Education

passed · New York · Senate Feb 5, 2026

S 2505: Establishes a task force on educator diversity in New York state

Establishes a task force to conduct a comprehensive study on the presence of educator diversity in the state, state actions taken to promote educator diversity, and how the state can encourage new initiatives to enhance and promote educator diversity in New York; provides for the repeal of such provisions upon the expiration thereof.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill establishes task force to study and promote educator diversity, directly supporting initiatives to enhance teacher diversity in schools.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

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died · New York · Senate Jan 29, 2026

S 1683: Enacts the "public university emergency contraception education act"

Enacts the "public university emergency contraception education act" requiring public universities to develop, produce and distribute informational materials related to emergency contraception.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill mandates public universities to distribute emergency contraception educational materials, expanding access to health education resources under higher education, directly supporting educational access.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRequires public universities to distribute emergency contraception education materials, improving access to reproductive health information and services.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

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in committee · New York · Senate Jan 28, 2026

S 8805: Relates to the veterans tuition awards program; repealer

This bill expands New York's veterans tuition awards program by allowing qualified veterans to transfer unused education benefits to eligible family members. It directly affects veterans who served at least 10 years (with exceptions for certain discharges) but didn't use their full tuition benefit, enabling them to transfer it to a spouse, child, or surviving financial dependent who lives in New York. Key provisions include requiring children receiving transfers to be under 26, capping annual transfers at 100, and establishing application rules for the transfer process. The bill repeals outdated language about "survivor" definitions and updates eligibility terms to clarify who qualifies for these transferred benefits.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationExpands higher education access for veterans' families by transferring unused tuition benefits, directly increasing educational funding and opportunity.90% confidence ✓ VeteransSupports VeteransBill expands veterans' tuition benefits by enabling transfer of unused education awards to family members, directly strengthening program accessibility and benefits for veterans.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

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in committee · New York · Senate Jan 20, 2026

S 8753: Relates to the mechanical insulation energy savings program

This bill amends New York's mechanical insulation energy savings program to clarify eligibility and funding details. It directly affects school districts (and potentially public housing/hospitals) with buildings over 20,000 square feet needing insulation upgrades. Key provisions include requiring free "qualified audits" by approved contractors to identify insulation needs and costs, then providing competitive grants covering 50% to 75% of approved insulation installation expenses. The program mandates the authority to establish rules within one year and prioritize applicants who complete these audits.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill provides state grants covering 50-75% of insulation costs for public buildings, directly funding energy efficiency upgrades through budget allocation.90% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationProvides grants for insulation upgrades in school buildings, improving school infrastructure per bill's focus on school district eligibility and infrastructure funding.80% confidence ✓ EnergySupports EnergyFunds insulation upgrades for energy efficiency in public buildings (schools/hospitals), reducing consumption through competitive grants covering 50-75% of costs.95% confidence ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentFunds insulation upgrades for energy efficiency in public buildings, reducing energy consumption and emissions per program's grant structure for 50-75% cost coverage.92% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

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died · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 1200: Allows the granting of academic credit at city or state operated institutions to veterans

This bill (S 1200) allows veterans to earn academic credit at New York State and City University systems for military training they completed. Specifically, full-time undergraduate veterans enrolled in good standing at these institutions can receive full credit toward their degree for military courses meeting American Council on Education standards - without any fees or tuition charges. It applies to veterans who served honorably in active duty, reserves, or New York National Guard/Militia. The law requires university boards to create procedures for implementing this credit transfer.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationExpands higher education access for veterans by granting academic credit for military training without fees, aligning with 'expands educational access' indicator.95% confidence ✓ VeteransSupports VeteransBill explicitly grants veterans academic credit for military training without fees, expanding educational benefits for honorably serving veterans at state institutions.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

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died · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 6155: Allows for a modest increase in annual income to not disqualify someone from the excelsior scholarship

This bill (S 6155) modifies New York's Excelsior Scholarship program to help current recipients maintain eligibility as their income grows. It allows the maximum allowable adjusted gross income threshold to increase by up to 3% annually after the first semester of receiving the scholarship, rather than requiring students to stay below a fixed income limit. The state education corporation (the "corporation") will review and determine if this annual 3% increase (or further increases at its discretion) prevents disqualification due to rising household income. This directly affects undergraduate students at New York state public colleges who currently receive the Excelsior Scholarship and experience typical annual income growth.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationModifies income threshold for Excelsior Scholarship, expanding access to higher education funding for students as income grows, directly strengthening educational access and affordability.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

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died · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 379: Relates to establishing a high school robotics grant program

Establishes a high school robotics grant program; provides funding to high schools for participation in robotics competitions; sets forth eligibility requirements; provides for the application and awards process.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationEstablishes grant program funding robotics competitions in high schools, enhancing STEM student programs and providing direct educational support.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

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in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 6037: Relates to establishing the office of the youth public advocate in the executive office of the mayor

Establishes the office of the youth public advocate in the executive office of the mayor; provides that the office will operate and maintain youth-related services and programs, including but not limited to, after school programs, jobs, literacy programs and youth internships, and will develop and implement policies to increase summer employment, high school admission, retention and graduation rates.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationEstablishes youth services including after-school programs, literacy, and policies to boost graduation rates - directly supports student access and outcomes.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

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died · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 1991: Relates to including information concerning repayment of outstanding loans in the standard financial aid award letter

This bill requires colleges and universities to include clear, standardized information about student loan repayment in financial aid award letters sent to undergraduate students. Specifically, institutions must detail estimated monthly payments, total payoff amounts (including interest), and standard 10-year repayment terms for any loans in the aid package. The requirement applies to all schools offering approved programs, directly affecting students receiving financial aid by making loan costs more transparent upfront. The Department of Financial Services must create and publish this standardized letter format, including a glossary of terms, by December 2015 (with implementation for the 2016-17 academic year). This change aims to help students understand long-term debt obligations before accepting financial aid.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationRequires transparent loan repayment details in financial aid letters, improving student access to higher education by reducing debt surprises and enabling informed borrowing decisions.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

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in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 259: Establishes the crimes of criminal trespass on a school bus, school grounds or children's camp

Establishes the crimes of criminal trespass on a school bus, school grounds or children's camp; requires the commissioner of motor vehicles, in consultation with the commissioner of transportation, to promulgate rules and regulations for certain signage on school buses; relates to professional development school bus driver safety training seminars statewide.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeBill creates new criminal offenses for trespass on school grounds, expanding criminalization, which aligns with 'oppose' indicators.90% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill establishes safety protections for school property and buses, enhancing student safety on school grounds per its criminal trespass provisions.90% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentMandates school bus driver safety training, directly improving workplace safety for this worker group.95% confidence ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationMandates school bus safety rules and signage via transportation commissioner, enhancing transportation safety standards85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

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