Amd §669-a, Ed L; amd §4, Chap of 2024 (as proposed in S.8596-A & A.9205-A)
Relates to veterans tuition awards program eligibility; makes tuition awards available for certain veterans including, but not limited to Vietnam, Persian Gulf and Afghanistan.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A1470
SPONSOR: Buttenschon TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the education law, in relation to veterans tuition
awards program eligibility, and to amend a chapter of the laws of 2024
amending the education law relating to expanding eligibility under the
veterans tuition awards program, as proposed in legislative bills
numbers S. 8596-A and A. 9205-A, in relation to the effectiveness ther-
eof
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the education law, in relation to veterans tuition
awards program eligibility, and to amend a chapter of the laws of 2024
amending the education law relating to expanding eligibility under the
veterans tuition awards program, as proposed in legislative bills
numbers S. 8596-A and A. 9205-A, in relation to the effectiveness ther-
eof
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
To clarify provisions of Chapter 453 of the Laws of 2024 relating to
eligibility requirements and award calculation under the Veterans
Tuition Awards Program.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section one would amend paragraph d of subdivision one of section 669-a
of the education law to provide that eligible service in the U.S. Armed
Forces includes either four years of active service or service in
hostilities occurring after February 28, 1961.
Section two would amend paragraph a of subdivision two of section 669-a
of the education law to clarify that Vietnam, Persian Gulf, and Afghan-
istan veterans are eligible for the Veterans Tuition Award.
Section three would amend subdivision four of section 669-a of the
education law to provide that awards under the Veterans Tuition Awards
program shall be equal to the undergraduate resident tuition rate at the
State University of New York, or the actual tuition charged, whichever
is less.
Section four would extend the effective date of Chapter 453 of the Laws
of 2024 to July 1, 2025.
Section five would provide the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
This bill would provide necessary clarification of Chapter 453 of the
Laws of 2024 to ensure its effective implementation.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New Bill.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
To be Determined.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act would take effect immediately; provided, however, that sections
one, two and three of this act would take effect on the same date and in
the same manner as a chapter of the laws of 2024 amending the education
law relating to expanding eligibility under the veterans tuition awards
program, as proposed in legislative bills numbers S.8596-A and A.9205-A,
takes effect.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
1470
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 9, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. BUTTENSCHON -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Higher Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to veterans tuition
awards program eligibility, and to amend a chapter of the laws of 2024
amending the education law relating to expanding eligibility under the
veterans tuition awards program, as proposed in legislative bills
numbers S. 8596-A and A. 9205-A, in relation to the effectiveness
thereof
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subparagraph (ii) of paragraph d of subdivision 1 of
2 section 669-a of the education law, as amended by a chapter of the laws
3 of 2024 amending the education law relating to expanding eligibility
4 under the veterans tuition awards program, as proposed in legislative
5 bills numbers S. 8596-A and A. 9205-A, is amended to read as follows:
6 (ii) served in the armed forces of the United States (1) on active
7 duty for at least four years, or (2) in hostilities that occurred after
8 February twenty-eighth, nineteen hundred sixty-one, as evidenced by
9 their receipt of an Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Navy Expeditionary
10 Medal, or Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal, and
11 § 2. Paragraph a of subdivision 2 of section 669-a of the education
12 law, as amended by a chapter of the laws of 2024 amending the education
13 law relating to expanding eligibility under the veterans tuition awards
14 program, as proposed in legislative bills numbers S. 8596-A and A.
15 9205-A, is amended to read as follows:
16 a. Tuition awards are available for all Vietnam, Persian Gulf, Afghan-
17 istan and other eligible veterans, as defined in subdivision one of this
18 section, who are enrolled, pursuant to paragraph a of subdivision four
19 of section six hundred sixty-one of this part, in approved undergraduate
20 or graduate programs at degree granting institutions or enrolled in
21 approved vocational training programs and who apply for a tuition
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02704-01-5
A. 1470 2
1 assistance program award, for up to the equivalent of eight full-time
2 semesters, pursuant to section six hundred sixty-seven of this subpart.
3 § 3. Subdivision 4 of section 669-a of the education law, as amended
4 by a chapter of the laws of 2024 amending the education law relating to
5 expanding eligibility under the veterans tuition awards program, as
6 proposed in legislative bills numbers S. 8596-A and A. 9205-A, is
7 amended to read as follows:
8 4. Every recipient shall receive an award equal to the amount of
9 undergraduate [or graduate] tuition for residents of New York state
10 charged by the state university of New York or actual tuition charged,
11 whichever is less, for each semester, or the equivalent, of full time
12 study, or a pro-rated amount for part-time study; provided, however,
13 that such award shall not be reduced by any benefits available under the
14 federal Montgomery GI Bill act of 1984 or the federal Pell grant program
15 pursuant to section one thousand seventy-a of title twenty of the United
16 States code.
17 § 4. Section 4 of a chapter of the laws of 2024 amending the education
18 law relating to expanding eligibility under the veterans tuition awards
19 program, as proposed in legislative bills numbers S. 8596-A and A.
20 9205-A, is amended to read as follows:
21 § 4. This act shall take effect [immediately] July 1, 2025.
22 § 5. This act shall take effect immediately; provided, however, that
23 sections one, two and three of this act shall take effect on the same
24 date and in the same manner as a chapter of the laws of 2024 amending
25 the education law relating to expanding eligibility under the veterans
26 tuition awards program, as proposed in legislative bills numbers S.
27 8596-A and A. 9205-A, takes effect.
