Education

signed · New York · Senate Dec 5, 2025

S 4200: Relates to student financial aid award letters

Requires student financial aid award letters to contain information on net costs, defined as an estimate of the costs of attendance after financial aid which does not require repayment and options for loans which do require repayment.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationRequires transparent financial aid disclosure to help students afford higher education, expanding access to educational opportunities through clearer cost information.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

signed · New York · Senate Dec 5, 2025

S 6705: Relates to college admission and financial aid for students who have received a high school diploma from certain online high school programs

Provides that students who receive a high school diploma from an online high school program located within the United States that is accredited in accordance with the Job Corps Policy and Requirements Handbook shall be eligible for admission to colleges and financial aid.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationEnables college admission and financial aid eligibility for online high school graduates, expanding educational access for a specific student group.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

in committee · New York · Senate Dec 1, 2025

S 312: Relates to complaints concerning the moral character of individuals who hold or who are applicants for New York State teaching certificates

This bill creates a new internal registry for active investigations into specific moral character complaints against New York teachers or applicants. It only includes cases involving boundary violations between teachers and students, sex-related offenses, or sexual complaints, as determined by the commissioner. School districts seeking to hire an applicant are notified if they're on the registry, but the registry's details remain confidential except to school administrators. Teachers added to the registry can appeal within 30 days, and investigations must be prioritized for completion. The bill does not change existing moral character standards but standardizes how such complaints are tracked and communicated.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill creates registry for teacher moral character complaints to prevent harmful hires, protecting students and maintaining educational standards.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

Track

signed · New York · Senate Nov 21, 2025

S 5929: Authorizes the commissioner of general services to transfer and convey certain state land to the Syosset central school district

Authorizes the commissioner of general services to transfer and convey certain state land to the Syosset Central School District for the purpose of building new and expanding current facilities at Berry Hill Elementary School; provides for the repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationAuthorizes land transfer for school facility expansion, directly improving infrastructure which supports educational access and quality per topic description.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

signed · New York · Assembly Nov 21, 2025

A 7427: Prohibits the state university of New York from contracting out certain services

Prohibits the state university of New York from contracting out to the ground lessee or any subsidiary of the ground lessee or the research foundation for the state university of New York for any services or privatize any services currently being performed by employees in the unclassified service at the state university of New York at Albany.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationPrevents privatization of university services, protecting public employees and maintaining in-house operations at SUNY Albany, supporting higher education stability.90% confidence | Rep's Stance Voted absent

signed · New York · Senate Nov 21, 2025

S 3161: Moves the Amistad Commission from the department of state to the state education department

This bill moves the Amistad Commission from the State Department to the State Education Department. The commission, which focuses on promoting education about the African slave trade, slavery in America, and African-American contributions, will now be managed by the Education Department rather than the State Department. This transfer shifts administrative responsibility for the commission's work - such as developing educational resources, recognizing schools teaching African-American history, and advising on curriculum - to the Education Department. The bill is now law (Chapter 542, signed November 21, 2025).

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMoves educational commission to Education Department, strengthening curriculum integration for African-American history education and resource development.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

signed · New York · Assembly Nov 21, 2025

A 5685: Relates to the New York state masters-in-education teacher incentive scholarship program

This bill establishes a scholarship program for New York State residents pursuing master's degrees in education. It directly affects students enrolled full-time in approved New York state education programs who earned their undergraduate degree in New York, maintained residency during that time, and commit to teaching full-time in New York public schools for five years. The program prioritizes applicants attending public colleges (as defined by law), with remaining scholarships available for private college students meeting the same eligibility criteria. Key requirements include academic excellence during undergraduate studies and signing a teaching commitment contract with the state. The scholarship covers costs for qualifying education degree programs leading to teaching careers in New York's public elementary or secondary schools.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationEstablishes scholarship for teacher master's degrees with public school teaching commitment, directly funding educator development and retention in K-12 schools.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

signed · New York · Assembly Nov 21, 2025

A 7385: Relates to the Rochester school facilities modernization program act

Authorizes an additional $125 million for Phase 3 of the Rochester school facilities modernization program; extends phase 3 of the Rochester school facilities modernization program to 2033.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationAuthorizes $125M for school facility modernization, directly funding K-12 infrastructure improvements per bill summary.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

signed · New York · Senate Nov 21, 2025

S 7486: Qualifies the permitted use of proceeds from the lease of lands located at the state university of New York at Purchase

Qualifies the permitted use of proceeds from the lease of lands located at the state university of New York at Purchase shall go to New York state resident students who are eligible to receive a federal Pell grant.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationDirects lease proceeds to NY state Pell-eligible students, increasing financial aid access for higher education through targeted funding.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

signed · New York · Senate Nov 21, 2025

S 8218: Relates to certain bonds issued to finance school rehabilitation or reconstruction costs for Rochester schools

This bill (S 8218, now Chapter 567) modifies how interest costs are calculated for bonds financing Rochester school rehabilitation or reconstruction projects. It establishes a specific formula for determining the interest rate used to calculate state aid for these projects, requiring cities to provide annual interest rate analyses to the education commissioner. The bill ensures that refunding bond savings (from refinancing existing school debt) must be used solely for new eligible school projects. It directly affects Rochester schools, the Monroe Industrial Development Agency, and the State Dormitory Authority in administering school facility funding. The law clarifies the process for calculating interest costs to align with state funding formulas for school modernization programs.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill modifies bond interest calculations to ensure funds for Rochester school rehabilitation/reconstruction, advancing infrastructure funding through structured state aid and mandatory use of refunding savings for new projects.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education