2005 Legislative Session Summary Friday, May 13, 2005 All bills are under consideration in their original committee of reference unless Status otherwise noted Academics Nursing Mobility A.82 Pheffer S.1295 Montgomery Authorizes and directs the board of regents and the state education department to conduct a comprehensive study of nursing education programs across the state and develop a model for improved articulation of the education program for career mobility from one classification to another in the field of nursing; enacts the "Development of Model for Articulation and Career Mobility Act". Firefighter Academic Credit A.241 Cusick S.1622 Robach Grants volunteer firefighters and emergency medical technicians academic credit at state operated institutions of the state university of New York and the senior colleges and community colleges of the city university of New York to the extent of six credits per year, and 18 credits in the aggregate Admissions Criteria A.704 Stringer No Senate Companion Prohibits the use of a minimum standardized test cut-off score for student admission to or rejection by SUNY and CUNY requiring the overall assessment of student qualifications for admission, including consideration of such scores together with academic course grades, classroom performance, community service, and extracurricular activities Class Cancellations A.1429 Dinowitz S.3135 Spano Provides that no class or any other course of instruction shall be held in any institution within the state university on those days of religious observance known as Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur provided, however, that the chancellor, in his discretion, may exempt any institution from such observance. Flight Schools A.2122 Morelle S.4493 Nozzzolio Relates to background checks for people attending flight training schools; establishes when an applicant to an aeronautical facility, flight school or institution of higher learning shall be disqualified from receiving air or flight instruction. Dissertation Sales A.2128 Weprin S.1148 LaValle Prohibits the sale of academic dissertations, theses and term papers whether written or provided through electronic media. Status: A.2128 Reported to Codes; S.1148 Passed Senate Degree Duplication A.2134 Weprin S.1149 LaValle Requires the state university trustees to report to the governor and the legislature concerning the steps taken to establish a process by which decisions are made to eliminate or reduce duplication of academic degree programs within the state university system. Textbook Requirements A.2270 Englebright No Senate Companion Requires institutions of higher education to publish a list of all courses offered to include the instructor, instructional materials needed or recommended, expected number of students to be enrolled and to provide information on instructional materials to bookstores, other than those operated by the institution Graduate ABD Fee A.2617 Abbate S.1424 Stavisky Provides a program fee option to allow graduate students who have taken at least 30 credits towards the completion of a degree to maintain access to certain facilities within the state university in order to continue a research project or to pursue other academic requirements. Haitian Liberty Chair A.3738 Perry S.3181 Morahan Establishes a distinguished Haitian bicentennial liberty chair at CUNY Medgar Evers College and SUNY Rockland Community College and authorizes appropriations for such chair in an amount of not less than $150,000. Status: S.3181 Reported to Senate Finance Medical Course Materials A.3751 Scarborough No Senate Companion Provides that the state board of medicine shall promulgate regulations requiring cultural competency courses in all colleges of medicine; requires all medical students and all physicians to complete cultural competency training. Textbook Information A.3877 Englebright No Senate Companion Requires institution, faculty and staff of state and city universities to provide all textbook retailers, upon request, with information on textbooks to be used in courses of study when any one retailer is provided with such information. Bilingual Teachers A.4384 Espaillat S.2882 Parker Establishes the bilingual teachers of tomorrow teacher recruitment and retention program to attract and retain bilingual, certified teachers in areas of greatest need, especially schools under registration review. Textbook Review Board A.4766 Cahill No Senate Companion Authorizes the trustees of the state university of New York to create an academic review board for the review of textbooks sold, purchased or used for academic purposes on all state university of New York campuses. Test Information A.4966 Sanders No Senate Companion Prohibits companies and test agencies which administer standardized tests for admission to post secondary educational institutions from requesting information on a test subject's religious beliefs or affiliations or those beliefs or affiliations of his or her family Degree Authorization A.5452 Morelle S.3300 LaValle Provides that no entity shall confer a degree upon an individual unless it is an authorized institution or all of its programs are authorized programs. Autism Center A.5814 Englebright S.2952 LaValle Establishes the Stony Brook University Cody Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities at SUNY Stony Brook and provides that the purpose of the center is to advance the standards of care for people with autism and provide intensive research on the cause and potential cures of autism. Status: S.2952 Senate Calendar 268 Scholars Matching Grant – BOT #2-1999 A.5872-A Canestrari S.1088 LaValle Enacts the New York's state university eminent scholars and challenge grant program act creating within the endowment fund of the state university an eminent scholars and trustees challenge grant account to be used to endow eminent scholar chairs and professorships and trustees challenge grants. Status: A.5872-A Reported to Ways & Means Test Score Review A.6188 Canestrari S.684 LaValle Provides that there shall be no further review of test or test scores of a test subject upon the voluntary cancellation of test scores by such test subject. Status: S.684 Senate Calendar 841 Standardized Testing & Admissions A.6190 Canestrari No Senate Companion Extends the provisions in Education Law (Section 343, Sub 3) until July 1, 2010 requiring the reporting to the State Education Department of standardized testing criteria for admissions versus first-year academic performance. Full-Time Faculty A.6710 Canestrari S.4509 Robach Establishes full/part time faculty ratios for the state university of New York, city university of New York and community colleges which requires a minimum of seventy percent of courses be taught by full-time faculty, with certain exceptions. Southampton Transfers A.8022 No Senate Companion Requires SUNY trustees to provide for the acceptance by any state-operated institution in the state university, any credits earned as of August 31, 2005 by any undergraduate student enrolled at Southampton college of Long Island University and in good academic standing without regard to program, major or credit accrual. Nursing Baccalaureate A.8160 Morelle No Senate Companion Requires registered professional nurses to attain a baccalaureate degree in nursing within ten years of their initial licensure. Graduate Admissions S.866 Smith A. No Assembly Companion Authorizes commissioner of education to contract with three public or independent institutions of higher education for the support of special summer programs established in order to increase the number of economically and educationally disadvantaged undergraduate students who are prepared for admission to graduate educational programs. Home Instruction S.1292 LaValle No Assembly Companion Provides students who receive instruction at home the option of obtaining a high school certificate of completion; requires the parents of home-schooled students to file a notice of their intent to home school their child; requires parents to indicate subjects that will be taught and text books that will be used; requires local school districts to keep, maintain, and review all notices filed within their district. Status: Senate Calendar 59 Home Instruction Diploma S.4215 Robach No Assembly Companion Prohibits the commissioner from requiring pupils who have completed the requirements of a home school education or a non-public school program to obtain or submit proof of having obtained a general education development certificate or any accredited diploma for admissions into college. Nursing Baccalaureate S.5056 Alesi No Assembly Companion Relates to the educational preparation for practice of professional nursing increasing the level of education for continued registration as a registered professional nurse ten years after initial licensure to the baccalaureate degree while maintaining the multiple entry points into the profession. Board of Trustees Faculty Trustee – State Operated A.679 Canestrari No Senate Companion Provides that the board of trustees of the state university shall be increased from sixteen to seventeen members to include the president of the university faculty senate who shall be ex-officio and non-voting. Status: Assembly Calendar 223 Trustee Employment A.832 Stringer S.546 Stavisky Provides that trustees of the state and city universities may not be employees of, or under the supervision of, the appointing authority. Trustee Nominations A.1555 Lifton No Senate Companion Establishes the committee on university boards of trustees nominations to recommend candidates who must be considered for appointment to fill vacancies on the board of trustees of the state university of New York, the city university of New York and the college of environmental science and forestry of the state university of New Alumni Trustees A.2559 Hoyt No Senate Companion Requires four appointees as state university trustees to be alumni of an educational unit in the state university. Status: Assembly Calendar 74 Trustee Commission A.4849 Cahill S.2813 Robach Creates independent commissions to interview and recommend trustee candidates to the SUNY, CUNY and the community colleges. Salary Cap A.6582-A Koon No Senate Companion Provides for a salary/benefits package cap on the chancellor of SUNY and CUNY to $250,000 of public funds and provides that no state officer's salary shall equal or exceed the governor's salary. Faculty Trustee – State Operated and Community College S.839 LaValle No Assembly Companion Provides that the board of trustees of the state university shall be increased from sixteen to eighteen members to include the university faculty senate who shall be ex-officio and non-voting and the president of the faculty council of community colleges who shall be ex-officio and non-voting Board Appointments S.3526 Robach No Assembly Companion Creates a nonpartisan advisory, independent nominating commission to recruit and screen trustee appointments to the boards of the state's public higher education institutions to consider and evaluate qualifications of candidates for appointment to such boards and requires all communications to the commissions to be confidential and privileged. Community Colleges Full-Time Faculty Ratios A.454 Gunther A. No Senate Companion Provides that at every community college, each division, department or academic discipline, a minimum of sixty percent of the faculty shall be full-time except where the nature of the educational program and the expertise required justifies a departure from such requirement. Full-Time Faculty Ratios A.631 Stringer No Senate Companion Establishes full-time to part-time faculty ratio for community colleges which require a minimum of seventy percent of the faculty in each department be full-time except in certain instances Regional Community Colleges – BOT #5-1997 A.3502 Schimminger S.556 LaValle Authorizes the establishment of regional community college operating under the program of SUNY, transferring sponsorship from the existing sponsor to the community college region, and protecting upon transfer the employment and collective bargaining rights of all employees of a community college. State Operational Assumption A.2631 O'Mara S.1426 Winner Provides additional state aid for the incorporation of community colleges into the SUNY and CUNY systems. Honorary Degrees A.2708 Pretlow No Senate Companion Grants the board of trustees of community colleges the authority, subject to the approval of the board of regents, to grant honorary associate degrees. Status: Passed Assembly BOCES Partnerships A.2842 Nesbitt No Senate Companion Establishes the community college and BOCES partnership act creating a high technology manufacturing job training program to explore the feasibility and benefits of building educational partnerships between community colleges and BOCES to assist students in meeting qualifications for employment in the high technology manufacturing sector. Board Appointments A.3790 Morelle S.1625 LaValle Provides that certain members of community college boards of trustees shall be appointed by the county executive with the advice and consent of the local legislative body or board. Peace Officer Arming S.503 Nozzolio No Assembly Companion Provides that peace officers who are not authorized to carry weapons on the job are not required to receive weapons or firearms training unless required by their employer. Full Time Faculty S.3021 LaValle No Assembly Companion Provides that at every community college full-time faculty shall teach sixty percent of the courses offered in an academic year except where the nature of the educational program and the expertise required justifies a departure from such requirement Credit Card Payment – BOT Proposal #10 S.4652 LaValle No Assembly Companion Authorizes community colleges to accept payment by credit card, make electronic transfers, and accept internet payments. Construction & Property Management Stony Brook Cancer Center A.22 Englebright S.2067 Flanagan Authorizes a $23 million appropriation to the State University Hospital at Stony Brook for a new cancer center. Payroll Records A.947 Tokasz S.1680 Stachowski Requires state agencies to provide labor organizations with certified payroll records of the contractors hired to perform public work by such agency. Status: A.947 Assembly Calendar 401 Day Care Facilities A.1796 Clark No Senate Companion Expands financing authority of the dormitory authority to include construction of facilities for day care providers where the total estimated cost of such facilities exceeds ten thousand dollars Night Illumination A.1846 Grannis No Senate Companion Relates to state lighting efficiency standards for existing public buildings and to eliminating wasteful artificial night lighting of public buildings. Status: Reported to Ways & Means Prevailing Wage Notification A.2578 Brodsky S.4549 Leibell Requires contractors and subcontractors give written notification to workers employed on public work projects of the right to receive prevailing wages. Status: A.2578 Assembly Calendar 517; S.4549 Senate Calendar 851 Dormitory Funding A.2659 Englebright No Senate Companion Includes within the definition of "civic facilities", dormitories, hospitals and nursing homes so as to authorize the financing thereof by industrial development agencies. Project Labor Agreements A.2703 Hoyt No Senate Companion Requires a study be undertaken for all proposed SUNY educational facility construction projects of $500,000.00 or more to determine the necessity of a project labor agreement and directs certain state authorities and certain contractors to enter into project labor agreements if a study finds that a project labor agreement is beneficial. Prevailing Wage Requirements A.3283 John No Senate Companion Requires the low bidder on state contracts to provide proof to the satisfaction of the contracting entity that the prevailing wage shall be paid on such contract when such bid is lower than the next lowest bid by ten percent or more or ten percent less than the contracting entity's estimate of the project's cost. Prevailing Wage Enforcement A.3293 John No Senate Companion Promotes fairness in competitive bidding by providing for enforcement of prevailing wage provisions applicable to public work construction projects and permits any person to bring a civil action for the recovery of damages against the winning bidder if the winning bidder has violated the labor law by failing to pay the prevailing wage on a construction project. Contract Enforcement A.3352 John No Senate Companion Authorizes an employee organization to have the same standing to enforce the provisions of public work contracts against a contractor or any sub-contractor as the officer, department, board or commission in charge of such public work contract if any of the organization's members were employed on such public work project. Safety Training A.3353 John S.3353 Fuschillo Requires that specifications and contracts for the construction, reconstruction, maintenance and/or repair of public work to which the state or a municipality is a party shall contain provisions requiring that all laborers, workers, and mechanics shall be certified as having successfully completed a course in construction safety and health approved by the US Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration that is at least 10 hours in duration. Payroll Records A.3354 John No Senate Companion Requires persons and corporations performing public work to file payroll records with the appropriate fiscal officer of the public entity letting the public work contract. Wage Calculations A.3642 John No Senate Companion Requires every bid submitted for every contract for the construction, reconstruction, maintenance or repair of public work to which the state or a municipality is a party, to include an estimate of anticipated labor cost for wages and supplements based on the minimum hourly rate of wage that can be paid and the minimum supplement that can be provided. Employee Records A.3647 John No Senate Companion Requires contractors and subcontractors which perform public work contracts to file with the department of labor a sworn affidavit for the previous reporting period detailing number of persons employed, wages paid, employee job classification and daily and weekly hours worked. Responsible Bidder A.3698 McLaughlin S.1890 Stavisky Provides that for public works contracts involving an expenditure of $20,000 or more and purchase contracts for $10,000 or more a responsible bidder who is a New York state resident, firm or corporation and who is within two percent of the bid of the lowest responsible bidder may be awarded the contract. Sprinkler Systems A.3930 Cahill No Senate Companion Requires SUNY and CUNY authorities, the board of trustees, to adopt rules to require the installing and retrofitting of dormitory buildings with sprinkler systems on or before March first, two thousand eight. Prevailing Wage Expansion A.4039 John No Senate Companion Includes state and local agency and public authority work contracts within prevailing wage requirements and expands upon arrangements and contracts subject to the public work hours, wages and supplements requirements. Suffolk County PILOT A.4080 Sweeney S.1224 LaValle Subjects all state owned lands in Suffolk county acquired for a public use by the state to local real property taxation, exclusive of improvements erected thereon by the state. Status: Reported to Senate Finance Bidder Responsibility A.4562 Brennan No Senate Companion Requires state agencies and public authorities to give due consideration to credible evidence or reliable information related to the responsibility, reliability or character of a public contract bidder and provides that contractors or subcontractors who have been determined not to be a responsible bidder will be given reasonable notice and an opportunity to be heard, and may appeal the contracting agency's decision to the head of such agency. Stony Brook Commercial Facility A.5180 Englebright No Senate Companion Authorizes the trustees to enter into contracts and leases to provides for service, commercial, recreational and faculty-student facilities on the west campus of the state university of New York at Stony Brook Burchfield Penny Art Center – BOT #16-2004 A.5650 Hoyt No Senate Companion Authorizes land lease agreement between college at Buffalo, Burchfield Penney art center and Albright-Knox art gallery, a not-for-profit corporation, for construction of an art storage facility on the SUNY college at Buffalo campus. Stony Brook Recreation Facility Fee A.6260 Englebright No Senate Companion Enacts provisions relating to a facility at SUNY at Stony Brook which is used primarily for student recreation on campus and establishes a student fee for the construction and operation. Prevailing Wages and Work Hours A.6485-A John S.3251-A Maziarz Relates to contracts for public work by requiring contracts entered into by a third person acting on behalf of and for the benefit of a public entity pursuant to any lease, permit or other agreement between such third party and the public entity to contain a stipulation that certain workers shall not be permitted or required to work more than eight hours in any one calendar day or more than five days in any one week except in certain cases. Status: A.6485-A Reported to Assembly Codes; S.3251-A Passed Senate Dormitory Study A.7510 DiNapoli S.1094 LaValle Authorizes a study of the relevant issues related to the construction of dormitories; provides such study shall be completed on or before January 31, 2006. Status: S.1094 Passed Senate Construction Safety A.7541 Lupardo S.984 LaValle Provides for the establishment of a plan implementing rules and regulations to ensure the safety and health of personnel and students during renovation and construction projects in facilities of higher education. Contract Standards S.392 Kruger No Assembly Companion Establishes detailed procedure for awards following public bidding for purchases and contracts by all public benefit corporations and public authorities not otherwise exempted and establishes an equal employment opportunity program, the minority and women-owned business enterprise program. Stony Brook Recreation Center Fee – BOT Proposal 11-2005 S.2068 Flanagan No Assembly Companion Defines "campus recreation center"; relates to the financing, design and construction of a campus recreation center at the state university of New York at Stony Brook. Status: Senate Calendar 189 Stony Brook Commercial Facility – BOT Proposal 12-2005 S.2152 Flanagan No Assembly Companion Authorizes the trustees to enter into contracts and leases to provides for service, commercial, recreational and faculty-student facilities on the west campus of the state university of New York at Stony Brook. Status: Senate Calendar 843 Construction Contract Approval S.2453 Winner No Assembly Companion Provides that contracts of the state university construction fund involving one hundred thousand dollars or more shall be approved by no less than two trustees of the fund. Status: Senate Calendar 968 SUNY Prevailing Wage S.3381 Maziarz No Assembly Companion Requires the payment of prevailing wages on construction projects involving the state university of New York, the dormitory authority or the state university construction fund and any third party Status: Passed Senate Matching Grant Provisions A.7990 John S.3382 Maziarz Whenever a recipient of a higher education capital matching grant enters into any contract, subcontract, lease, grant, bond, covenant or other agreement for or in connection with certain projects it shall be deemed a public works project. Status: Senate Calendar 581 Purchase Housing – BOT Proposal 14-2005 A.8066 Bradley S.5305 Oppenheimer Authorizes the state university of New York at Purchase to lease a portion of their lands without any competitive bidding process and requires lessees, contractors, and subcontractors to comply with the provisions of the labor law. DASNY Financing – BOT Proposal 7-2005 S.5188 Leibell No Assembly Companion Authorizes the dormitory authority to finance the acquisition, construction or renovation of housing facilities for not-for-profit corporations and associations organized to further the purposes of the state university of New York. Status: Senate Calendar 825 Crime and Personal Safety Handgun Purchases A.522 Stringer S.1649 Schneiderman Requires state agencies and certain covered authorities to purchase handguns from responsible suppliers. Loitering A.897 Lentol No Senate Companion Establishes the offense of loitering in or near school grounds as a class B misdemeanor defining school grounds and including the area within 1000 feet of the property line of such school. Bias Reporting A.2091 Wright S.451 Kruger Provides for reporting of bias-related incidents on state university campuses by university police officers to college and university personnel Trigger Locks A.2151 Koon No Senate Companion Provides state reimbursement for all state and local agencies and jurisdictions to make trigger locks available to their police/peace officers and provides state funding therefore in the manner for body armor. Bias Policies A.2223 O'Donnell No Senate Companions Requires state colleges to develop and implement policies and procedures regarding bias related crimes and bias related violations. Suzanne’s’ Law A.2478 Tedisco No Senate Companion Enacts “Suzanne’s Law providing that crimes committed against a person on school grounds shall be deemed to be one category higher than the specified crime the person committed. Firearm Disposal A.2739 Norman No Senate Companion Requires the disposal of firearms, rifles and shotguns owned by any department, board, bureau, commission or agency of the state of New York and local governments by either selling or transferring to a law enforcement agency for destruction. Hazing Penalties A.3185 Nesbitt No Senate Companion Increases severity of hazing in the second degree from a violation to an E felony where injury or death occurs, and of hazing in the first degree from a class A misdemeanor to a D felony where injury or death is caused by deadly weapon or dangerous instrument. Police Retirement Options A.3358 McEneny S.3065-A Robach Allows state university police officers to transfer to the NYS&LP&FRS and be covered by the provisions of a 25 year half pay retirement plan with additional one-sixtieths of final average salary for each year of service in excess of 25 years but not exceeding 15 such years. Background Reports A.3421 Morelle S.1272 Nozzolio Requires background checks for peace officers and police officers and requires an employer to disclose employment information relating to a current or former employee, upon request from a law enforcement agency. Status: S.1272 Senate Calendar 715 Peace Officer Powers A.3635 Lentol S.1628 Volker Authorizes peace officers to issue traffic summons and complaint whenever acting pursuant to their special duties. Status: S.1628 Senate Calendar 717 Peace Officer Status A.4291 Hoyt No Senate Companion Designates security service assistants of state office of general services, department of health, department of education workers' compensation board, state police and the state university as peace officers. Drug Testing A.4898 Seminerio No Senate Companion Establishes a standard procedure for drug testing of police officers; provides that an employer shall provide all police officers with the employer's written policy which identifies the circumstances under which a police officer may be required to submit to drug testing procedures, the particular test to be utilized and the consequences of a positive test result. Hazing Penalties A.5606 Canestrari S.719 Little Increases severity of hazing in the second degree from a violation to an E felony where injury or death occurs, and of hazing in the first degree from a class A misdemeanor to a D felony where injury or death is caused by deadly weapon or dangerous instrument and creates new class A misdemeanor of hazing in the third degree which mirrors former hazing in the second degree. Status: S.719 Passed Senate Crime Reporting A.6161 Barra No Senate Companion Requires colleges to report crimes occurring on their campuses or other property to local police; this information must also be reported monthly to the division of criminal justice services for compilation in an annual report thereon, which report is to include findings and recommendations and conditions receipt of state aid to colleges upon submission of such reports. Police Transfer A.7627 Canestrari S.4477 Maziarz Includes state university of New York police in provisions permitting lateral transfer of SUNY police officers to other police departments. Status: S.4477 Senate Calendar 750 Sexual Consent S.1235 Kruger No Assembly Companion Relates to establishing the crime of sexual abuse of authority making it illegal for college employees to have sex with students, regardless of age or consent. Bias Crime Reporting S.2647 Kruger No Assembly Companion Requires police agencies to report offenses to the division of criminal justice services which appear to such agency to be motivated by the race, national origin, religion or sexual orientation of the victim or of the owner, resident, lessee or occupant where the offense is committed against property. Suzanne’s Law S.3226 Bruno No Assembly Companion Enacts "Suzanne's Law" which provides that crimes committed against a person on school grounds shall be deemed to be one category higher than the specified crime the person committed. Status: Senate Calendar 346 DCJS Accreditation – BOT Proposal #6-2005 S.5205 LaValle No Assembly Companion Includes state university police officers within the definition of law enforcement agency for the purposes of the law enforcement accreditation council. Financial Aid Military Personnel TAP A.240 Cusick S.4379 Wright Provides that military personnel stationed in this state shall be eligible for tuition assistance under the tuition assistance program Status: S.4379 Reported to Senate Finance Nursing Scholarships A.451-B Gunther S.2565-A McGee Establishes the New York state nursing faculty scholarship incentive program for advanced degrees in nursing to be awarded annually, on a competitive basis, to registered professional nurses and certified nurse practitioners who are in a masters or doctoral program and agree to teach nursing for one year for each year such incentive is awarded. Dentist Loan Forgiveness A.452-A Gunther S.2587 McGee Expands the regents physician loan forgiveness program to include dentists. TAP Extension A.818 Stringer No Senate Companion Provides that for purposes of the amount of an award under the tuition assistance program, any student who received an award for not more than two semesters prior to the 1989-1990 academic year and who returns to full-time undergraduate study shall be deemed to have received his or her first award in the academic year in which he or she returns to full-time study. Nursing Loans A.960 McEneny S.531 Breslin Provides for the award of regents scholarships and loan forgiveness for nurses on the same terms as physicians Income Determinations A.726 Stringer No Senate Companion Authorizes financial aid officers to make certain adjustments to re-evaluate a student's TAP financial aid application in situations adequately documented as special considerations that are currently authorized for Federal Pell Grant applications. Engineer Loan Repayment A.1077 Koon No Senate Companion Provides a student loan repayment program for engineers and certain technology-related fields and provides up to five thousand dollar loan repayment vouchers for each of fours years that an engineer resides and remains employed in New York state. TAP Eligibility A.1112 Sweeney No Senate Companion Eliminates recipients' eligibility to receive academic performance awards in any academic year during the seven year eligibility period in which a recipient attends an ineligible out of state school, but permits such recipient to receive a full academic year payment if the recipient returns in any academic year during the seven year eligibility period to attend an eligible New York school. Mandatory Fees A1223 Tokasz No Senate Companion Allows tuition assistance program awards to be used to pay mandatory education fees which are necessary to fulfill the requirements of a graduate or undergraduate degree. Volunteer Firefighter TAP A.1546 Eddington No Senate Companion Establishes a tuition assistance program for volunteer firefighters and volunteer emergency medical service personnel and provides for up to 100% coverage for eligible volunteer firefighter and volunteer emergency medical service personnel after enactment of a local law in any county within the state. Police Loan Forgiveness A.1718 Peoples S.920 Brown Establishes the police officer and firefighter loan forgiveness program for eligible police officers and firefighters who attend certain colleges and reside in a city with a population between 290,000 and one million. Library Science Scholarships A.1739-A Galef S.2510-A Farley Establishes a maximum of fifty library science scholarships for master of arts in library science candidates who agree to provide four years of library related service in the state of New York in order to encourage careers in libraries in the state of New York. College Saving Program A.2000 Hayes No Senate Companion Mandates that more than one manager administer the college choice savings program. College Savings Account A.2095 Brodsky S.4725 Leibell Creates the Empire state college savings authority and the Empire state college savings account which provides a method by which New Yorkers may save for their children's college education. Status: S.4725 Reported to Senate Finance Armed Forces Income A.2316 Englebright No Senate Companion Provides that in determining income for the purposes of the tuition assistance program, tuition benefits and scholarships awarded based on service in the armed forces shall not be considered as income. Child Care Loan Forgiveness A.2380 DiNapoli S.892 Marcellino Creates the regents child care professional's loan forgiveness program for applicants who agree to engage in employment in the child care field and provides that one hundred regents loan forgiveness awards shall be awarded annually to applicants who agree to engage in employment in child care facilities for at least two years. Firefighter’s Children TAP A.2687-AMorelle S.1978-A Nozzolio Provides tuition awards to children of professional or volunteer firefighters with permanent and total disabilities, to be applied to any college or university in the state university system or the city university of New York and provides that the award is for tuition, less other aid, and is limited to 4 or 5 academic years. Volunteer Firefighter Scholarship Expansion A.2744 Sayward No Senate Companion Relates to volunteer recruitment service scholarships and expands benefits of the recruitment scholarship program. Incarcerated TAP A.2756 Greene S.1480 Montgomery Authorizes academic performance awards for incarcerated persons making such persons eligible to receive awards from the tuition assistance program. Nursing Loans A.2908 Tedisco No Senate Companion Creates a baccalaureate and associate nursing assistance program within the department of health to provide loans to persons in pursuit of a nursing degree at an approved institution in this state and provides that nurses receiving loans will be obligated for one year of service as a nurse in New York for each year assistance was received. Nursing Scholarships A.2960 Pretlow No Senate Companion Establishes the empire state professional nursing scholarship program to provide financial support to applicants to enter or continue in a registered nurse educational program and who agree to deliver nursing care in a specialty, setting or designated region of New York state having a shortage of nurses or to teach nursing students. Aid Determination A.3026 Pretlow No Senate Companions Requires the higher education services corporation to make a determination of financial eligibility of a student for financial aid, awards and loans within 60 days from the day of the receipt of the financial aid application. Podiatrist Loan Forgiveness A.3027 Pretlow No Senate Companion Provides for the award of regents scholarships and loan forgiveness for dentists and podiatrists on the same terms as physicians and dentists. Scholarship Awards A.3085 McLaughlin S.428 Trunzo Provides that a scholarship for academic excellence that is declined by a student or is revoked for any reason shall be granted to the next most qualified student. Status: S.428 Passed Senate Graduate TAP A.3436 Perry No Senate Companion Raises the minimum tuition assistance program award an eligible graduate student may receive per year to five hundred dollars and the maximum tuition assistance award an eligible graduate student may receive per year to eight hundred dollars. Child of Veteran Awards A.3481 Lentol No Senate Companion Provides tuition awards to children of veterans who served in armed conflict; amends the current law which provides regents awards to children of certain veterans of wars and disabled veterans in order to provide a free college education to children of any veteran who served in armed conflict regardless of disability status. Matriculation Status A.3608 Seminerio No Senate Companion Requires that to be eligible to receive state student financial assistance such student must matriculate in an institution which has operated approved programs for at least two years. Substance Abuse Counselor Loan Forgiveness A.3940 Espaillat No Senate Companion Creates a regents alcohol, alcohol abuse or substance abuse treatment and prevention professional's loan forgiveness program for applicants who agree to engage in the field of alcoholism or alcohol abuse prevention or treatment or substance abuse or treatment as an employee within the office of alcoholism and substance abuse services or an entity under contract to provide such services on behalf of such office; requires annual awards of grants and New York state residency for applicants TAP Recalculation A.4147 Sanders No Senate Companion Authorizes the recalculation of financial eligibility for tuition assistance program awards in certain cases where there has been a change in circumstances since the submission of the data; provides such application shall be in such form and submitted in such manner as the president shall prescribe. Loan Tax Deduction A.4209 Lafayette No Senate Companion Provides for a state income tax deduction for the interest accrued on certain guaranteed student loans for undergraduate and graduate education in this state. Academic Awards A.4326 Seddio No Senate Companion Establishes the academic promise tuition award for students who achieve excellence in secondary education; provides that eligibility for the award is a 3.5 grade point average upon graduation from a New York state high school, and maintenance of good academic standing and provides full tuition to any New York state college or university. Physician Loan Repayment A.4644 Mayersohn S.2410 Stavisky Enhances enforcement of primary care physician loan and scholarship programs by authorizing the commissioner of health to initiate proceedings to suspend the license of a loan repayment award or scholarship recipient who has failed to provide the required primary care service in an underserved area Teacher Incentives A.4716 Raia S.2801 Flanagan Establishes loan program to encourage undergraduates to enter teaching field in academic areas of critical teacher shortage in New York state and provides for selection of candidates based on academic study in critical areas as determined by the regents. Nursing Incentives A.5014 O’Connell No Senate Companion Enacts the New York state nursing shortage correction act which creates recruitment incentive and retention programs providing for the reimbursement of student loans if a person is a registered and licensed nurse and that SUNY and CUNY pay for a person's education if such person signs a contract stating that he or she shall work in New York state as a registered nurse. TAP Income Determination A.5250 O’Connell No Senate Companion Relates to determining income for tuition assistance program awards and provides that transfers from individual retirement accounts to Roth individual retirement accounts not be included in determining income for such TAP awards. International Scholarships A.5644 Cahill No Senate Companion Establishes the New York International Scholarship program which creates a program to supplement individuals receiving grants under the Benjamin A. Gilman International scholarship provided for under the International Academic Opportunity Act of 2000 (PL 106-309) therefore allowing recipients to defray their international travel costs and extending the time spent studying abroad in a non-English speaking country for up to a full academic year Police Officer Awards A.5673 Schimminger S.3805 Leibell Increases from 450 dollars to an amount equal to the annual tuition at a state university of New York the amount of regents awards for children of deceased police officers, firefighters and volunteer firefighters. Military TAP A.5788 Aubertine No Senate Companion Provides that members of the armed forces, who are not current residents of the state, may be eligible for educational awards, grants, or loans if they are stationed within New York. Opportunity Programs A.5824 Hoyt S.3602 Volker Renames the elementary and secondary education opportunity program in honor of former assemblymember Arthur O. Eve; and renames the opportunity for higher education in honor of former assemblymember Arthur O. Eve. Selective Service Registration A.5844 Towns S.412 Larkin Makes registration with the selective service system by persons required to do so by federal law a precondition for the award of state-sponsored financial aid for higher education directing the department of education and the New York state higher education services corporation to jointly promulgate rules to implement this requirement Aid Disclosure A.5874 Canestrari S.837 LaValle Enacts the "financial aid disclosure act" which requires institutions of higher education to disclose financial aid policies relating to contributions to be made by such institution, any changes which may result to such financial aid and the reasons therefore Status: S.837 Senate Calendar 533 Nursing Loan Forgiveness A.6138 Koon S.3064 McGee Establishes the New York state nursing faculty loan forgiveness incentive program to provide annual awards to registered professional nurses with a masters or doctors degree in nursing, who agree to teach nursing and have outstanding loan obligations from acquiring such degree. Nursing Loan Incentive A.6160 Barra No Senate Companion Creates a baccalaureate and associate nursing assistance program within the department of health to provide loans to persons in pursuit of a nursing degree at a college or university in the state; provides that nurses receiving loans will be obligated for one year of service as a nurse in New York for each year assistance was received Nursing Loan Forgiveness A.6162 Barra No Senate Companion Establishes the regents nursing professional's loan forgiveness program for applicants who agree to engage in employment as a nurse in hospitals, nursing homes and hospice centers Undocumented Immigrate Scholarships A.6408 Espaillat No Senate Companion Authorizes SUNY & CUNY to provide state-aided programs, scholarships or other financial assistance to students who are without lawful immigration status or who are undocumented persons if such student attended an approved NY high school for two or more years, attended an approved NY state program for general equivalency diploma exam preparation, or was enrolled in an institution or educational unit of the state university during the 2005-2006 academic year. Nursing Scholarships A.6642 Scozzafava S.1226 LaValle Establishes the empire state professional nursing scholarship program to provide financial support to applicants to enter or continue in a registered nurse educational program and who agree to deliver nursing care in a specialty, setting or designated region of New York state having a shortage of nurses or to teach nursing students. Social Worker Loan Forgiveness A.6824 Canestrari S.2498 Libous Establishes a licensed social worker loan forgiveness program for licensed social workers and those persons who hold a bachelors of science in social work and who agree to practice social work in an area of New York state having a shortage of social workers Librarian Loan Forgiveness A.6945-A Aubertine S.3111-A Farley Creates a loan forgiveness program for certain librarians who work in high need districts or shortage areas to be determined by the commissioner of education and provides for up to 20 individual awards from the cultural education account equaling up to $10,000 over two years for outstanding graduate school student loans. TAP Tax Donation A.7888 Diaz R. S.640 Parker Allows taxpayers to contribute to the tuition assistance program fund on personal income tax forms, establishing the gifts to the tuition assistance program fund. Iraq Veterans TAP A.7982 Galef S.4984 Balboni Provides tuition awards for certain Iraq veterans enrolled in approved undergraduate or graduate programs at degree granting institutions and approved vocational training programs. TAP Enhancements A.7968 Cahill No Senate Companion Provides for the determination of tuition assistance program awards and provides for TAP to cover mandatory educational fees, excluding fees voted by student body while increases maximum and minimum award amounts. Volunteer Recruitment Scholarship S.156 Seward No Assembly Companion Provides that a student may receive a volunteer recruitment scholarship for service to an organization whose service area is 75 miles from the institution which the student attends; required certification of such distance prior to award. Veteran TAP S.612 Kruger No Assembly Companion Increases the total aggregate amount of permissible tuition assistance for graduate or undergraduate education for Vietnam veterans from ten to sixteen thousand dollars. TAP Payments S.821 Diaz No Assembly Companion Prohibits the deferral of awards granted under the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) and ensures that a TAP award will be paid on time so that the student may pay his or her tuition bill on time. Police Loan Forgiveness S.863 Smith A No Assembly Companion Allows salary and civil service exam credits for police officers in certain cities and property tax credits for resident officers and student loan forgiveness program for certain police officers. TAP Reinstatement S.1090 LaValle No Assembly Companion Provides that for purposes of the amount of an award under the tuition assistance program, any student who received an award for not more than two semesters prior to the 1989-1990 academic year and who returns to full-time undergraduate study shall be deemed to have received his or her first award in the academic year in which he or she returns to full-time study. Armed Forces Tuition Awards S.1161 Maziarz No Assembly Companion Establishes tuition awards for members of the reserved armed forces of the United States; eligibility for such tuition benefit shall be determined by the education services offices of the division of military and naval affairs. Veteran TAP S.1996 Balboni No Assembly Companion Authorizes tuition assistance payments to Vietnam veterans for continuing education courses which are determined by the commissioner of education to further the career interests of the veteran. Proprietary TAP S.2194 Golden No Assembly Companion Amendment to Chapter 457 of 2003, in order to allow any licensed trade or registered business schools that are eligible for participation in the Tuition Assistance Program and which have received national accreditation may, for the purpose of calculation of federal financial aid only, measure students' academic progress in non-degree granting credit hours.\ Health Care & Hospitals Emergency Contraception A.116 Paulin S.3661 Spano No Senate Companion Authorizes nurses and pharmacists to dispense emergency contraception upon the prescription and order of a non-patient specific regimen by a licensed physician, certified nurse practitioner, or licensed midwife. Medical Records A.176 Lafayette No Senate Companion Requires hospitals to maintain patient records for a period of not less than 25 years, provided that a hospital may, before the end of such period, dispose of records of which reproductions, subject to regulations by the commissioner, are maintained and made accessible. Infection Disclosure A.463 Markey No Senate Companion Enacts the "hospital infections disclosure act" which requires all hospital to report their infection rates to the department of health on a quarterly basis and requires such department to report such rates to the governor and the legislature on an annual basis. Medical Records A.464 Millman S.5018 Hannon No Senate Companion Provides for the notification of patients regarding the availability of medical records. Status: A.464 Passed Assembly Environmental Health Tracking A.969 Koon S.2626 Alesi Provides for the development of an environmental health tracking system within the department of health with cooperation from the departments of environmental conservation and labor and requires the cooperation of the state university of New York school of public health. Status: A.969 Passed Assembly Ophthalmic Dispensing A.1057 Morelle S.2509 Johnson Relates to the practice of ophthalmic dispensing by ophthalmic dispensers pursuant to a visual assessment and provides that the commissioner of education shall establish educational and examination requirements to certify ophthalmic dispensers to practice visual assessment. Nursing Work Limitations A.1199 Nolan S.169 Morahan Restricts consecutive hours of work by nurses and provides that no health care employer shall require a nurse to remain on duty for a period longer than 8 consecutive hours or 40 hours in a 7 day workweek except as consistent with the nurse's regularly scheduled work hours, and that no such employer shall require a nurse to work more than that nurse's regularly scheduled work hours except in certain specified emergency situations. Telemedicine Task Force A.2073 Morelle No Senate Companion Establishes a statewide telemedicine/telehealth task force to make recommendations to the governor and legislature on the development of telemedicine and telehealth systems, standards in the applications of such systems, changes in licensure and certification verification necessary to effectuate such systems, and the methodology for determining payments due for health care service provided by means of such systems. Nursing Staffing A.2211 Gottfried No Senate Companion Authorizes the commissioner to advise on safe staffing of nursing, assistive nursing and supportive personnel in hospitals. Procurement Guidelines A.2265 Englebright No Senate Companion Requires the commissioners of health and general services to promulgate standards for the procurement and use of environmentally sensitive commodities and services for hospitals and provides that these provisions shall be applicable to all hospitals. Health & Safety Conditions A.2266 Englebright No Senate Companion Requires hospitals to provide notice to employees and patients of environmental health and safety hazards and that each hospital shall annually educate employees as to their right to all information about health and safety conditions in the hospital. Integrated Pest Management A.2267 Englebright No Senate Companion Establishes integrated pest management requirements for hospitals including a requirement that all hospitals have pest management plans for pest control activities. Hospital Renovation A.2312 Englebright No Senate Companion Requires every hospital engaging in the construction of, addition to or remodeling of a building to submit to the commissioner of health the plans and specifications of such building relating to heating, ventilation and air conditioning, air intake, pest prevention, radon lighting, sanitation and drainage. Optometric Evaluations A.2575 Hoyt No Senate Companion Adds "optometrists" to the definition of "qualified personnel" who may provide evaluations and early intervention services to eligible disabled infants and toddlers and their families under the "Early intervention program for infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families". Medical School Opportunities A.3045 Seminerio No Senate Companion Seeks to open accessibility for academically qualified students who are bona fide residents of the state of New York to obtain reserved seats at the University of Padua, Padua, Italy, the Royal College of Surgeons, Dublin, Ireland, St. George's University School of Medicine, Grenada, and the Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education, the City University of New York Medical School. Nursing Work Hours A.3232 Cahill S.236 Morahan Provides that no hospital within this state shall permit or require a registered professional nurse or a licensed practical nurse, to be or remain on duty for a longer period than sixteen consecutive hours, except as a consequence of an emergency situation which could not have been reasonably predicted. Nurse Staffing Rules A.3266 Gottfried No Senate Companion Relates to nurse staffing centers and provides additional powers and duties for the commissioner of health authorizing the establishment of an advisory committee to advise in the development, application and implementation of the safe staffing formula. Optometric Clinics - BOT Proposal #13-2005 A.3267 Gottfried S.4568 Hannon Authorizes the provision of certain optometric services by the college of optometry of the state university of New York to persons receiving medical assistance. Nursing Indicators A.3543-B Gottfried S.53-A DeFrancisco Requires facilities to disclose nursing quality indicators and prohibits certain uses of the term "nurse". Status: A.3543-B Passed Assembly Telemedicine Study A.3679 Schimminger No Senate Companion Adds new article to public health law to provide for the study of telemedicine and defines such term to mean the use of interactive audio, video or other electronic media to deliver health care including using electronic media for diagnosis, consultation, treatment, transfer of medical data and medical education. Patient Observation A.3680 Sanders No Senate Companion Provides that no physician, hospital or other health care provider shall subject a patient with a disability to visual observation during the course of any physical examination by any person not necessary to the diagnosis or treatment of such patient or to any exhibition for medical education purposes without the patient (if competent) or the parent, guardian, committee or conservator being informed. Nurse Anesthetists A.3702 Morelle S.1874 DeFrancisco Relates to the certification of registered nurse anesthetists and provides that for such certification an applicant shall file an application, be licensed as a registered professional nurse, have satisfactorily completed educational preparation for the administration of anesthesia by an accredited entity and pay a fee. Nurse Anesthetists A.4015 Gottfried No Senate Companion Establishes certification procedures for the profession of nurse anesthesia and allows a registered professional nurse who has completed the educational preparation to practice nurse anesthesia as a student nurse under direct supervision. Nurse Recruitment A.4050 Perry S.1181 Parker Enacts the "Nurse of Tomorrow Act of 2005" to provide for grants from the state commissioner of education to public and not-for-profit hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, schools and other entities for nurse recruitment, education and retention costs and activities as described herein. Hospital Staffing A.4094 Gottfried S.4865 Hannon Enacts the "safe staffing for quality care act" to require acute care facilities to implement certain direct-care nurse to patient ratios in all nursing units, setting minimum staffing requirements and requires every such facility to submit a documented staffing plan to the department on a annual basis and upon application for an operating certificate. Interpreter Services A.4111 Espaillat S.2968 Balboni Requires hospitals to provide language assistance services to a patient or a patient's assistant for communication of clinical and other information, including but not limited to health care, billing and making appointments, to ensure effective communication. Status: A.4111 Assembly Calendar 261 Optometrist Treatments A.4329 Tokasz S.2719 Libous Authorizes optometrists certified to use therapeutic pharmaceutical agents for the treatment or prevention of ocular disease, to also use specified oral pharmaceutical agents in their practices. Infection Disclosure A.5001-A Calhoun No Senate Companion Enacts the "hospital infections disclosure act" which requires all hospitals to report their infection rates to the department of health on a quarterly basis. Electric Generators A.5154 Norman No Senate Companion Requires hospitals to maintain electric generators, in good working order, with sufficient capacity to provide for the operation of facilities during a power outage. Medical Records A.5227 Lopez S.4612 Hannon Relates to the release of medical records by physicians or hospitals upon the written request of specified persons; provides that within fifteen days of the receipt of the written request, the physician or hospital shall advise the requester of the reasonable charge, if any, for copies. Licensing Fees A.5248 O'Connell No Senate Companion Exempts certain retired physicians and retired nurses from biennial licensing fees and liability for civil damages in certain instances. Hospital Operation A.5346 Gottfried No Senate Companion Makes various provisions regarding establishment of a hospital providing that any person and various other listed entities with authority to operate a hospital, shall be subject to approval for establishment by the public health council and requires voluntary non-profit general hospital mission statement to identify the mission and philosophy of the hospital as it relates to the provision of all health care services. Status: Assembly Calendar 279 Care Liability A.5408 Gottfried S.1548 LaValle Provides for accountability of "health care organizations” and provides that whenever health care organizations delay, fail or refuse to approve, provide, arrange for, or pay for in a timely manner any health care service that it is contractually obligated to provide or cover for a person, it shall be liable for any personal injury, death or damages caused by delay, failure or refusal. Status: A.5408 Reported to Assembly Codes Committee; S.1548 – Senate Calendar 322 Residency Training A.5441 Glick No Senate Companion Provides that hospitals which offer medical residency training in obstetrics, gynecology, internal medicine, women's health and osteopathy shall provide training which follows the Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education or the American Osteopathic Association special requirements for obstetrics-gynecology. Nursing Staffing A.5495 Gottfried S.2269 Golden Requires the commissioner of labor to prepare an annual report relating to registered professional nurses and establishes basic staffing plans with the commissioner of health establishing a committee to advise in the development of regulations including registered professional nurse to patient staffing requirements. Psychologist Privileges A.5496 Gottfried S.3892 Hannon Prohibits hospitals from denying staff membership or professional privileges to any psychologist without stating the reasons therefore and provides that such reasons must be related to standards of patient care, patient welfare, the objectives of the hospital, or the character or competency of the psychologist. Status: A.5496 Assembly Calendar 283 Patient Rights A.5504 Ortiz No Senate Companion Requires all general hospitals, which provide emergency services, to post patient rights and provides that hospital personnel, prior to providing treatment, shall not inquire as to a patient's legal or illegal status. Patient Observation A.5640 Cahill No Senate Companion Provides that it shall be an unlawful discriminatory practice for any physician, hospital or other health care provider to subject a patient with a disability to visual observation during the course of any physical examination by any person not necessary to the diagnosis or treatment of such patient or to any exhibition for medical education purposes without the patient (if competent) or the parent, guardian, committee or conservator being informed of the name, purpose or function of those in attendance and the right to refuse that examination and/or observation by the unnecessary personnel. Infection Disclosure A.5813 Bradley S.2953 Spano Enacts the "hospital infections disclosure act"; requires all hospital to report their infection rates to the department of health on a quarterly basis and requires such department to report such rates to the governor and the legislature on an annual basis. Nursing Title A.5816 Gottfried No Senate Companion Prohibits a person from using the title of nurse, or any other title or abbreviation that would represent to the public that the person is authorized to practice nursing, unless the person is licensed or otherwise authorized under the provisions of the education law. Tax Credits A.6172 Barra No Senate Companion Establishes the credit for full-time nurses and the credit for teaching nurses to provide credits against income tax for certain nurses and provides that the amount of such credit shall be five hundred dollars. Cultural Training A.6239 Benjamin S.964 Diaz Requires cultural awareness and competence training for all medical professionals as part of their licensing requirements and requires biennial training in the non-discriminatory provision of medical services for physicians, physician assistants, dentists, dental hygienists, registered and licensed practical nurses, podiatrists, and optometrists. LPN Scholarships A.7491 Koon No Senate Companion Provides a scholarship/stipend for home health care aides to get licensed practical nursing license while working as a home health aide with such scholarship for in-state resident LPN program and stipend equal to 16 hours of work in addition to 24 hours of home health aide work required for program. Staffing Ratios A.7768 Gottfried S.4246 Hannon Provides for the establishment of nurse staffing ratios in all hospital and public facilities providing health care services and requires nurses to have proper training in care of patients that nurses are assigned to care for. Nurse Advancement S.378 Kruger No Assembly Companion Establishes an Operating Room Nurses Opportunity Corps to provide grants to persons who have been operating room nurses for at least three years and who wish to pursue careers in hospital administration. Genetics Council S.1092 LaValle No Assembly Companion Establishes a nine member genetics advisory council providing for its powers, functions and duties including a preliminary report to the governor and legislature before 1/1/2006. Status: Senate Calendar 328 Interpreter Services S.1120 Brown No Assembly Companion Requires hospitals serving communities with a population of non-English speaking residents of twenty percent or more to provide language interpreters with competency in the appropriate language. Wage Differentials S.1225 LaValle No Assembly Companion Provides health care employees at state university health care services and facilities with wage rate and pay differentials and expands the contracting authority of such state university health care services and facilities. Medical School Opportunities S.2031 Kruger No Assembly Companion Authorizes commissioner of education to contract with the University of Padua, Padua, Italy, the Royal College of Surgeons, Dublin, Ireland and St. George's University School of Medicine, Grenada for the purpose of expanding opportunities for NYS residents to study medicine. Staffing Rates S.2965 Parker No Assembly Companion Establishes the "Safe Staffing for Hospital Care Act." Nurses Aides Curriculum S.4239 Hannon No Assembly Companion Directs the commissioner of health to establish a core curriculum for the certification of all nurses’ aides and home health aides; requires the employers of such nurse aides or home health aides to pay for the costs of providing such training and evaluation. Nursing Tax Credits S.4975 Hannon No Assembly Companion Establishes a personal income tax credit for taxpayers who are nurses providing care in a health care organization for unreimbursed expenses and continuing education expenses to the extent $250 a taxable year. Management & Agency Requirements Inspector General A.3 Brodsky No Senate Companion Creates the public authority inspector general, independent budget office, and central procurement offices. Lobby Reform A.9-C Sliver No Senate Companion Amends the definition of "lobbying" to include attempts to influence actions of public officials related to the procurement of goods or services, the terms of a request for bids or proposals or other procurement solicitation, the terms of the contract, the selection of a contractor, and the administration, implementation and enforcement of a contract. Status: Passed Assembly Open Meetings A.90 Sanders No Senate Companion Allows open meetings to be photographed, broadcast and recorded by audio or video means subject to reasonable rules governing the location of equipment and personnel. Status: Passed Assembly Defibrillator Access A.112 Weisenberg S.1074 Alesi Requires that the state sanitary code contain provisions to require at least one functional cardiac defibrillator be made available for emergency use to resuscitate attendees at each facility having a capacity for occupancy by 1,000 or more people at functions held thereat at which people are present and requires at least one person employed by the facility who is trained in its proper operation and use and who will be present at such function to assist in its use. Status: A.112 Assembly Calendar 387; S.1074 Senate Calendar 112 Negligence Action A.560 Calhoun No Senate Companion Provides that causes of action against public entities for injuries sustained on or in public recreational facilities shall be allowed only if such injuries arose from wanton, willful or gross negligence on the part of the public entities or operators and applies to actions for personal injury, injury to property or wrongful death. Rule Making Information A.782 Wright No Senate Companion Provides for the dissemination by state agencies of rule making information through electronic media such as computer bulletin boards, e-mail and other new information technologies and requires state agencies where capable to notify affected parties by electronic mail and make text of certain documents available without cost through electronic methods. Non-Ambulatory Safety A.810 Stringer No Senate Companion Requires public and private schools and colleges and universities to implement life safety requirements for non-ambulatory students or staff to minimize life threatening situations due to fire or other emergency. Interpreters A.815 Stringer No Senate Companion Requires public officers and public bodies to make reasonable efforts to provide qualified interpreters at no charge for the hearing impaired at public meetings and hearings upon written request to the public officer responsible for the siting of such hearing. Status: Assembly Calendar 398 Affirmative Action A.905 Lentol No Senate Companion Creates an independent office of affirmative action within the executive department to oversee new and existing affirmative action programs in state agencies, SUNY, CUNY, and community colleges, and for non-judicial personnel of the judiciary Lobbying A.923 McEneny No Senate Companion Defines lobbying and lobbying activities to include attempts to influence legislation or an official policy on a federal level. Campus Defibrillators A.982 Weisenberg No Senate Companion Requires automated external defibrillators on SUNY and CUNY campuses and provides that the commissioners of education and health shall determine the adequate number. Prompt Payment A.999 Koon No Senate Companion Requires the division of the budget and state agencies of the executive branch to identify and remedy impediments to their prompt processing and payment of bills. Procurement Procedures A.1081 Destito No Senate Companion Specifies that where the basis of a procurement award is best value, the approach to be used for combining technical and financial evaluation results shall be included and specifies that information required by competitive procurement process be set forth with particularity except in extraordinary circumstances. Procurement Challenge A1082 Destito No Senate Companion Requires a participant or one whose participation has been foreclosed by the procuring agency to be given an opportunity to challenge a procurement award and also requires the procurement record be made available to the parties to a challenge to the award absent extraordinary circumstances. Procurement Emergency A.1083 Destito No Senate Companion Redefines the term "emergency" for purposes of state procurement policy and specifies that an agency's failure to plan in advance, which results in a situation in which normal practices cannot be followed does not constitute an emergency. Personal Services A.1259 John S.3923 Spano Sets forth conditions when a state agency shall enter into a contract for personal services and conditions to achieve actual cost savings. Status: A.1259 Reported to Ways & Means Cost Effective Contracting A.1269 John S.3672 Spano Provides for awarding of public works contracts establishing various criteria to ensure that public contracts are awarded on a cost effective basis and provides for a review of contracts to ensure cost effectiveness. Employee Loans A.1348 Morelle No Senate Companion Prohibits state agencies from making loans to employees. Code of Conduct A.1426 Dinowitz No Senate Companion Conforms the definition of "state agency" for purposes of code of conduct violations with the definition of state agency for ethics-in-government act purposes by including certain commissions and the state and city universities of New York and certain of their constituent units within the definition under subdivision one of section seventy-four of the public officers law. Open Meetings Requirement A.1483 John S.3874 Oppenheimer Redefines the term public body under the open meeting law to mean any entity consisting of three or more members created by statute or elected to conduct public business collectively or committee or subcommittee of such body or other body designated by such public body to conduct or advise with respect to public business. PILOT Requirement A.1522 Lifton No Senate Companion Provides for the payment of state aid by the state board of real property services to any city, county, town or village in which more than 15% of the total assessed value of real property therein is held by the state university, including the statutory or contract colleges thereof. Pest Management A.1565 Brodsky No Senate Companion Provides for the study of integrated pest management at state facilities and requires the department of environmental conservation to submit a report on or before February 1, 2007, in conjunction with Cornell University, on the viability of implementing the integrated pest management. Social Security Number Usage A.1613 Ortiz S.515 Nozzolio Prohibits the use of social security numbers for identification purposes of individuals. Environment Remediation A.1833 Grannis No Senate Companion Imposes penalties upon a state agency, public authority or public benefit corporation, which fails to complete a remediation plan within the projected time schedule for such plan and provides that upon such failure such agency shall be subject to a public hearing and required to explain the failure to complete the plan. Status: Passed Assembly Lobbyist Gifts A.1844 Grannis No Senate Companion Provides that gifts from lobbyists to public officials shall be restricted to an aggregate value of seventy-five dollars per calendar year. Lobbyist Registration A.1845 Grannis No Senate Companion Provides for annual publication of a list of lobbyists registered with the temporary state commission on lobbying and requires lobbyists to file a current photo for publication with the required list with such list made available to the public upon request for a reasonable fee. Legislative Review A.1869 Tedisco No Senate Companion Requires state agencies to submit proposed rules and regulations intended to implement legislation to the appropriate committee of the legislature for approval and provides that no such rule or regulation shall take effect unless it has been approved by a majority vote of such legislative committee. Procurement Lobbying A.1909-A Nesbitt No Senate Companion Expands the application of the lobbying act to the procurement of governmental contracts and increases the threshold of spending on lobbying after which a lobbyist is required to report from $2,000 to $7,500 and requires reports by lobbyists to be submitted in electronic form. Fundraising Prohibition A.2020 Brodsky No Senate Companion Prohibits officials and employees of public authorities, public benefit corporations, and empire zone corporations from participating in political fundraising. Subcontracting Limits A.2106 Brodsky No Senate Companion Limits the use of subcontracting by public authorities or other entities when it would duplicate services of professional, maintenance, clerical or technical employees in a bargaining unit of the public authority or other entity. MacBride Principles A.2137 Brodsky No Senate Companion Prohibits a public authority or public benefit corporation from entering into any procurement contract with a contractor or legal entity in which the contractor holds a 10% or greater interest therein, unless such contractor or legal entity stipulates that it has no business operations in Northern Ireland or conducts any business that it has in Northern Ireland in accordance with the MacBride Fair Employment Principles. Responsible Bidders A.2169 Calhoun No Senate Companion Provides guidelines for the responsibility of bidders; defines terms; further provides certain guidelines contracting agencies shall follow when giving due consideration to the bidder's expertise etc. Foreign Gifts A.2222 O'Donnell No Senate Companion Relates to establishing penalties for institutions of higher education that fail to comply with certain disclosure requirements relating to gifts made by foreign governments, persons and entities; provides that the department may take steps to initiate an audit if the institution continues to remain in noncompliance of the disclosure requirements. Contract Approval A.2273 Englebright No Senate Companion Establishes contract approval control boards at state operated institutions of the state university to approve non-academic service contracts such as those with auxiliary service corporations. Partnership Disclosure A.2325 Englebright No Senate Companion Enacts the "public-private partnership disclosure act" that requires state agencies entering into public-private partnerships to promulgate rules and regulations regarding review and disclosure relating to such relationships and requires public notice and a report to the legislature. Benefit Denial A.2356 Tedisco S.1212 Farley Provides for the development of programs and procedures to deny state benefits to certain persons subject to an outstanding warrant of arrest, bench warrant or superior court warrant of arrest for a felony or class A misdemeanor; directs the director of the governor's task force on information management to develop funding and personnel requirements for such program. Retail Purchasing A.2597 Prelow No Senate Companion Authorizes governmental entities to purchase goods from retail dealers when retail price is less than three bids submitted. Worker Standards A.2677 John No Senate Companion Provides that every contract entered into by a state agency for the procurement of equipment, materials or supplies shall contain a statement in which the contractor attests that no foreign made equipment, materials or supplies furnished to the state pursuant to the contract have been produced in whole or in part by forced labor, convict labor or indentured servitude. Labor Standards A.2678 John No Senate Companion Prohibits state agencies from purchasing goods provided by manufacturers unable to provide documentation that such goods were produced in compliance with all applicable labor and occupational safety laws. Damage Protections A.2899 Seminerio No Senate Companion Relates to damages for non-economic loss in personal injury actions against public entities, including SUNY and provides limitations for recovery of damages for non-economic loss for any injury. Meeting Facilities A.3032 Pretlow No Senate Companion Directs public bodies to make or cause to be made all reasonable efforts to ensure that meetings are held in an appropriate facility which can adequately accommodate members of the public who wish to attend. Status: Passed Assembly Rule Making Costs A.3049 Towns No Senate Companion Encourages state agencies to become more accountable for their rule making process so that the rules adopted are cost effective and requires an agency to submit a regulatory impact statement that contains a complete cost estimate for any proposal before the agency can file with the secretary of state a notice of adoption for a rule. Fiscal Note A.3197 Schimminger S.557 LaValle Requires the inclusion of a fiscal note with the adoption of resolution or change in the rules and regulations governing educational institutions, which have a fiscal impact. Status: S.557 Passed Senate Building Naming A.3424 Morelle No Senate Companion Prohibits the naming of a building after a public official because such public official was responsible for securing public funds for the person or entity naming the building Internet Forms A.4762 Bing S.3155 Trunzo Amendment to Chapter 727 of the Laws of 2004 that provides for the promulgation of rules and regulations with respect to the posting of application forms of state agencies on the internet. Status: Delivered to the Governor for Final Action Seamless Education A.4954 Nesbitt No Senate Companion Enacts the seamless education act creating an advisory council to promote seamless education and facilitate coordination between secondary and post secondary educational institutions. Apparel Trademark Licensing A.5278 Englebright No Senate Companion Prohibits the state university of New York, the city university of New York and community colleges from licensing their trademarks for use on unlawfully manufactured apparel and requires such educational institutions to disclose certain information regarding licensees of their trademarks. Distance Learning Funding A.5873 Canestrari No Senate Sponsor Provides for the loss of state aid apportionments for those institutions of higher education that enroll 50 percent or more of the institution's total number of all courses by telecommunications or correspondence; the commissioner may waive this requirement upon a showing of cause as determined by the commissioner. Foreign Gifts A.5875 Canestrari S.840 LaValle Requires disclosure of gifts made to college foundation by foreign governments, persons and entities. Status: S.840 Passed Senate Wage Differentials A6437 Norman No Senate Companion Provides health care employees at state university health care services and facilities with wage rate and pay differentials and expands the contracting authority of such state university health care services and facilities Consultant Contracts A.6542 Lupardo S.1920 Robach Relates to reporting and disclosure about contracts for consulting services and requires the department of civil service to maintain records documenting the employment of persons pursuant to contracts for consulting services issued by state agencies. Status: A.6542 Assembly Calendar 549 Employee Records A.6625 John S.3284 Spano Provides for public access to certain records of public entities regarding certain public work and building service employees (i.e., records or portions thereof pertaining to the employee classifications of, rate of wages and supplements paid to, and number of hours worked by the employees of contractors classified as apprentices) and provides for redaction of social security numbers. Status: Passed Both Senate and Assembly OGS Purchasing - BOT Proposal #2-2005 A.6663-A DiNapoli S.685-A LaValle Authorizes any non-profit corporation organized in furtherance of the objects and purposes of the state university of New York to participate in state commodities and services contracts of the office of general services. Status: S.685-A Passed Senate Fiscal MOE A.6711 Canestrari S.4507 Robach Provides for minimum levels of appropriations for operating expenses to SUNY & CUNY to be based on appropriations in past fiscal years which will ensures that State appropriations for operating expenses in any state fiscal year shall not be less than the preceding state fiscal year. FOIL Requests A.6714 Destito S.3460 Spano Establishes if an agency determines that a request for access to records shall be granted in whole or in part, the grant of the request shall be made within a reasonable period depending on the circumstances Status: Chapter 22 of the Laws of 2005 Evacuation Drills A.7055 McEneny S.4028 Farley Requires evacuation drills be conducted at least twice a year at all buildings owned or leased in whole by the state or any agency thereof. Status: A.7055 Passed Assembly Fund Raising Oversight A.7579 Morelle S.5318 Johnson Improves the oversight of charitable organizations and help reduce fraudulent charitable solicitations and clarifies that "fund raising counsel" includes persons who directly or contract with charitable organizations to solicit on such organizations behalf. Keg Registration A.7704 Schimminger S.4501 Golden Authorizes an exemption from the registration of kegs of beer sold for off-premises consumption in the case of sales to certain nonprofit and veterans organizations but does not make an exception for colleges, universities, fraternities and sororities. NFP Oversight A.7824 Brodsky S.5237 Leibell Governs the activities of interested directors and officers and provides additional protections against financial fraud and other abuses by the officers of not-for-profit corporations and prohibits self-dealing between an officer or director and such corporation in certain cases. NFP Financial Fraud Protections A.7825 Brodsky S.5235 Leibell Provides additional protections against financial fraud and other abuses by the officers of not-for-profit corporations and prohibits self-dealing between an officer or director and such corporation in certain cases. FOIL Access A.7993 Latimer No Senate Companion Provides for electronic access to public records via e-mail Records Access A.8007 Paulin S.4896 Flanagan Requires that, whenever practicable, an agency make information available to the public electronically. Foreign Student Reporting S.838 LaValle No Assembly Companion Provides that institutions of higher education shall compile reports regarding foreign students enrolled in such institutions, delineating the statistical information that each approved school must maintain for all foreign students attending with a student visa and requiring the state department of education to provide a compilation to the legislature of the information submitted. Status: Passed Senate Public Authorities Reform S.1135 Leibell No Assembly Companion Enacts the public authorities accountability act of 2005 which would require public authorities and public benefit corporations (SUNY Construction Fund) to provide access to all books, records, audits and contracts to members of the public authorities control board and the secretaries of the senate finance committee and the assembly ways and means committee. Trademark Usage S.1156 Maltese No Assembly Companion Prohibits the state university of New York, the city university of New York and community colleges from licensing their trademarks for use on unlawfully manufactured apparel; requires such educational institutions to disclose certain information regarding licensees of their trademarks. Status: Senate Calendar 182 Matching Gift Incentive - – BOT Proposal #9-2005 S.1267 LaValle No Assembly Companion Creates the "New York state university academic scholars matching gift incentive program act" to provide matching state funds for private contributions to state university institutions to create opportunities to expand and enhance academic programs at all SUNY institutions. Status: Reported to Senate Finance Charitable Gifts S.1861 Seward No Assembly Companion Provides that certain charitable, educational or religious organizations may, with the consent of the insured, designate any person, firm, association, trust or corporation as the beneficiary of a life insurance policy procured by such charitable organization to insure the life of such person. OGS Purchasing - BOT Proposal #2-2005 S.4162 LaValle No Assembly Companion Establishes certain commodities and services purchased by a non-profit corporation organized in furtherance of the objects and purposes of the state university of New York shall not be used by a for-profit corporation which contracts with the non-profit corporation. University Center Autonomy S.4203 LaValle No Assembly Companion Establishes fiscal autonomy for the four state university centers at Albany, Binghamton, Buffalo and Stony Brook. SUNY Commission S.4333 LaValle No Assembly Companion Establishes the commission on SUNY for the 21st century which will be charged with developing a set of recommendations that will help to guide the state in developing policies for the long-term goals and objectives of SUNY. Status: Senate Calendar 969 NFP FOIL Requirements S.4588 Leibell No Assembly Companion Makes certain not-for-profit which annually receives either one million dollars or more in government funding or fifty percent or more of its gross annual revenue through government funding corporations subject to the freedom of information law and the open meetings law. Status: Senate Calendar 818 Public Authority Reform S.5106 Leibell No Assembly Companion Enacts the public authorities reform act of 2005 which requires public authorities and public benefit corporations (SUNY Construction Fund) to provide access to all books, records, audits and contracts to members of the public authorities control board and the secretaries of the senate finance committee and the assembly ways and means committee and sets forth requirements for procurement lobbying with respect to certain public authorities and public benefit corporations. Ethics Violations S.5275 Johnson No Assembly Companion Subjects certain government employees to civil penalties for violations of state ethics, assesses penalty not to exceed $5000 for certain violations and allows state ethics commission to refer violations to appointing authority for disciplinary action. Employee Ethics S.5279 Johnson No Assembly Companion Relates to the definition of state agency for the purpose of determining who is subject to the state code of ethics to include former state employees Personnel Wage Inequality A.305 Grannis No Senate Companion Seeks to comply with the federal equal pay act of 1963 by implementing a state policy of compensating employees in state service equally for work of comparable value by eliminating wage inequality in job titles having been segregated by sex, race or national origin. Status: Passed Assembly Binding Arbitration A.746 Destito No Senate Companion Provides for binding arbitration in negotiations with all members who are designated as security services or security supervisors. ORP Investments A.932 – Tokasz No Senate Companion Allows state university of New York employees to invest in optional retirement programs offered by insurance corporations or other corporations which invest in or manages mutual funds Family Leave A.1301 Nolan S.1501 Morahan Enacts the "families in the workplace act"; provides for unpaid leave for families for the purpose of meeting with a child's teacher or administrator, for the purpose of bereavement in connection with the death of an immediate family or household member or to provide care to an immediate family or household member; provides that such leave shall be limited to seven days per calendar year. Military Leave A.1344 John S.3097 Balboni Authorizes municipal employees to be paid for up to ten days of military deployment each year. Cancer Screening Leave A.1424 Dinowitz No Senate Companion Relates to directing the granting of eight hours of excused leave to public officers and employees of this state to undertake screening for colon cancer. Blood Donation Leave A.1427 Dinowitz S.2465 Dilan Permits state employees to be excused from work without loss of compensation for up to three hours to donate blood. Equal Compensation A.1470 Stringer No Senate Companion Makes it a discriminatory practice for public employers to compensate employees of different sexes differently for work that is of comparable worth. Status: Passed Assembly Sexual Assault A.1547 Stringer No Senate Companion Enacts the "protection in the workplace act" which provides that injuries to employees as a result of the commission of a sexual offense shall entitle such employee to all rights and benefits available pursuant to the workers' compensation law and, in addition, shall permit such employee to pursue any other remedies available at law or in equity. Status: Assembly Calendar 324 Whistler Blower A.1676 Grannis No Senate Companion Provides protection for an employee who discloses to the public or a governmental body information regarding gross mismanagement and waste of public funds and imposes a civil penalty of not more than twenty thousand dollars for retaliatory action against a protected employee. Agency Shop Fee A.2347 Abbate S.1217 Robach Extends right of public employee organizations to agency shop fee salary deductions for two additional years. Status: Passed Both Senate and Assembly Parental Leave A.2568 Hoyt S.637 Parker Enacts the "Parental Involvement Leave Act" requiring employers to grant employees up to 16 hours leave during any school year to attend school conferences or classroom activities related to the employee's child if the conference or activity cannot be scheduled during non-work hours and defines "employer" as "a state agency, officer, or department, a unit of local government, a school district, an individual, a corporation, a partnership, an association, or a nonprofit organization which employs 50 or more employees in NYS. Health Benefits A.2999 Abbate S.1596 Farley Prohibits the diminution of health insurance benefits of public employee retirees and their dependents or reducing the employer's contributions for such insurance from on and after May 1, 2005. Status: A.2999 Passed Assembly Health Benefits A.3216 Abbate S.1690 Farley Prohibits the diminution of health insurance benefits of public employee retirees and their dependents or reducing the employer's contributions for such insurance from May 1, 2005 until May 15, 2006. Status: A.3216 Passed Assembly Prevailing Wages A.3287 John No Senate Companion Provides for the payment of the prevailing wage for employees and provides that if an employee, client, inmate or student of any political subdivision performs any work for a public entity of which such person is not employed, such person shall be paid the prevailing wage. Workplace Hazards A.3290 John No Senate Companion Prohibits retaliatory action against an employee who reasonably believes his employer is in violation of a law, rule or regulation and prohibits retaliatory action against an employee who discloses a violation by his employer which constitutes a workplace hazard. Breast Cancer Leave A.3467 Brodsky S.5118 Spano Extends to employees of any county excused leave to undertake a screening for breast cancer, up to four hours annually, without charge to any other leave. Pre-Retirement Seminars A.3542 Gianaris No Senate Companion Directs corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies and not-for-profit corporations which are employers of 600 or more employees to hold annual pre-retirement training seminars for employees who are within 3 years of eligibility for retirement to present information on retirement benefits and options available to employees. Religious Observances A.3576 DiNapoli S.771 Marcellino Protects the observance of religious faith by certain people in employment and ensures employers shall allow the wearing of a customary turban worn as an item of religious apparel by an individual. Wage Discrimination A.3637 John No Senate Companion Enacts the "New York State fair pay act"; provides that it shall be an unlawful employment practice for an employer to discriminate between employees on the basis of sex, race and/or national origin by paying different wages. Status: Passed Assembly Unemployment Insurance A.3643 John No Senate Companion Repeals provision of law relating to limiting the unemployment insurance benefits which a non-professional employee of an educational institution may receive during vacation periods and amends provisions relating to professional employees at educational institutions so as to eliminate references to repealed provisions of law. Unemployment Insurance Expansion A.3696 McEneny S. 1878 Farley Extends unemployment insurance coverage to non-tenured policymaking or advisory positions where such person has been continuously employed in government for a period of ten years or more. Exempt Positions A.3810 Perry No Senate Companion Requires persons assuming exempt non-competitive class civil service positions to demonstrate their competence for such position through education, substantive experience or professional training or examination as deemed appropriate by the civil service commission. Retirement Earnings A.3828 Sweeney No Senate Companion Increases the earnings limitation for retired persons in positions of public service for the year 2005 and thereafter. Retirement Benefits A.4249-A Abbate S.2165-A Robach Extends the right of public employees and public employers to negotiate for retirement benefits not requiring approval by act of the legislature and extends certain temporary benefits and supplementation programs until July 1, 2007. Status: Delivered to the Governor for Final Action Meal Breaks A.4250 Abbate S.2162 Johnson Provides that food service employees who work more than a six hour shift which extends over the noon day meal period shall be entitled to at least a 30 minute lunch break. Maternity Leave Credit A.4312 Pheffer S.4221 Robach Authorizes members of a public retirement system or optional retirement program to obtain service credit for time due to involuntary maternity leave or who was otherwise forced to terminate employment because of pregnancy. Personnel Files A.4411 Heastie S.3597 Maltese Provides public and private employees right to review personnel file. Status: S.3597 Passed Senate Unemployment Benefits A.4727 Sanders No Senate Companion Makes public school teachers and professors of SUNY and CUNY eligible for unemployment benefits during the months of July and August but excludes such months from classification as vacation periods for such persons. Dental Insurance A.5429 Abbate No Senate Companion Provides for dental insurance coverage upon retirement of employees in the professional services negotiating unit of the state university of New York by converting unused sick leave to an actuarial equivalent in monthly installments for the remaining life expectancy of such employee and use such equivalent toward dental charges. ORP Contributions A.6227 Abbate S.3524 Robach Provides for the state or city of New York, as appropriate, to assume the contribution required from employees who are enrolled in the optional retirement program with these provisions applying to mandatory contributions for members in the ORP who joined the program on or after 7/27/76 and who have ten or more years of membership in such program. Classified Positions A.7022 Abbate S.3186 Robach Provides that the civil service commission shall not consider a request by the chancellor of the state university and by the board of trustees of community colleges which seeks to designate as unclassified any position in the classified service which is the same or substantially similar in scope and duties as the specifications for a position in the classified service Status: S.3186 Senate Calendar 643 GA/TA Pay Bill A.8185 John S.5356 Robach Provides for the adjustment of stipends of graduate and teaching assistants in the state university of New York and provides for a doctoral program recruitment and retention program, employee assistance programs, and a professional development committee. Physical Assault S.194 Volker No Senate Companion Establishes a person is guilty of assault in the second degree when he or she intends to cause physical injury to an employee of New York state or any of its political subdivisions or of a public authority or a public benefit corporation while such employee is performing his or her duties. Health Benefits S.229-A Breslin No Assembly Companion Prohibits the diminution of health insurance benefits of public employee retirees and their dependents or reducing the employer's contributions for such insurance from May 1, 2005 until May 15, 2006. Strike Authorization S.2095 Kruger Grants the right to strike by public employees after the exhaustion of collective bargaining negotiations. Professions & Licensure Engineer Requirements A.16 Canestrari S.419 LaValle Provides that an applicant for a license as a professional engineer may have received the international equivalent of a bachelor's degree and provides that an applicant may not, in lieu of degree and experience requirements, substitute work experience. Status: S.419 Senate Calendar 840 Military Training A.250 Destito No Senate Companion Makes provisions within the education law recognizing the professional training and experience of members of the United States Armed forces in certain medical professions and provides for acceptance of such training and experience for purposes of licensure in some circumstances. Music Instruction A.327 Tonko S.288 Farley Relates to mandatory music and visual arts instruction for grades one through six; directs that such music instruction be taught by a certified music specialist and provides that such visual arts instruction be taught by a certified visual arts specialist. Dental Exam A.738 - Wright No Senate Companion Prohibits the use of live human subjects as surgical subjects as part of state dental professional licensing examination Geology Licensure A.2271 Englebright No Senate Companion Establishes the profession of geology defining the practice of geology, regulating the practice of such profession and authorizing geologists to engage in professional business enterprises with engineers, land surveyors, architects and landscape architects. Occupational Therapy Assistant A.3566 Canestrari S.1084 LaValle Defines occupational therapy assistant and provides requirements for a license as an occupational therapy assistant. Architect Continuing Education A.3633-A Canestrari S.842-A LaValle Establishes mandatory continuing education for landscape architects. Status: S.842 Senate Calendar 573 Computer Training A.4008 Espaillat No Senate Companion Authorizes the commissioner of education to prescribe regulations to require teachers to complete coursework or training on the use, language, programs, application and networking of computers for their certification. Citizenship Wavier A.4095 Lopez No Senate Companion Authorizes the board of regents to waive citizenship or immigration status requirements for a professional license in the professions. Occupational Therapists A.5160 Canestrari S.1388 LaValle Establishes requirements for occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants to complete continuing competency courses as part of their triennial license renewal. Vision Rehabilitation A.5407-A Gottfried No Senate Companion Establishes licensing and certification requirements for two categories of vision rehabilitation professionals: licensed orientation and mobility specialists and licensed rehabilitation teachers. Teacher Certification A.6191 Canestrari S.1291 LaValle Enacts safeguards to prevent bias in standardized testing for teacher certification, including restrictions on questions as to race, ethnicity, gender and linguistic background, which are to be used in compiling test score data. School Administrators A.6480 Galef S.1087 LaValle Sets forth provisions providing for the licensing of school administrators and supervisors in public and nonpublic schools and establishes minimum requirements for the practice of each. Vision Rehabilitation S.889 Marcellino No Assembly Companion Establishes licensing and certification requirements for two categories of vision rehabilitation professionals: licensed orientation and mobility specialists and licensed rehabilitation teachers. Creating a state committee for vision rehabilitation therapy Genetic Counselors A.8065 Sweeney No Senate Companion Provides for the licensing of genetic counselors and creates the state board for genetic counseling. Psychologist Continuing Education S.1091 LaValle No Assembly Companion Requires psychologists to partake in courses of continuing education. Licensing Tests S.1394 LaValle- No Assembly Companion Provides that any question appearing on an examination prepared or administered by the education department for the purpose of licensing professionals under their jurisdiction, on the test for licensing of real estate professionals, and on tests for the licensing by the insurance and other state departments shall be made available for review pursuant to the state's Truth in Testing Law. Nurse Anesthesia S.1784 Seward No Assembly Companion Establishes certification procedures for the profession of nurse anesthesia allowing a registered professional nurse who has completed the educational preparation to practice nurse anesthesia as a student nurse under direct supervision Medical Competency S.2043 Kruger No Assembly Companion Requires a physician, upon the renewal of his or her professional license, to submit to the board of regents that he or she has attended and completed a course of continuing education in professional medical competency approved by such board, establishing minimum standards for such continuing education program. Research & Economic Development Environmental Technology A.140 Destito No Senate Companion Creates the New York state environmental technology institute within the science and technology foundation, which shall contract with a certain local development corporation to establish such institute with the institute shall be operated collaboratively by a consortium of universities and private sector industrial partners. Autism Research Center A.237 Weisenberg S.3017 Fuschillo Creates the infantile autism biomedical research act which establishes the Center of Excellence for Autism and creates the governor's Council for Medical Research and Treatment of Infantile Autism. Lake Erie Research A.841 Tokasz S.1172 Volker Provides for the construction and maintenance of a Lake Erie research center and warm water fish species hatchery; begin stocking of Lake Erie with warm water fish on or before August 1, 2006. Research Center Tax Credits A.1005 Nesbitt No Senate Companion Establishes the creation of research and development centers; provides tax credits and benefits for research and development enterprises and qualified research production facilities which would be modeled after the Empire Zone program. Animal Testing A.1163 Grannis S.4808 Padavan Prohibits manufacturers from using traditional animal test methods where an appropriate alternative test method has been scientifically validated and recommended and adopted by the federal agency responsible. Status: A.1163 Passed Assembly Biomedical Research A.1859 Koon S.4631 Klein Establishes a biomedical research grants and working capital loan program within the urban development corporation; sets application criteria for loans and grants and requires scientific peer review and a biomedical research advisory board. Workforce Development A.1919 Nesbitt No Senate Companion Creates the high technology manufacturing workforce development act. Employment Training A.2002 Morelle No Senate Companion Authorizes the New York state office of science, technology and academic research to establish a high-tech employment and training program with the office providing assistance to those entities deemed eligible for training and re-training of employed and unemployed workers who lack technology skills. Marine Research A.2386 Englebright No Senate Companion Establishes the marine life protection task force within the department of environmental conservation with such task force is directed to determine the laws, rules and regulations providing protection to marine life in the marine and coastal district. Human Subject Research A.2616 Wright No Senate Companion Regulates the use of human subjects for medical research and experimentation, including subjects with mental disorders and children and provides that no greater than minimal risk non-therapeutic human research shall be conducted on a child without consent of a parent or guardian. Peconic Bay Research A.3168 Englebright S.1632 LaValle Enacts the "Peconic Bay estuary protection act" to implement a comprehensive conservation and management plan prepared pursuant to Federal estuary program. Strategic Training Alliance A.3192 Schimminger No Senate Companion Creates within the department of economic development the strategic training alliance program to fund regional skills training programs within specific areas or industries to enhance employer access to skilled work force and repeals provisions of the urban development corporation act relating to the strategic training alliance. High Tech Marketing A.3429 Morelle No Senate Companion Creates a high tech marketing program; requires the creation of an advisory committee and provides for funds on a matching basis to established regional economic development marketing coalitions. Small Business Innovation A.3443 Schimminger No Senate Companion Recodifies the small business innovation research program within the New York state office of science, technology and academic research and alters provisions under the small business innovation research program particularly as they affect Phase I award winners. Status: Passed Assembly Remanufacturing TSC A.3787 Morelle No Senate Companion Creates a temporary state commission on remanufacturing and provides for the appointment of members of the board of the commission, enumerates the goals and purposes of the commission and lists the powers of the board. Bioscience Program A.4105 Espaillat No Senate Companion Creates the bioscience facilities development program; provides grants to local economic development corporations for the purpose of creating a revolving fund for loans to bioscience facilities to assist commercial bioscience companies to remain in New York state. Status: Assembly Calendar 441 Academic Collaborations A.4950-A Morelle No Senate Companion Enacts the New York state academic collaborative district act which establishes criteria for academic collaborations and the application for academic collaborative district which would provide tax incentives and other benefits to private businesses that collaborate with colleges and universities to create jobs and revitalize the economy in New York State Animal Transport A.5576 Lafayette No Senate Companion Prohibits transporting animals into the state, if obtained from pounds, shelters, etc., for purposes of research, experimentation or testing and also for teaching and demonstration if done in connection with the foregoing. Stem Cell Institute A.6300 Silver No Senate Companion Establishes the New York state institute for stem cell research and regenerative medicine as a public benefit corporation to make loans and grants for stem cell and regenerative medicine research, to provide regulatory oversight of such research and to support processes for the development of regenerative therapies. Status: Reported to Ways & Means Copywrite Protection A.6532 Galef S.4729-A Leibell Waives the ability of government agencies in New York to claim copyright protection except where the record reflects artistic creation, or scientific or academic research. Stem Cell Research S.433-A Krueger No Assembly Companion Authorizes the conduct of stem cell, embryonic, and fetal tissue research, requiring the provision of information regarding embryos in connection with fertility treatment and informed consent for donation of embryos for research and prohibits the sale of embryonic or cadaveric fetal tissue for valuable consideration, authorizing the use of state funds for such research. Genome Institute S.856 LaValle No Assembly Companion Establishes the New York state genome institute within the office of science, technology and academic research to review research activity that is being done across the state related to genetics, and make reports and recommendations regarding federal grants and efforts to apply such research. Advisory Councils S.857 LaValle No Assembly Companion Establishes regional technology advisory councils within the state to evaluate and make recommendations regarding economic growth as it relates to the technology business and industry of the state. Employment Training S.1900 Robach No Assembly Companion Authorizes the New York state office of science, technology and academic research to establish a high-tech employment and training program providing assistance to those entities deemed eligible for training and re-training of employed and unemployed workers who lack technology skills. Students Dormitory Smoking A.420-A Paulin S.2172 Leibell Prohibits smoking in dormitories, residence halls, and other group residential facilities of public and private colleges, universities, and other educational and vocational institutions. Status: A.420-A Reported to Codes Committee Student Fee Referendum A.453 Gunther A. No Senate Companion Requires the biennial conducting of a referendum of the student body at each college and university of the state university of New York and city university of New York, and at each community college as to whether the student activity fees shall be mandatory or voluntary and requires the funds from such fees to be disbursed in a fair and neutral manner without regard to the viewpoints of organizations requesting funding. Polling Places A.352 Bradley No Senate Companion Provides that whenever the majority of voters eligible to vote in an election district reside on a college or university campus, the polling place designated for such election district shall be on such campus. Health Insurance A.635 Canestrari S.757 Hannon Exempts blanket student health and/or accident insurance policy providers from the definition of "specified third-party payor" for the purposes of assessments on covered lives. Grade Notification A.981 Weisenberg S.415 Larkin Requires colleges chartered by the regents or incorporated by a special act of the legislature to notify parents and legal guardians of a dependent student of such student's course grades and semester average, upon request, prior to the commencement of the next academic semester. Status: S.415 Passed Senate Credit Card Solicitation A.1050 Dinowitz S.1554 LaValle Prohibits the mailing of credit card applications to persons under twenty-one years of age and provides for a penalty of no more than one thousand dollars per occurrence. Community Services A.1224 Tokasz No Senate Companion Directs the commissioner of education in consultation with the chancellor of the state university of New York and the chancellor of the city university of New York to establish programs to encourage community service for undergraduate and graduate students at such universities by providing academic credit. Voter Registration A.1420 Dinowitz No Senate Companion Designates state and city universities of New York as participating agencies for voter registration form distribution and assistance; permits independent institutions to do the same upon request and requires SUNY and CUNY independent institutions to offer each applicant an application for an absentee ballot. Religious Observance A.1429 Dinowitz S.3135 Spano Provides that no class or any other course of instruction shall be held in any institution within the state university on those days of religious observance known as Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur provided, however, that the chancellor, in his discretion, may exempt any institution from such observance. Grade Notification A.1680 Gunther No Senate Companion Requires every institution of higher education to provide notice to each newly admitted student and his or her parents of the parents' and student's rights under the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and the availability of a waiver signed by the student which grants access to parents to the student's academic records. Health Insurance Tax Credit A.1916 Nesbitt No Senate Companion Establishes a health insurance credit against personal income taxes for 20% of the premiums paid by a taxpayer for health insurance within 3 years of graduation from a secondary school or institution of higher education located within the state. Textbook Deduction A.1951 Karben S.2381 Morahan Provides a deduction in determining personal income tax for the cost of textbooks at New York private or public college or university by a taxpayer or such taxpayer's eligible dependent. Textbook Sales Tax A.1965 Ortiz No Senate Companion Exempts textbooks required or recommended by college professors for use in a particular course from sales and compensating use taxes and also requires that students provide a course syllabus or form which identifies course materials as a requirement for such exemption. ATM Charges A.2245 Englebright- No Senate Companion Prohibits imposing surcharges on automated teller machines located on state university of New York or city university of New York property. Credit Card Merchandising A.2315 Englebright No Senate Companion Prohibits the direct merchandising of credit cards through SUNY and CUNY to any enrolled student; defines direct merchandising. Mandatory Fee Usage A.3044 Seminerio No Senate Companion Prohibits mandatory fees paid by state university of New York, city university of New York and community college students from being used to finance political organizations and causes; defines terms. Suicide Prevention A.3312 Robinson S.3953 Oppenheimer Establishes the collegiate suicide prevention program. Welfare Repayment A.3781 Miller No Senate Companion Requires college students receiving welfare benefits to repay them as if they were a student loan obtained under the auspices of the New York state higher education services corporation and directs the commissioner of social services and the president of the New York state higher education services corporation to establish procedures. Alcohol Abuse Prevention A.3976 Weisenberg No Senate Companion Requires college freshmen to complete at a minimum, a 3 credit hour alcohol and substance abuse prevention course prior to the completion of the freshmen year. Volunteer Service A.4176 Barraga No Senate Companion Establishes the World Trade Center tribute act which shall create the SUNY student volunteer service program and the CUNY student volunteer service program which shall provide such students with up to three academic credits to student volunteers who perform a minimum of ninety hours of volunteer work in a semester. Student Bill of Rights A.4389 Cusick No Senate Companion Provides for a student bill of rights and allows for certain exemptions to payment of student activity fees, and provides notice of fee expenditures and provides that students may withhold that portion of funds used for funding organizations to which they object. Summer Employment A.4543 Scarborough No Senate Companion Establishes the summer employment program for youths between the ages of fourteen and twenty-one to be administered by the labor department with local community-based organizations and government entities eligible to receive funds under this program job positions to be from the public and non-profit sectors. Alumni Information A.4560 Boyland No Senate Companion Provides that information as to a student shall not be released by the state or city university of New York or an alumni association thereof without the student's written consent. Meningitis Records A.4706 Miller No Senate Companion Exempts commuter colleges from the requirement of maintaining measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) and meningococcal meningitis records. Grade Notification A.4876 Ortloff No Senate Companion Requires every institution of higher education to provide notice to each newly admitted student and his or her parents of the parents' and student's rights under the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act and the availability of a waiver signed by the student which grants access to parents to the student's academic records Credit Card Debt A.5156 Rivera P. No Senate Companion Requires every institution of higher education in the state to interview students who withdraw to determine whether such withdrawal is the result of credit card debt incurred by the student and requires such institutions to annually report to the governor, temporary president of the senate and speaker of the assembly on the number of students who withdraw because of credit card debt. Emergency Contraception A.5174 Englebright S.4558 Winner Enacts the "public university emergency contraception act" which requires SUNY & CUNY to provide emergency contraception to any student requesting it and requires the widespread provision of information at such colleges and universities on the safety and availability of emergency contraception on campus. Campus Signs A.5178 Englebright No Senate Companion Protects and regulates the posting of signs on college campuses by student organizations Campus Tabling A.5183 Englebright No Senate Companion Defines the term "tabling" as dissemination of information and allows organizations to do tabling outside buildings on campus so long as they don't block access to the academic use of campus buildings. Public Assistance Benefits A.5232 Lopez No Senate Companion Allows persons participating in an approved program of vocational training or rehabilitation, including attendance at a 4-year university to receive public assistance benefits pursuant to a federal waiver to be obtained by the department of labor Blood Drives A.5494 Gottfried S.1912 Robach Authorizes the commissioner of health to make grants to not-for-profit organizations and postsecondary schools to be used to help pay for the costs of conducting local blood drives. Status: A.5494 Assembly Calendar 538 Community Service A.6261 Englebright No Senate Companion Enacts the higher education community service act to promote volunteer service by higher education students creating a council for higher education community service to regulate and recognize persons and programs associated therewith. MTA Fare Discounts A.7273 Colton No Senate Companion Establishes a discount fare rate of no less than 25% for undergraduate students attending an accredited college full time on the New York city transit system. Student Behavior A.7447 Morelle S.1721 LaValle Requires colleges to educate the campus community on bias-related crime, hazing, underage drinking and illegal drug use, expanding the authority of colleges to regulate conduct by college and student government organizations and clubs, athletic teams and clubs, alumni organizations, fraternities, sororities, and any other organization that has access to and use of the college facilities and requires colleges to adopt rules prohibiting hazing, underage drinking and illegal drug use, to inform incoming students of and to train residence hall staff in the prohibitions against hazing, underage drinking and illegal drug use and to establish penalties for hazing, underage drinking and illegal drug use. Status: S.1721 Senate Calendar 842 Student Fee Referendum A.7565 Gunther S.4982 Johnson Requires the biennial conducting of a referendum of the student body at SUNY & CUNY campuses as to whether the student activity fees shall be mandatory or voluntary and requires the funds from such fees to be disbursed in a fair and neutral manner without regard to the viewpoints of organizations requesting funding. Public Assistance Credit S.638 Parker No Assembly Companion Allows college coursework to be credited as a work activity which may be used toward fulfilling the employment requirements for public assistance benefits under certain conditions. Grade Notification S.834 LaValle No Assembly Companion Requires institutions of the state university system to notify parents and legal guardians of a student of such student's course grades where such parent or guardian contributes at least one-half of the tuition and other expenses of such student. Community Service S.1389 LaValle No Assembly Companion Enacts the "higher education community service opportunity act" to encourage and promote a program whereby students who have benefited from society's assistance with their post secondary education return their talents to society to assist with pressing human, educational, environmental and public safety concerns. Illegal Aliens S.1489 Padavan No Assembly Companion Excludes illegal aliens from attending public post-secondary educational institutions; requires such educational institutions to verify the legal citizenship status of all students; requires such educational institutions to provide information regarding the attendance of suspected illegal aliens to the commissioner of education, the New York state attorney general and the United States immigration and naturalization service. Credit Card Solicitation S.1639 Parker No Assembly Companion Provides that there shall be no solicitation for credit card holders through SUNY or CUNY unless credit education courses are provided. Disabled Student Funding S.4136 Morahan No Assembly Companion Establishes a funding program for the improvement of disability services at institutions of higher education. Status: Reported to Senate Finance Tuition & Fees Over 60 Tuition A.208 Markey No Senate Companion Authorizes the trustees of the state university and community colleges to offer courses to persons 60 years of age or over without tuition and either with or without credit only if such courses are available on a space available basis. Volunteer Firefighters A.241 Cusick S.1622 Robach Grants volunteer firefighters and emergency medical technicians academic credit, without the payment of tuition or fees, at institutions at state operated institutions of the state university of New York and the senior colleges of the city university of New York to the extent of six credits per year, and 60 credits in the aggregate. Mandatory Fee Cap A.701 Stringer No Senate Companion Caps total of mandatory non-tuition fees per semester or quarter (not including the mandatory student activity fee) imposed upon students of the state university of New York to no more than fifteen percent of total tuition fee. Construction Fees A.705 Stringer No Senate Companion Precludes state university of New York trustees from imposing a separate mandatory additional non-tuition student fee or charge dedicated to pay the costs of capital projects of the state university, its constituent colleges or institutions, or the dormitory authority at the request of any of the foregoing. Firefighter Tuition A.822 Tokasz No Senate Companion Establishes the volunteer firefighters and emergency medical service volunteer tuition assistance grant program with counties having the option to establish such program by the enactment of a local law and provides for state reimbursement to counties for fifty percent of tuition assistance costs. Volunteer Firefighters A.942 Tokasz No Senate Companion Establishes annual tuition awards for volunteer firefighters and volunteer emergency medical service personnel attending various in-state institutions of higher education; sets limits to the amounts thereof; requires recipients to serve in such volunteer capacity for 6 months for each year of awards. Veteran Fee Waiver A.1041 Ortiz No Senate Companion Establishes a veteran fee waiver program within the State University of New York system and provides for eligibility, applicability and amounts of such waivers. National Guard Graduate Tuition A.1394 McEneny S.709 Breslin Enables certain members of the New York guard to be eligible to receive benefits under the recruitment incentive and retention program. Non-Custodial Tuition A.2182 Eddington S.432 Trunzo Provides that the tuition and fees of non-resident students of the state university of New York, city university of New York and community colleges within the state shall be no greater than that of resident students if such non-resident student has a non-custodial parent residing in this state or within the sponsoring district and such parent's child support payments are not in arrears. Status: S.432 Passed Senate Trade Center Tuition A.2503 Lavelle No Senate Companion Provides a memorial tuition award for children, spouses and dependents of victims of the World Trade Center terrorist attack of February 26, 1993. Employee Tuition Wavier A.2566 Hoyt No Senate Companion Provides a partial tuition waiver of 50% for children of certain employees of the state university who have worked for the university for at least 5 consecutive years. Tax Credit A.3134 Crouch No Senate Companion Creates a tax credit for businesses that develop a "college to work" program, paying the tuition of individuals in exchange for the individual committing to work for the business after the individuals graduation from an institution of higher learning and provides the tax credit shall be for twenty-five percent of the individual's tuition expenses not to exceed five thousand dollars. Migrant Worker Access A.3344 Eddington No Senate Companion Enacts the "access to higher education for migrant worker families act of 2005" to expand the access of migrant agricultural workers and their spouses and dependent children to higher education at institutions of the state university. Volunteer Firefighter/EMT A.3851 Thiele No Senate Companion Establishes a volunteer firefighter/EMT recruitment incentive and retention program for volunteer firefighters and volunteer emergency medical technicians and provides that such program will pay for the tuition cost for full or part-time study for active members to enable them to obtain a baccalaureate degree. Flight 587 Tuition Benefits A.4007-A Espaillat A.7150 Espaillat S.1259-A Sabini Establishes the American airlines flight 587 memorial scholarship fund to provide for post-secondary financial assistance for spouses, children, and financial dependents of persons who lost their lives due to the crash of said flight in Rockaway, Queens, on November 12, 2001. Status: A.7150 Passed Assembly Veteran Vocational Training A.4150 Sanders No Senate Companion Authorizes community colleges and requires SUNY institutions to permit veterans to audit vocational training courses free of charge. Status: Reported to Ways & Means Prepaid Tuition A.4467 DiNapoli No Senate Companion Establishes the New York state prepaid college program and creates the New York state prepaid college trust fund and the prepaid college. Over 60 Tuition A.5079 McEneny S.2481 Farley Authorizes the trustees of the state university to permit persons sixty years of age or over to take up to nine hours of courses for credit without tuition on a space available basis, as well as auditing such courses. Status: S.2481 Passed Senate Tuition Tax Deduction A.5146 O’Connell No Senate Companion Provides a deduction for tuition at a state or city college or university and up to $12,500 of the cost of tuition at a private college or university for qualified taxpayers whose income does not exceed $100,000. Native American Tuition Waiver A.5159-A Rules S.2365-A Rules Authorizes the settlement of the Seneca-Cayuga Tribe of Oklahoma, Cayuga Indian Nation, Stockbridge-Munsee, Oneida Tribe of Indians and Akwesasne Mohawks Indian land claims, recognizing negotiated settlement of these land claims and jurisdictional status of land and provides for SUNY tuition and fee waivers. Social Work Waivers A.5289 Lopez No Senate Companion Establishes a three year full tuition abatement program for up to 40 eligible Hispanic and Black students for under-graduate study in the field of social work at the schools of social welfare at Stony Brook and at Albany and requires state residency academic achievement and showing of financial need. Children of Vietnam Veterans A.5370 Lopez No Senate Companion Makes available tuition-free courses at state and city universities and community colleges for children of deceased or permanently or severely disabled veterans of the Vietnam conflict. National Guard Graduate Waivers A.5522 Schimminger S.3812 Leibell Permits national guard members to participate in tuition benefits for graduate education. Status: S.3812 Reported to Senate Finance Tax Incentives A.6262 Englebright No Senate Companion Establishes a personal income tax credit for one-half of the student loan expenses paid by a taxpayer during the taxable year for the 10 years following graduation from the state university of New York or the city university of New York when the taxpayer continues to reside and work in the state following graduation. Fixed Tuition Guarantee A.6326 Benjamin No Senate Companion Provides a stable tuition option for students in SUNY and CUNY system schools by allowing students and their families to secure a fixed tuition rate for a predetermined number of college or university semesters. Police/Fire Tuition Waivers A.6632 Lentol S.3302 Padavan Authorizes SUNY & CUNY to promulgate regulations regarding tuition waivers for up to two courses per semester/quarter for students in baccalaureate or higher degree programs who are officers or members of the New York city police or fire department. Nation Guard Graduate Tuition A.7208 Kolb No Senate Companion Allows active members of New York army national guard, New York air national guard or New York naval militia to receive tuition assistance for masters degree classes. Veteran Parking Fees A.7815 Towns S.4306 Wright Provides that campus rules and regulations may provide that any veteran attending the state university as a student shall be exempt from any fees for parking or registering a motor vehicle Fixed Tuition Guarantee A.8151 Hoyt No Senate Companion Provides for four year fixed tuitions at SUNY & CUNY for all entering undergraduate freshmen, or five years in the case of an individual accepted into a five year degree program. Fixed Tuition Guarantee S.914-A LaValle No Assembly Companion Provides for four year fixed tuitions at SUNY & CUNY for all entering undergraduate freshmen, or five years in the case of an individual accepted into a five year degree program. Tax Deduction S.2106 Kruger No Assembly Companion Provides taxpayers with a personal income tax deduction for up to $3,000 paid for tuition of the taxpayer or a dependent of the taxpayer at an institution of higher education located in this state and is applicable to taxpayers with a NY taxable income of less than $100,000. Medical School Tuition S.2916 Flanagan No Assembly Companion Prohibits state university trustees from raising tuition of medical students at state-operated institutions during period of attendance. Immigrant Student Tuition S.2966 Parker No Assembly Companion Provides in-state tuition rates at New York universities and colleges to qualified immigrant students if such students attended high school in the state for 2 years or more; graduated from high school in the state or attained a state general equivalency diploma and registered as an entering student at, or is currently enrolled in a public institution of higher education within the state. Unemployment Opportunities S.3849 Oppenheimer No Assembly Companion Authorizes tuition-free attendance on a space available basis for technical or developmental courses offered at SUNY, CUNY and community colleges for the unemployed who have exhausted benefits and establishes qualifying conditions and allows the auditing of certain courses by persons sixty years of age or over. Distance Learning Tuition S.4101 LaValle No Assembly Companion Provides that the trustees of the state university of New York may authorize the establishment of a new category of tuition for non-resident students enrolled in distance learning courses. Volunteer Firefighter Tuition S.4240 Hannon No Assembly Companion Authorizes active volunteer firefighters to receive college education at state universities and community colleges tuition free and creates a recruitment incentive program for active members of volunteer fire companies Graduate Tuition Tax Credit S.4953 Smith M. No Assembly Companion Includes the tuition required for enrollment or attendance in a course of study leading to the granting of a post baccalaureate or other graduate degree within the definition of "qualified college tuition expenses" for the purposes of qualifying for the college tuition credit. 55