Establishes a high school robotics grant program; provides funding to high schools for participation in robotics competitions; sets forth eligibility requirements; provides for the application and awards process.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
379--A
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE(Prefiled)
January 8, 2025
___________
Introduced by Sens. BROUK, CLEARE, PALUMBO, RHOADS, SKOUFIS, TEDISCO,
WEBER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be
committed to the Committee on Finance -- committee discharged, bill
amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said commit-
tee
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to establishing a high
school robotics participation grant program
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 3641-c
2 to read as follows:
3 § 3641-c. High school robotics participation grant program. 1. The
4 commissioner shall establish the high school robotics participation
5 grant program and a robotics competition pursuant to this section and
6 regulations of the commissioner adopted for such purpose. Within the
7 amounts appropriated for this purpose, the commissioner shall award
8 grants on a competitive basis to public and private high schools for the
9 purpose of encouraging study in the fields of science, technology, engi-
10 neering, and math.
11 2. Eligibility. a. Applicants must be a public or private high school
12 in the state that has a school sponsored robotics club or a team partic-
13 ipating, or intending to participate, in robotics competitions.
14 b. Applicants must establish a partnership for the purposes of design-
15 ing, building and/or programming the team's robot with at least one
16 other sponsor, which shall be a business, institution of higher learning
17 or technological school. The department shall establish a process to
18 identify and certify which robotics leagues or organizations are
19 approved to hold such robotics competitions, for the purposes of eligi-
20 bility under this section.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01192-03-5
S. 379--A 2
1 3. Applications. Applications must be submitted to the commissioner by
2 June first of each year for grants to be made for the following academic
3 year. All grants shall be subject to the applicant obtaining matching
4 funds from other sources of at least fifty percent of the grant.
5 4. Awards. a. The commissioner shall grant awards in the amount of
6 five thousand dollars to schools that are eligible, pursuant to subdivi-
7 sion two of this section. Awards shall be within the amounts appropri-
8 ated for such purpose and based on availability of funds.
9 b. Preference shall be given to teams at Title I schools, then to
10 teams at schools that have not previously participated in robotics
11 competitions or received grants through this program, on a first-come
12 first-served basis, and if there are funds remaining thereafter to other
13 previously established programs.
14 c. Funds awarded under this grant shall be used for: registration
15 costs; materials; travel costs; and other expenses associated with the
16 preparation for, and attendance at, robotics competitions.
17 d. Additional grants shall also be made pursuant to such other rules
18 and regulations as may be promulgated by the commissioner.
19 § 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day
20 after it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition,
21 amendment, and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the
22 implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be
23 made and completed on or before such date.
