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A04029 Summary:

BILL NOA04029
 
SAME ASNo Same As
 
SPONSORGonzalez-Rojas
 
COSPNSRRaga, Cunningham, De Los Santos, Kelles, Simon, Zaccaro, Maher, McDonough
 
MLTSPNSR
 
Add Art 127-A §§6360 - 6365, Ed L
 
Establishes liaison officers, regional contacts and campus contacts to assist college students experiencing homelessness to find housing; prioritizes access to housing; waives certain fees for students experiencing homelessness; establishes a pilot program to increase enrollment, attendance and success in college for students experiencing homelessness.
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A04029 Actions:

BILL NOA04029
 
02/09/2023referred to higher education
01/03/2024referred to higher education
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A04029 Memo:

NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY
MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION
submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
 
BILL NUMBER: A4029
 
SPONSOR: Gonzalez-Rojas
  TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the education law, in relation to establishing liaison officers, regional contacts, and campus contacts to assist college students experiencing homelessness to find housing   PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL: Establishes liaison officers, regional contacts and campus contacts to assist college students experiencing homelessness to find housing.   SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS: Section 1 amends the education law by adding a new article, 127-A which sets forward definitions for liaison officers, campus contacts, and regional contacts. It also sets forward ways in which colleges will support students experiencing homelessness via ressources and planning. This section also determines assistance with college fees and estab- lishes a pilot program. Section 2 sets the effective date.   JUSTIFICATION: A 2019 Hope Center survey of 22,000 City University of New York under- graduates found that 14 percent had experienced homelessness while enrolled in classes. More than half (55 percent) of the survey's respondents experienced some form of housing insecurity over the last year. According to the United States Department of Education, nationwide 14 percent of four-year college students and 18 percent of community- college students experience homelessness in a given year. Student homelessness in college has found to have a severe impact on their academic success. Other research has found that students who expe- rience homelessness are more likely to miss more school, experience high stress, and are often forced to make unfair choices between meeting their basic needs and participating in school. States like California, Maine, and Tennessee have all passed legislation creating liaisons to help unhoused college students. New York should follow suit and create liaisons at CUNY and SUNY. This bill would desig- nate liaison officers, regional contacts, campus contacts to assist students experiencing homelessness. The bill would also result in colleges providing priority to students experiencing homelessness in the placement of housing and assist with college fees related to enrollment, health and wellness services, and other fees. The legislation would also establish a pilot program aimed to increase enrollment, attendance, and the success of students experiencing homelessness.   LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: New bill.   FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS: To be determined.   EFFECTIVE DATE: This act shall take effect immediately.
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A04029 Text:



 
                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                          4029
 
                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                   IN ASSEMBLY
 
                                    February 9, 2023
                                       ___________
 
        Introduced  by  M. of A. GONZALEZ-ROJAS -- read once and referred to the
          Committee on Higher Education
 
        AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to  establishing  liaison
          officers,  regional  contacts,  and  campus contacts to assist college
          students experiencing homelessness to find housing

          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 article 127-A
     2  to read as follows:
     3                                ARTICLE 127-A
     4                     STUDENTS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS
     5  Section 6360. Definition.
     6          6361. Liaison officers, regional contacts, and campus contacts.
     7          6362. Access to housing for students experiencing homelessness.
     8          6363. Priority enrollment.
     9          6364. Assistance with college  fees  for  students  experiencing
    10                  homelessness.
    11          6365. Pilot  program  to  increase  enrollment,  attendance, and
    12                  success in college.
    13    § 6360. Definition. As used in this article, the term "students  expe-
    14  riencing homelessness" means students who at any time during the current
    15  school  year  or  the  twenty-four  months  immediately  preceding their
    16  enrollment in college have been homeless,  as  defined  by  the  meaning
    17  assigned  to  the  term  "homeless  children and youths" under 42 U.S.C.
    18  Section 11434a and includes students who reside  in  a  student  housing
    19  facility  maintained  by  a  college during an academic term but who are
    20  homeless between academic terms.
    21    § 6361. Liaison officers, regional contacts, and campus  contacts.  1.
    22  The  state  university  of  New York and the city university of New York
    23  each shall hire at least one full-time equivalent staff member to act as
 
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD08505-01-3

        A. 4029                             2
 
     1  a liaison officer for current and incoming students  experiencing  home-
     2  lessness.
     3    2. The liaison officer shall:
     4    (a)  have  knowledge  of and expertise in: federal and state financial
     5  aid eligibility of students experiencing homelessness,  including  their
     6  eligibility  as independent students under Section 1087vv of the federal
     7  Higher Education Act; support services, including health services; hous-
     8  ing resources offered by the college  and  external  housing  resources,
     9  including  housing navigation services and existing housing programs for
    10  homeless or low-income individuals  or  families;  meal  plan  and  food
    11  programs  and  assistance,  counseling  services, academic supports, and
    12  other resources available to students at the university; and best  prac-
    13  tices to identify and serve students experiencing homelessness, with the
    14  goal of maximizing their enrollment, retention, and success in college;
    15    (b)  create  systems  for students experiencing homelessness to access
    16  support services and other resources available to the  students  at  the
    17  university;  coordinate  with  the  state university of New York and the
    18  city university of New York on innovative programming aimed at  increas-
    19  ing  access,  enrollment, attendance and success in college for students
    20  experiencing  homelessness,  including  pilot  initiatives  pursuant  to
    21  section sixty-three hundred sixty-five of this article;
    22    (c)  provide  professional  development and other technical assistance
    23  activities to ensure the availability  of  campus  contact  persons  for
    24  current and incoming students experiencing homelessness at the universi-
    25  ty, institute best practices to identify students experiencing homeless-
    26  ness,  and  have  information about financial aid, support services, and
    27  best practices as designated by paragraph (a) of this subdivision;
    28    (d) provide professional development and  other  technical  assistance
    29  activities  to  professors  and university staff working in the areas of
    30  financial aid, housing, student  services,  and  teaching  and  academic
    31  support regarding the characteristics, needs, strengths, and identifica-
    32  tion of students experiencing homelessness;
    33    (e)  complete  necessary  administrative  tasks  and  data  collection
    34  related to students  experiencing  homelessness,  including  developing,
    35  administering,  and analyzing the results of a survey annually, collabo-
    36  ratively with campus contacts designated pursuant to subdivision four of
    37  this section, social work interns, and other essential staff, to collect
    38  data on student access  to  resources  needed  to  address  homelessness
    39  across  the  state university of New York and the city university of New
    40  York; and
    41    (f) make available an annual report of the survey administered  pursu-
    42  ant  to  paragraph  (e) of this subdivision on the websites of the state
    43  university of New York and the city university of New York.
    44    3. The state university of New York and the  city  university  of  New
    45  York  each  shall  require  professors and university staff to attend at
    46  least one training per year offered by the liaison officer  for  current
    47  and incoming students experiencing homelessness.
    48    4. The liaison officer for the state university of New York shall hire
    49  one  part-time adjunct staff to serve as regional contact in each of ten
    50  economic development regions. Such regional contacts shall supervise the
    51  campus contacts in their region  and  support  the  liaison  officer  to
    52  ensure  that students experiencing homelessness are identified, informed
    53  of services available to them, and able to access support  services  and
    54  other resources available in the region.
    55    5.  The liaison officer for the city university of New York shall hire
    56  five part-time  adjunct  staff  to  serve  as  regional  contacts.  Such

        A. 4029                             3
 
     1  regional  contacts  shall supervise the campus contacts in their regions
     2  and support the liaison officer to  ensure  that  students  experiencing
     3  homelessness are identified, informed of services available to them, and
     4  able  to  access  support  services and other resources available in the
     5  region.
     6    6. Each college shall designate and may provide a stipend to at  least
     7  one person, who may be an employee of the college or an undergraduate or
     8  graduate level student of any college who is completing an internship as
     9  part  of obtaining a degree in social work or a related field, to act as
    10  a campus contact person for current and incoming  students  experiencing
    11  homelessness.
    12    7. The campus contact person shall:
    13    (a) institute best practices to identify current and incoming students
    14  experiencing homelessness, including:
    15    (i)  posting  flyers,  posters,  and other written materials about the
    16  rights of students experiencing homelessness  using  understandable  and
    17  culturally  competent language, in locations on campus and in the commu-
    18  nity where students experiencing homelessness are likely to see them;
    19    (ii) posting, using understandable and culturally  competent  informa-
    20  tion,  about the rights of students experiencing homelessness on college
    21  websites and social media;
    22    (iii) collaborating with student organizations and other organizations
    23  providing food, housing, or other services on campus and in the communi-
    24  ty; and
    25    (iv) sharing information about the  rights  of  students  experiencing
    26  homelessness  and  the process to refer students who may be experiencing
    27  homelessness to the campus contact  with  professors  and  other  campus
    28  staff;
    29    (b)   provide  students  experiencing  homelessness  with  information
    30  regarding their federal and state financial aid  eligibility,  including
    31  their  eligibility  as  independent students under Section 1087vv of the
    32  federal Higher Education Act, and assistance to such students to  ensure
    33  they  are  able to apply for and receive federal and state financial aid
    34  and all available on and off campus services for which they  are  eligi-
    35  ble;
    36    (c)   provide  students  experiencing  homelessness  with  information
    37  regarding support services, health services, housing  resources  offered
    38  by  the  college  and  external  housing  resources,  housing navigation
    39  services and existing housing programs for homeless or low-income  indi-
    40  viduals  or  families, meal plan and food programs and assistance, coun-
    41  seling services, academic supports, and other resources available to the
    42  students at the college;
    43    (d)  participate  in  professional  development  and  other  technical
    44  assistance activities offered by the liaison officer; and
    45    (e)    contact   liaisons   designated   under   42   U.S.C.   Section
    46  11432(g)(1)(J)(ii) as necessary  to  facilitate  successful  transitions
    47  from  secondary  to  postsecondary  education  for students experiencing
    48  homelessness.
    49    § 6362. Access to housing for students experiencing homelessness. Each
    50  college shall:
    51    1. prioritize students experiencing homelessness for access to  exist-
    52  ing  housing  resources  offered  by  the college, as needed, during and
    53  between academic terms, including granting them first priority for hous-
    54  ing facilities that remain open for occupation during the most days in a
    55  calendar year; and

        A. 4029                             4
 
     1    2. develop a plan to connect students experiencing  homelessness  with
     2  external  housing  resources  when existing housing resources offered by
     3  the college are not available, including through working  with  existing
     4  housing programs for homeless or low-income individuals or families.
     5    § 6363. Priority  enrollment. Each college that administers a priority
     6  enrollment system shall grant priority in that system for enrollment  in
     7  classes to students experiencing homelessness.
     8    § 6364. Assistance  with  college fees for students experiencing home-
     9  lessness. For students experiencing homelessness, each college shall:
    10    1. waive administrative fees and fees based on  enrollment,  including
    11  health  and wellness, student activity, consolidated services, and tech-
    12  nology fees, that are not fully covered by  a  student's  financial  aid
    13  package; and
    14    2. defer the payment of any fee or deposit, including housing fees and
    15  deposits,  that  are  covered by a student's financial aid package until
    16  the college receives the aid, such that students shall  not  incur  late
    17  fees on payments delayed while awaiting disbursement of financial aid.
    18    § 6365. Pilot  program to increase enrollment, attendance, and success
    19  in college. 1. The department, when monies therefore have been appropri-
    20  ated by the legislature or are otherwise available, is hereby authorized
    21  to establish a pilot program to increase the enrollment, attendance, and
    22  success in college of students experiencing homelessness.   Campuses  of
    23  the  state university of New York and of the city university of New York
    24  shall be eligible to apply for grants  through  the  pilot  program  and
    25  shall accommodate up to five hundred students. Applications and proposed
    26  activities  shall be coordinated with the university liaison officer and
    27  the campus contact person designated  pursuant  to  section  sixty-three
    28  hundred  sixty-one of this article. The department shall evaluate appli-
    29  cations and award funds based on quality, need, and compliance with  the
    30  elements outlined in subdivision two of this section.
    31    2. Applications for grants shall include the following elements:
    32    (a)  staffing  with sufficient capacity and authority to implement all
    33  the proposed activities;
    34    (b) coordination with the local housing authority, department of home-
    35  less services, department of social services,  and  public  and  private
    36  agencies  that  provide  housing,  shelter,  or services for homeless or
    37  low-income individuals or families;
    38    (c) housing navigation services to assist students to find funding for
    39  housing resources offered by the college and external housing resources,
    40  including working with existing housing programs for homeless or low-in-
    41  come individuals or families;
    42    (d) outreach to and services for students who are  parents,  including
    43  housing services;
    44    (e) collaboration with student organizations, opportunity programs, or
    45  student  support  programs to identify and support students experiencing
    46  homelessness;
    47    (f) plans to implement a questionnaire for all enrolling students that
    48  will help determine whether enrolling students  are  experiencing  home-
    49  lessness;
    50    (g)  designated funding for housing, such as temporary dormitory rooms
    51  while housing navigation services take place, housing in the  community,
    52  host  homes,  housing  during  academic breaks, and fees associated with
    53  housing, including application fees and move-in stipends  for  furniture
    54  and supplies; and
    55    (h)  financial  literacy,  soft  skills,  and  life  skills  training,
    56  provided by the applicant or in collaboration with a community agency.

        A. 4029                             5
 
     1    3. Applications for grants are encouraged to include the following:
     2    (a)  plans  to  incorporate and appropriately supervise graduate-level
     3  interns, particularly social  work  interns,  to  undertake  appropriate
     4  activities;
     5    (b)  plans  to  develop relationships with landlords and incentives to
     6  house college students, including in collaboration with existing housing
     7  programs for homeless or low-income individuals or families; and
     8    (c) voluntary questions  about  homelessness  on  college  application
     9  forms.
    10    4.  applicants  shall  submit  an  annual report of data regarding the
    11  access to programs and  services  provided  to  students  in  the  pilot
    12  program  that  are  necessary to meet their basic needs, including food,
    13  housing, physical and mental health care, and related services.
    14    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
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