Add Title 6 Art 107 §§5300 - 5303, Ed L; add §95-l, St Fin L
Establishes the research literacy enhancement program to make grants to academic institutions within the state which seek to conduct research on literacy; creates the research literacy enhancement fund.
STATE OF NEW YORK
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10358
IN SENATE
May 15, 2026
___________
Introduced by Sen. RHOADS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to creating the research
literacy enhancement program; and to amend the state finance law, in
relation to creating the research literacy enhancement fund
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Title 6 of the education law is amended by adding a new
2 article 107 to read as follows:
3 ARTICLE 107
4 RESEARCH LITERACY ENHANCEMENT ACT
5 Section 5300. Short title.
6 5301. Definition.
7 5302. Research literacy enhancement program.
8 5303. Research literacy enhancement fund.
9 § 5300. Short title. This title shall be known and may be cited as
10 the "research literacy enhancement act".
11 § 5301. Definition. As used in this title, "program" shall mean the
12 research literacy enhancement program created pursuant to section five
13 thousand three hundred two of this article.
14 § 5302. Research literacy enhancement program. 1. The commissioner
15 shall establish within the department a research literacy enhancement
16 program through which the department shall make grants to academic
17 institutions within the state currently conducting or having an interest
18 in conducting basic and clinical, social, translational, technological,
19 and behavioral research on literacy.
20 2. All research funds shall be awarded on the basis of the research
21 priorities established for the program and the merit of the proposed
22 research, as determined by an open, competitive peer review process that
23 ensures objectivity, consistency, and high quality. All investigators,
24 regardless of affiliation, shall have equal access and opportunity to
25 compete for program funds.
26 § 5303. Research literacy enhancement fund. All moneys received pursu-
27 ant to section five thousand three hundred two of this article shall be
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD13453-01-5
S. 10358 2
1 credited to the fund, as established by section ninety-five-l of the
2 state finance law. The commissioner shall use the fund to administer the
3 research literacy enhancement program and to make grants to awardees
4 pursuant to section five thousand three hundred two of this article.
5 § 2. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section 95-l to
6 read as follows:
7 § 95-l. Research literacy enhancement fund. 1. There is hereby estab-
8 lished in the joint custody of the commissioner of taxation and finance
9 and the comptroller, a special fund to be known as the "research litera-
10 cy enhancement fund".
11 2. Such fund shall consist of all monies appropriated for the purpose
12 of such fund and any grant, gift or bequest made to the research liter-
13 acy enhancement program as established by article one hundred seven of
14 title six of the education law.
15 3. Moneys of the fund shall be available for grants through the
16 research literacy enhancement program, and shall be expended only for
17 the purposes spelled out in section five thousand three hundred two of
18 the education law.
19 4. Moneys in the research literacy enhancement fund shall be kept
20 separate and shall not be commingled with any other moneys in the custo-
21 dy of the commissioner of taxation and finance and the comptroller.
22 5. The moneys of the fund shall be paid out on the audit and warrant
23 of the comptroller on vouchers certified or approved by the commissioner
24 of education, or by an officer or employee of the department of educa-
25 tion designated by such commissioner.
26 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
