STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
10551
IN ASSEMBLY
March 13, 2026
___________
Introduced by M. of A. BRONSON -- read once and referred to the Commit-
tee on Higher Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to designating the state
university of New York college at Geneseo as New York's public honors
college
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Legislative findings and declaration. The legislature here-
2 by finds and declares that the state university college at Geneseo has
3 earned national distinction as a premier public liberal arts institu-
4 tion. For decades, it has served an award-winning liberal arts educa-
5 tion with proved outcomes of academic rigor and development of critical
6 thinking and leadership skills. The legislature further finds that the
7 state's member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges, has
8 formally adopted a mission to be "New York's Public Honors College." It
9 is therefore the intent of this act to codify this mission in statute,
10 ensuring that the college remains a dedicated center for high-ability
11 students and maintains its commitment to academic rigor and an equity-
12 centered honors experience.
13 § 2. The education law is amended by adding new section 352-b to read
14 as follows:
15 § 352-b. New York's public honors college. The state university of New
16 York college at Geneseo shall be designated and known as "New York's
17 public honors college." The primary mission of such public honors
18 college shall be to provide a distinctive and academically rigorous
19 public liberal arts honors education. As New York's public honors
20 college, the institution shall prioritize practices that advance excel-
21 lence, success, and access.
22 § 3. Subdivision 3 of section 352 of the education law, as amended by
23 chapter 13 of the laws of 2021, is amended to read as follows:
24 3. The state university shall consist of the four university centers
25 at Albany, Binghamton, Buffalo and Stony Brook, the designated New
26 York's public honors college at Geneseo, the designated colleges of arts
27 and sciences at Brockport, Buffalo, Cortland, Fredonia, Geneseo, New
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD15152-01-6
A. 10551 2
1 Paltz, Old Westbury, Oneonta, Oswego, Plattsburgh, Potsdam and Purchase,
2 empire state college, the agricultural and technical colleges at Alfred,
3 Canton, Cobleskill, Delhi, Farmingdale and Morrisville, downstate
4 medical center, upstate medical center, the college of optometry, the
5 college of environmental science and forestry, maritime college, the
6 college of technology at Utica/Rome, the statutory or contract colleges
7 at Cornell university and Alfred university, and such additional univer-
8 sities, colleges and other institutions, facilities and research centers
9 as have been or hereafter may be acquired, established, operated or
10 contracted to be operated for the state by the state university trus-
11 tees.
12 § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.
