy Scouts Eagle
Awards
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Sec. 1 establishes an annual scholarship to recipients of the Girl
Scouts Gold and Boy Scouts Eagle Awards
Sec. 2 sets forth eligibility for the award: Available to graduates of a
New York high school who attend a public college or university. Eligi-
ble students will have received a Girl Scouts Gold Award or Boy Scouts
Eagle Award from a New York State scout council.
Sec. 3 sets the award amount at $500 per academic year, up to four to
five years in programs specific programs as designated by the Commis-
sioner of Education.
EXISTING LAW:
No such scholarship program currently exists.
JUSTIFICATION:
The Girl Scouts Gold and Boy Scouts Eagle Awards are the highest honors
in scouting, created more than 100 years ago to build character, instill
important civic virtues and recognize leadership and excellence in young
men and women who make a difference in their communities and the world
beyond.
Recipients of these prestigious awards follow a rigorous course of stan-
dards to devise, develop and implement initiatives that address real-
world problems and improve the quality of life for families and individ-
uals in their communities. They are achievers who, through their
projects, learn to set goals, take action, build teams, lead and inspire
others-skills that will help them excel in meeting any challenge they
face in school and their careers. New York State has a long tradition
of programs that recognize and encourage student success and achieve-
ment. Supporting our future leaders is a worthwhile goal and creation of
a scouting award achievement scholarship rewards these exceptional young
people for their hard work and provides encouragement for them to
continue on their path to success.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2024: A6318 - Referred to Education
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
To be determined.
LOCAL FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediate.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
3340
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 27, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. SMITH -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to establishing the Gold
Award and Eagle Scout achievement scholarship
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 668-h
2 to read as follows:
3 § 668-h. Gold Award and Eagle Scout achievement scholarship. 1.
4 Purpose. The Gold Award and Eagle Scout achievement scholarship is
5 hereby established for the purpose of granting scholarship awards to New
6 York state high school graduates who achieve a Gold Award from the Girl
7 Scouts of the United States of America or an Eagle Scout from the Boy
8 Scouts of America.
9 2. Eligibility. To be eligible for such awards, an applicant must have
10 graduated from a New York state high school, enrolled in an approved
11 undergraduate, full-time program of study in a New York state public
12 post-secondary institution beginning in the two thousand twenty-five--
13 two thousand twenty-six academic year or thereafter, and achieved a Gold
14 Award from the Girl Scouts of the United States of America or an Eagle
15 Scout from the Boy Scouts of America. An applicant shall show proof of
16 such Gold Award or Eagle Scout from a Girl Scouts of the United States
17 of America council, or Boy Scouts of America council located in the
18 state.
19 3. Awards. Within amounts appropriated therefor, the president shall
20 grant an annual award to eligible applicants pursuant to subdivision two
21 of this section in the amount of five hundred dollars for not more than
22 four academic years of undergraduate study, or five academic years, if
23 the program of study normally requires five years as defined by the
24 commissioner pursuant to article thirteen of this chapter.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01828-01-5
A. 3340 2
1 4. Offset. Such awards may be used to offset the applicant's total
2 cost of attendance determined for federal Title IV student financial aid
3 purposes.
4 5. Rules. The corporation is authorized to promulgate rules and regu-
5 lations, and may promulgate emergency regulations, necessary for the
6 implementation of the provisions of this section.
7 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
