Requires the state university and the city university of New York to disclose the costs of providing for and those imposed for room and board on each campus.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
5575--B
Cal. No. 243
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
April 17, 2017
___________
Introduced by Sen. LAVALLE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Higher Education -- recom-
mitted to the Committee on Higher Education in accordance with Senate
Rule 6, sec. 8 -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered
reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee -- reported
favorably from said committee, ordered to first and second report,
ordered to a third reading, amended and ordered reprinted, retaining
its place in the order of third reading
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to college room and board
price disclosure
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 355 of the education law is amended by adding a new
2 subdivision 20 to read as follows:
3 20. College room and board price disclosure. The board of trustees
4 shall direct each college president to disclose to the chancellor and
5 the chairs of the senate and assembly higher education committees annu-
6 ally, and SUNY Central Administration shall post on its website annual-
7 ly, about:
8 a. The competitive process for any dormitory facilities constructed on
9 the campus;
10 b. The actual cost for full construction of each dormitory facility on
11 campus;
12 c. The amount of students housed in each building for the prior
13 academic year;
14 d. The amount charged for room and board per student in the past five
15 academic years;
16 e. How many years students are required to live in campus housing, if
17 applicable;
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD11076-04-8
S. 5575--B 2
1 f. The breakdown of how the cost charged to students for room and
2 board is spent for maintenance, utility costs and other costs associated
3 with maintenance of the facilities, if any;
4 g. The student capacity for different dormitory rooms, the justifica-
5 tion for putting more students than the allocated capacity per dormitory
6 room, and if a student receives a discount if put in a room above the
7 allocated capacity, if any;
8 h. The lowest projected cost per student for room and board fees per
9 year; and
10 i. Justification for any increases for the upcoming academic year,
11 including but not limited to:
12 (1) Rising utility costs; and
13 (2) Costs of repair.
14 § 2. Section 6206 of the education law is amended by adding a new
15 subdivision 20 to read as follows:
16 20. College room and board price disclosure. The board of trustees
17 shall direct each college president to disclose to the chancellor and
18 the chairs of the senate and assembly higher education committees annu-
19 ally, and CUNY Central Administration shall post on its website annual-
20 ly, about:
21 a. The competitive process for any dormitory facilities constructed on
22 the campus;
23 b. The actual costs for full construction of each dormitory facility
24 on campus;
25 c. The amount of students housed in each building for the prior
26 academic year;
27 d. The amount charged for room and board per student in the past five
28 academic years;
29 e. How many years students are required to live in campus housing, if
30 applicable;
31 f. The breakdown of how the cost charged to students for room and
32 board is spent for maintenance, utility costs and other costs associated
33 with maintenance of the facilities, if any;
34 g. The student capacity for different dormitory rooms, the justifica-
35 tion for putting more students than the allocated capacity per dormitory
36 room, and if a student receives a discount if put in a room above the
37 allocated capacity, if any;
38 h. The lowest projected cost per student for room and board fees per
39 year; and
40 i. Justification for any increases for the upcoming academic year,
41 including but not limited to:
42 (1) Rising utility costs; and
43 (2) Costs of repair.
44 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately; provided, however, the
45 annual report required pursuant to sections one and two of this act
46 shall be furnished on September 1, 2019, and every subsequent September
47 first, thereafter.
