NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A9476
SPONSOR: Dinowitz TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the education law, in relation to expanding the veterans
tuition awards program to allow the transfer of unused benefits to an
eligible immediate family member; to amend a chapter of the laws of 2025
amending the education law relating to expanding the veterans tuition
awards program to allow the transfer of unused benefits to a spouse,
survivor or child, as proposed in legislative bills numbers S. 4358-A
and A. 3240-A, in relation to the effectiveness thereof; and to repeal
certain provisions of the education law relating thereto
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
The purpose of this bill is to amend Chapter 688 of the Laws of 2025 in
order to effectuate the intent of the law.
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section one of the bill would make technical and clarifying changes to
the terms and definitions established in the original chapter. Eligi-
bility for tuition award transfers under the original chapter would be
extended to financial dependents, rather than "survivors" as defined in
the original chapter.
Section two would repeal paragraph i of subdivision 1 of section 699-a
of the Education Law as added by the original chapter. This paragraph
established the term "survivor" and its associated definition.
Section three would make clarifying changes and remove certain limita-
tions on eligibility for award transfers to children of veterans. The
section would also authorize the President of the Higher Education
Services Corporation to establish an application deadline and a method
of selecting which one hundred tuition award transfers are to be granted
if there are more than one hundred eligible tuition award transfers
requested in any given year.
Section four would extend the effective date of the original chapter by
one year.
Section five would establish the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
Chapter 688 of the Laws of 2025 expands the Veterans Tuition Awards
Program by allowing for tuition award transfers to be granted to immedi-
ate family members of eligible veterans, thereby providing greater
support for veterans and their families and ensuring that the awards are
fully utilized.
This bill would provide clarifying changes to certain provisions estab-
lished in the original chapter. The bill would also expand eligibility
for tuition award transfers to financial dependents and limit other
eligibility requirements.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New bill.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
To be determined.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This bill would take effect immediately; provided however, that sections
one, two and three shall take effect on the same date and in the same
manner as a chapter of the laws of 2025 amending the education law
relating to expanding the veterans tuition awards program to allow the
transfer of unused benefits to a spouse, survivor or child, as proposed
in legislative bills numbers S. 4358-A and A. 3240-A, takes effect.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
9476
IN ASSEMBLY
January 7, 2026
___________
Introduced by M. of A. DINOWITZ -- read once and referred to the Commit-
tee on Higher Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to expanding the veterans
tuition awards program to allow the transfer of unused benefits to an
eligible immediate family member; to amend a chapter of the laws of
2025 amending the education law relating to expanding the veterans
tuition awards program to allow the transfer of unused benefits to a
spouse, survivor or child, as proposed in legislative bills numbers S.
4358-A and A. 3240-A, in relation to the effectiveness thereof; and to
repeal certain provisions of the education law relating thereto
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Paragraphs g and h of subdivision 1 of section 699-a of the
2 education law, as added by a chapter of the laws of 2025 amending the
3 education law relating to expanding the veterans tuition awards program
4 to allow the transfer of unused benefits to a spouse, survivor or child,
5 as proposed in legislative bills numbers S. 4358-A and A. 3240-A, are
6 amended to read as follows:
7 g. "Eligible immediate family member" means a person who is the
8 spouse, child or [survivor] financial dependent of a qualified veteran,
9 and who resides in this state.
10 h. "Qualified veteran" means a veteran who [would be eligible to
11 receive a tuition award if such veteran satisfied] satisfies the
12 [enrollment and application] requirements set forth in paragraph a, b,
13 c, or d of subdivision [two] one of this section.
14 § 2. Paragraph i of subdivision 1 of section 699-a of the education
15 law, as added by a chapter of the laws of 2025 amending the education
16 law relating to expanding the veterans tuition awards program to allow
17 the transfer of unused benefits to a spouse, survivor or child, as
18 proposed in legislative bills numbers S. 4358-A and A. 3240-A, is
19 REPEALED.
20 § 3. Subdivision 5 of section 669-a of the education law, as added by
21 a chapter of the laws of 2025 amending the education law relating to
22 expanding the veterans tuition awards program to allow the transfer of
23 unused benefits to a spouse, survivor or child, as proposed in legisla-
24 tive bills numbers S. 4358-A and A. 3240-A, is amended and a new subdi-
25 vision 6 is added to read as follows:
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07221-04-6
A. 9476 2
1 5. a. A qualified veteran who [would be eligible to receive a tuition
2 award if such veteran satisfied the enrollment and application require-
3 ments set forth in paragraph a of subdivision two of this section, but]
4 has not utilized such tuition award, may elect to transfer in a single
5 instance all or [a portion of the] any remaining tuition award to [an]
6 one eligible immediate family member [or members].
7 b. A qualified veteran who elects to transfer their award shall desig-
8 nate the eligible immediate family member [or members] to whom such
9 award is being transferred[, including the number of semesters. Such
10 designation shall be made on a form prescribed by the president, shall
11 be appended to the application specified in subdivision two of this
12 section, and the president shall make the form and relevant information
13 of this section available on the corporation's website] in the manner
14 prescribed by the corporation.
15 c. A child to whom a tuition award is transferred under this subdivi-
16 sion shall be under twenty-six years of age. [Such child shall not
17 commence the use of a tuition award transferred under this subdivision
18 unless the qualified veteran has served in the armed forces of the
19 United States for at least ten years, except where such qualified veter-
20 an did not complete such service requirement due to:
21 (i) the qualified veteran's death;
22 (ii) discharge or release for a medical condition that pre-existed
23 service;
24 (iii) discharge or release for hardship;
25 (iv) discharge or release for a physical or mental condition, not a
26 disability, that did not result from their willful misconduct but did
27 interfere with their performance of duty;
28 (v) discharge for a disability;
29 (vi) discharge for a reduction in force; or
30 (vii) involuntary force shaping.]
31 d. The tuition award transfers designated by a qualified veteran
32 pursuant to this subdivision shall not exceed the award available to
33 such veteran under this section.
34 e. The total number of tuition award transfers under this subdivision
35 shall not exceed one hundred per year.
36 6. The president is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations to
37 implement the provisions of this section. The president may establish a.
38 an application deadline and b. a method of selecting which one hundred
39 tuition award transfers are to be granted if in any given year there are
40 more than one hundred eligible tuition award transfers requested.
41 § 4. Section 4 of a chapter of the laws of 2025 amending the education
42 law relating to expanding the veterans tuition awards program to allow
43 the transfer of unused benefits to a spouse, survivor or child, as
44 proposed in legislative bills numbers S. 4358-A and A. 3240-A, is
45 amended to read as follows:
46 § 4. This act shall take effect July 1, [2026] 2027. Effective imme-
47 diately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation
48 necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are
49 authorized to be made and completed on or before such effective date.
50 § 5. This act shall take effect immediately; provided however, that
51 sections one, two and three shall take effect on the same date and in
52 the same manner as a chapter of the laws of 2025 amending the education
53 law relating to expanding the veterans tuition awards program to allow
54 the transfer of unused benefits to a spouse, survivor or child, as
55 proposed in legislative bills numbers S. 4358-A and A. 3240-A, takes
56 effect.
