Relates to providing access to laptops for high school and higher education students and textbooks for higher education students; provides access to laptops and textbooks without charge.
STATE OF NEW YORK
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8517
IN SENATE
February 8, 2024
___________
Introduced by Sen. PARKER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to providing access to
laptops for high school and higher education students and textbooks
for higher education students
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 753 of the education law is amended by adding a new
2 subdivision 6 to read as follows:
3 6. Beginning in the two thousand twenty-five--two thousand twenty-six
4 school year, within amounts appropriated therefor, each school district
5 in the state shall implement a program to provide each student in the
6 district in grades nine through twelve a laptop without charge.
7 § 2. The education law is amended by adding a new article 15-D to read
8 as follows:
9 ARTICLE 15-D
10 ACCESS TO HIGHER EDUCATION TEXTBOOKS AND LAPTOPS
11 Section 730. Access to higher education textbooks and laptops.
12 § 730. Access to higher education textbooks and laptops. 1. (a) Begin-
13 ning in the two thousand twenty-five--two thousand twenty-six school
14 year, within amounts appropriated therefor, every institution of the
15 state university of New York and every institution of the city universi-
16 ty of New York shall implement a program to provide any student who
17 attends such institution a laptop without charge.
18 (b) Beginning in the two thousand twenty-five--two thousand twenty-six
19 school year, within amounts appropriate therefor, every private college
20 or university within the state shall implement a program to provide any
21 qualifying student who attends such institution a laptop without charge.
22 For the purposes of this paragraph, "qualifying student" shall mean a
23 student who provides such private college or university documentation of
24 financial need based upon information provided on such student's free
25 application for federal student aid (FAFSA).
26 2. (a) Beginning in the two thousand twenty-five--two thousand twen-
27 ty-six school year, within amounts appropriated therefor, every institu-
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD14040-01-4
S. 8517 2
1 tion of the state university of New York, every institution of the city
2 university of New York and every private college or university within
3 the state shall implement a program to provide free college textbooks to
4 every student attending such institution.
5 (b) Such program shall provide each student with a voucher to purchase
6 necessary textbooks with the condition all textbooks shall be returned
7 at the end of each semester in a serviceable condition.
8 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
