Amd S305, add SS667-b & 669-f, Ed L; add SS89-i & 89-j, St Fin L; amd S210-B, Tax L
Provides loans, grants and incentives to promote studies in math, science and engineering or any other high-tech field the commissioner deems appropriate on a high school and college level; establishes certain state funds and provides tax credits for contributions thereto; makes an appropriation therefor.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
3918
2015-2016 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 28, 2015
___________
Introduced by M. of A. TEDISCO, THIELE, KOLB, BUTLER, McKEVITT, PALMESA-
NO, MONTESANO -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. BARCLAY, CROUCH,
FINCH, GIGLIO, HAWLEY, LOPEZ, OAKS, RAIA, SALADINO, TENNEY -- read
once and referred to the Committee on Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, the state finance law and the tax
law, in relation to increasing educational opportunities in the fields
of math, science and technology or any high-tech field; and making an
appropriation therefor
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
2 the "New Edison Project Act".
3 § 2. Legislative intent. Today, Americans are feeling the far-reaching
4 effects of economic globalization and the loss of the American
5 distinction as the leader in technological innovation. While there is
6 recognition throughout the United States from academic, political and
7 business leaders of the nature of the problem, solutions appear both
8 varied and isolated. Only recently has government been compelled to put
9 forth legislative efforts.
10 Here in New York, we have made great efforts to cultivate a new gener-
11 ation of high tech business, and we have marketed these emerging efforts
12 with names such as Tech Valley and Silicon Alley. If we are to continue
13 to build a future for New York as a technological center for innovation
14 and science, we must be committed to cultivating a new generation of
15 scientists.
16 The New Edison Project does not rely on a single decision-making
17 factor to influence a student's career choice, but instead employs a
18 broad range of programs that seek to influence and inspire a generation
19 of high school and college students.
20 § 3. Section 305 of the education law is amended by adding two new
21 subdivisions 53 and 54 to read as follows:
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02657-01-5
A. 3918 2
1 53. The commissioner shall develop guidelines by which school
2 districts may establish high schools offering advanced curricula of the
3 sciences. Such schools would be either distinct high schools or programs
4 within high schools distributed regionally throughout the state which
5 provide students with enriched math, science and technology curricula.
6 Each school district interested in participating shall submit an appli-
7 cation to the department setting forth its plan for advanced curriculum.
8 Six school districts shall be accepted for advanced curriculum funding
9 of up to one million dollars each in addition to traditional school aid.
10 54. To properly acquaint the public with the importance of the
11 provisions of subdivision fifty-three of this section, the commissioner,
12 with appropriate consultation, shall establish a celebrity media
13 campaign whereby celebrities of television, film and the sciences are
14 involved to draw attention to math, science and technology career paths.
15 This campaign will also be aimed at parents of potential students of the
16 advanced curriculum.
17 § 4. The education law is amended by adding a new section 667-b to
18 read as follows:
19 § 667-b. Supplemental program for math, science and technology majors.
20 Any full time student entering his or her sophomore year who is enrolled
21 in a math, science or technology major, and who is a recipient of
22 tuition assistance pursuant to section six hundred sixty-seven of this
23 subpart, shall receive an additional sum of five hundred dollars toward
24 tuition.
25 § 5. The education law is amended by adding a new section 669-f to
26 read as follows:
27 § 669-f. Additional incentives in the fields of math, science and
28 technology. In addition to the incentives toward a teaching career
29 pursuant to section six hundred sixty-nine-d of this subpart, the
30 commissioner shall select up to five hundred full time students who are
31 majoring in math, science or technology or any other high-technology
32 field that the commissioner deems appropriate, to receive loan forgive-
33 ness of ten thousand dollars per year for up to five years provided each
34 such student agrees in writing to working within this state for at least
35 five years after graduation in an appropriate field of math, science or
36 technology or any other high-technology field that the commissioner
37 deems appropriate.
38 § 6. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section 89-i to
39 read as follows:
40 § 89-i. Microscope fund. 1. There is hereby established in the joint
41 custody of the commissioner of taxation and finance and the comptroller,
42 a special fund to be known as the "microscope fund".
43 2. Such fund shall consist of all revenues received by the department
44 of taxation and finance from grants, contributions, donations and all
45 other moneys credited or transferred thereto from any other fund or
46 source pursuant to law. The commissioner of education shall establish a
47 low interest loan fund, to be administered by a private financial corpo-
48 ration. Such fund shall provide up to fifty thousand dollars per high
49 school granted a low interest loan pursuant to this section. High
50 schools shall qualify for such a loan based on criteria to be determined
51 by the private financial corporation administering the loan fund and
52 priority shall be given to funding for specialized projects.
53 3. On or before the first day of February each year, the comptroller
54 shall certify to the governor, temporary president of the senate, speak-
55 er of the assembly, minority leader of the senate, minority leader of
56 the assembly, chair of the senate finance committee, ranking minority
A. 3918 3
1 member of the senate finance committee, chair of the assembly ways and
2 means committee and ranking minority member of the assembly ways and
3 means committee, the amount of money deposited in such fund during the
4 preceding calendar year.
5 4. Moneys in such fund shall be kept separate and shall not be commin-
6 gled with any other moneys in the custody of the commissioner of taxa-
7 tion and finance and the comptroller.
8 5. All payments from such fund shall be made by the department of
9 taxation and finance after audit and warrant of the comptroller on
10 vouchers approved by the commissioner of education.
11 § 7. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section 89-j to
12 read as follows:
13 § 89-j. Foundation fund. 1. There is hereby established in the joint
14 custody of the commissioner of taxation and finance and the comptroller,
15 a special fund to be known as the "foundation fund".
16 2. Such fund shall consist of all revenues received by the department
17 of taxation and finance, from moneys appropriated, credited, or trans-
18 ferred thereto from any other fund or source pursuant to law. Nothing
19 contained in this section shall prevent the state from receiving grants,
20 gifts or bequests for the purposes of the fund as defined in this
21 section and depositing them into such fund according to law.
22 3. On or before the first day of February each year, the comptroller
23 shall certify to the governor, temporary president of the senate, speak-
24 er of the assembly, minority leader of the senate, minority leader of
25 the assembly, chair of the senate finance committee, ranking minority
26 member of the senate finance committee, chair of the assembly ways and
27 means committee and ranking minority member of the assembly ways and
28 means committee, the amount of money deposited in such fund.
29 4. Moneys in such fund shall be kept separate and shall not be commin-
30 gled with any other moneys in the custody of the commissioner of taxa-
31 tion and finance and the comptroller.
32 5. All payments from such fund shall be made by the department of
33 taxation and finance after audit and warrant of the comptroller on
34 vouchers approved by the commissioner of education.
35 6. The monies from this fund shall be distributed by the commissioner
36 of education to graduate students in all sectors to pursue scientific
37 research related to their graduate or doctoral studies. Each graduate
38 student, selected using criteria to be established by the department of
39 education, shall be eligible to receive up to twenty thousand dollars.
40 Such award shall be to help such students secure incubator space and pay
41 for costs associated with development and construction of scientific
42 prototypes. Such awards shall be granted on a competitive basis and
43 shall be available to individuals only once.
44 § 8. Section 210-B of the tax law is amended by adding a new subdivi-
45 sion 49 to read as follows:
46 49. Microscope fund tax credit. A taxpayer shall be allowed a credit
47 against the tax imposed by this article. The amount of the credit shall
48 be equal to fifty percent of the sum of the following investments and
49 contributions made during the taxable year and certified by the commis-
50 sioner of education for taxable years beginning on and after January
51 first, two thousand sixteen, contributions in the form of donations made
52 to the microscope fund established pursuant to section eighty-nine-i of
53 the state finance law. The amount of such credit allowable to a taxpayer
54 under this subdivision shall not exceed twenty-five thousand dollars.
55 § 9. The commissioner of education shall create and sponsor a science
56 fair intended to lead the nation in participation and prizes awarded.
A. 3918 4
1 Such fair shall be designed to challenge and inspire the state's bright-
2 est and most inventive high school students to attempt to solve a timely
3 societal challenge, such as our reliance on fossil fuels. After the
4 challenge is announced in September, each participating high school will
5 have six months to solve the problem and host a science fair to be held
6 by February, qualifying one team for the regional competition. The team
7 will win a $2,500 award to aid with additional costs of the project and
8 travel expenses. Each award shall be presented by the school's state
9 senate representative and assembly representative. Each winning team
10 will then compete in one of 10 regional competitions. Each region shall
11 qualify the three top teams to compete in the final state competition to
12 be held in Albany in the spring. The awards for the 30 teams competing
13 in the final:
14 First Place: The New Edison Medal presented by the governor, $500,000
15 to the winning high school, $5,000 to each team member to be used for
16 attending a New York state college, and an agreement that seventy-five
17 percent of the award to the school be used to improve math, science and
18 technology programs at the school.
19 Second Place: $50,000 for the high school, $2,000 for each team member
20 to be used for attending a New York state college, and an agreement that
21 seventy-five percent of the award to the school be used to improve math,
22 science and technology programs at the school.
23 Third Place and Fourth Place: $10,000 for the high school, and $500
24 for each team member to be used for attending a New York state college.
25 § 10. Commission on science, math and technology. 1. There is hereby
26 established a temporary state commission on science, math and technolo-
27 gy. The commission shall investigate and make recommendations regarding
28 strengthening science, math and technology education throughout the
29 state; including, but not limited to, identifying ways to utilize guid-
30 ance counselors as a means of encouraging careers and activities for
31 grades six through twelve that are geared toward math, science and tech-
32 nology.
33 2. The commission shall report each year to the governor, temporary
34 president of the senate, minority leader of the senate, speaker of the
35 assembly and the minority leader of the assembly as to engaging elemen-
36 tary school children in the study of math, science and technology; iden-
37 tifying internships and fellowships for middle school through college
38 age students in high-tech areas; and designing curriculum for kindergar-
39 ten through twelve and higher education in the science, math and tech-
40 nology areas.
41 3. The commissioner of education or his or her designee shall chair
42 the commission. In addition, the governor shall appoint three members;
43 one representative of private schools, one representative of public
44 schools and one representative of private industry, the temporary presi-
45 dent of the senate, the speaker of the assembly and the comptroller
46 shall each appoint one member of the commission.
47 4. The members of the commission shall not be compensated for their
48 service but shall be reimbursed for their actual and necessary expenses
49 in providing such service.
50 5. The department of education and any other state agency shall, if
51 called upon, provide the members with cooperation, information and staff
52 support.
53 § 11. The sum of two million dollars ($2,000,000), or so much thereof
54 as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated to the foundation fund from
55 any moneys in the state treasury in the general fund to the credit of
56 the state purposes account not otherwise appropriated for the purposes
A. 3918 5
1 of carrying out the provisions of section seven of this act. Such sum
2 shall be payable on the audit and warrant of the state comptroller on
3 vouchers certified or approved by the commissioner of education, or his
4 or her duly designated representative in the manner provided by law. No
5 expenditure shall be made from this appropriation until a certificate of
6 approval of availability shall have been issued by the director of the
7 budget and filed with the state comptroller and a copy filed with the
8 chairman of the senate finance committee and the chairman of the assem-
9 bly ways and means committee. Such certificate may be amended from time
10 to time by the director of the budget and a copy of each such amendment
11 shall be filed with the state comptroller, the chairman of the senate
12 finance committee and the chairman of the assembly ways and means
13 committee.
14 § 12. This act shall take effect January 1, 2016. The commissioner of
15 education shall immediately develop necessary guidelines and promulgate
16 necessary rules and regulations to carry out the provisions of this act
17 on or before such effective date.
