Establishes a novel virus essential workers scholarship program to award annual scholarships to essential employees who worked during the outbreak of novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) or during the outbreak of another novel virus and children of essential employees who have died as a result of contracting COVID-19 or another novel virus.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A1322
SPONSOR: Simon TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the education law, in relation to establishing a novel
virus essential workers scholarship program
PURPOSE:
Creates a college scholarship program for the essential employees who
worked during the outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 and the
children of essential employees who have died as a result of contracting
COVID-19.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Amends the education law, in relation to establishing a COVID-19 essen-
tial workers scholarship program.
EXISTING LAW:
None
JUSTIFICATION:
Essential workers including (but not limited to) food delivery person-
nel, convenience/grocery/deli store workers, transportation and health
care workers, continued to work during the outbreak of the coronavirus.
The essential workers put their health and the health of their families
at risk but continuing to travel to and perform their work tasks daily.
They kept the food supply chain open, delivered groceries to keep people
at home, kept transportation lines open, picked up and disposed of trash
and took care of the sick in the hospitals and other medical facilities.
Due to their efforts, many New Yorkers were able to stay safely at home
and prevent a larger outbreak of the virus. They have been heroes during
the coronavirus pandemic and have kept many New Yorkers alive.
New York has a history of rewarding heroes with opportunities that will
positivity impact their lives as a show of appreciation for their dedi-
cation and sacrifice. The essential employees who worked during the
outbreak of the novel coronavirus deserve the same treatment.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2024 A1569 Simon -referred to higher education New bill.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
To be determined.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
this act shall take effect immediately
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
1322
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 9, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. SIMON -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Higher Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to establishing a novel
virus essential workers scholarship 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 608-b
2 to read as follows:
3 § 608-b. Novel virus essential worker scholarships. 1. Notwithstanding
4 subdivision five of section six hundred sixty-one of this title, essen-
5 tial employees who worked during the outbreak of novel coronavirus
6 disease two thousand nineteen (COVID-19) or during the outbreak of
7 another novel virus which results in the declaration of a state disaster
8 emergency and children of essential employees who have died as a result
9 of contracting COVID-19 or another novel virus, shall be eligible to
10 receive a scholarship in an annual amount determined pursuant to subdi-
11 vision two of section six hundred sixty-eight-h of this title. The
12 commissioner shall promulgate rules and regulations regarding who quali-
13 fies as an essential employee.
14 2. Awards under this section shall be payable for each of not more
15 than four academic years of undergraduate study or five academic years
16 if a program normally requires five years, as defined by the commission-
17 er pursuant to this article.
18 3. For purposes of this section, "novel virus" means a virus or bacte-
19 rial strain that has not been previously identified in humans.
20 § 2. The education law is amended by adding a new section 668-h to
21 read as follows:
22 § 668-h. Novel virus essential worker scholarships. 1. Eligible
23 groups. Notwithstanding subdivision five of section six hundred sixty-
24 one of this part, essential employees who worked during the outbreak of
25 novel coronavirus disease two thousand nineteen (COVID-19) or during the
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00122-01-5
A. 1322 2
1 outbreak of another novel virus which results in the declaration of a
2 state disaster emergency and children of essential employees who have
3 died as a result of contracting COVID-19 or another novel virus, shall
4 be eligible to receive a scholarship. The commissioner shall promulgate
5 rules and regulations regarding who qualifies as an essential employee.
6 For purposes of this section, "novel virus" means a virus or bacterial
7 strain that has not been previously identified in humans.
8 2. Amount. (a) The president shall grant annual scholarships in the
9 following amounts:
10 (1) If the recipient attends an institution of the city university of
11 New York or an institution of the state university of New York other
12 than the statutory colleges at Cornell, the college of environmental
13 science and forestry at Syracuse and the college of ceramics at Alfred,
14 the annual award shall be an amount equal to: the tuition charged at
15 such institution provided that, notwithstanding any provision of law to
16 the contrary, the tuition charged to award recipients shall not exceed
17 that charged to state resident students attending such institution; the
18 mandatory fees charged at such institution; and the non-tuition cost of
19 attendance at such institution or college, provided that the scholarship
20 shall not exceed an amount that is equal to the total cost of attendance
21 determined for federal Title IV student financial aid purposes, less all
22 other scholarships and grants provided by New York state, other states,
23 the federal government, or other governments, and the amount of educa-
24 tional benefits paid under any program that would duplicate the purposes
25 of this program, provided that any scholarships or grants provided to a
26 recipient by the institution which are intended to fund any portion of
27 the difference between the annual state award and the actual costs of
28 attendance at any such institution shall not be considered to duplicate
29 the purposes of this program; or
30 (2) If the recipient attends any other approved program within New
31 York state, the annual award shall be based upon an amount equal to: the
32 tuition charged to state resident students attending a four-year college
33 of the state university of New York; the average mandatory fees charged
34 at four-year colleges of the state university of New York, or the actual
35 tuition and fees charged to the recipient, whichever is less; and the
36 average non-tuition cost of attendance, as determined by the president
37 and as approved by the director of the budget, for a student at the
38 state university of New York or actual non-tuition cost of attendance at
39 such institution, whichever is less, provided that the scholarship shall
40 not exceed an amount that is equal to the total cost of attendance
41 determined for federal Title IV student financial aid purposes, less all
42 other scholarships and grants provided by New York state, other states,
43 the federal government, or other governments, and the amount of educa-
44 tional benefits paid under any program that would duplicate the purposes
45 of this program, provided that any scholarships or grants provided to a
46 recipient by the institution which are intended to fund any portion of
47 the difference between the annual state award and the actual costs of
48 attendance at any such institution shall not be considered to duplicate
49 the purposes of this program.
50 (3) "Non-tuition cost of attendance", as used in this subdivision,
51 shall mean: (i) the actual amount charged by the institution for room
52 and board, and (ii) an allowance for transportation, books and supplies
53 as determined by the president and as approved by the director of the
54 budget, provided that such determination shall be made no later than
55 December first of each year for use in the succeeding academic year. In
56 the event a student does not incur room or board charges at the institu-
A. 1322 3
1 tion, "non-tuition cost of attendance" shall mean an allowance for room
2 and board as determined by the president and approved by the director of
3 the budget. In determining allowances pursuant to this subparagraph, the
4 president may take into consideration the allowances provided for in the
5 Pell grant program.
6 (b) In no event shall the combination of all student financial aid
7 received by a student exceed a recipient's total cost of attendance at
8 the institution being attended.
9 3. Duration. Awards under this section shall be payable for each of
10 not more than four academic years of undergraduate study or five academ-
11 ic years if a program normally requires five years, as defined by the
12 commissioner pursuant to article thirteen of this title.
13 § 3. Section 604 of the education law is amended by adding a new
14 subdivision 13 to read as follows:
15 13. Novel virus essential worker scholarships pursuant to section six
16 hundred sixty-eight-h of this title.
17 § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.
