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 The bill repeals outdated language about "survivor" definitions and updates eligibility terms to clarify who qualifies for these transferred benefits.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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died · New York · Senate Jan 28, 2026

S 2657: Establishes the bilingual teachers of tomorrow teacher recruitment and retention program

Establishes the bilingual teachers of tomorrow teacher recruitment and retention program to attract and retain bilingual, certified teachers in schools with a bilingual teacher shortage; provides for grants and procedures for applying for such grants and eligibility requirements for fund distribution.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationCreates grant program to recruit/retain bilingual teachers in shortage areas, directly supporting teacher workforce development and educational access in K-12 schools.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 27: Provides for tuition assistance program awards for students experiencing homelessness

This bill expands New York's tuition assistance program to include students experiencing homelessness, directly affecting homeless students seeking financial aid for higher education. It modifies eligibility criteria to align with federal definitions under the McKinney-Vento Act and requires a standardized verification process for homelessness status across all tuition assistance programs. The bill also clarifies that homeless students cannot be considered "emancipated" for aid purposes solely based on their homelessness status. These changes aim to streamline access to financial aid for homeless students while ensuring consistent federal-aligned verification.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesExpands state-funded tuition assistance program requiring additional budget allocation for homeless students' educational aid, aligning with 'funds essential programs' indicator.90% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationExpands tuition assistance eligibility for homeless students, increasing higher education access and aligning with federal homelessness protections under McKinney-Vento.95% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingExpands tuition aid to homeless students, directly addressing homelessness per McKinney-Vento Act eligibility requirements.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

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died · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 3810: Relates to graduate tuition assistance program awards

Establishes graduate tuition assistance program awards; sets amounts of such awards; provides for restrictions on such awards; makes related provisions.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill establishes graduate tuition assistance program awards, providing direct funding for higher education access and reducing financial barriers for graduate students.85% 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 3738: Makes provisions with respect to student awards, loans and tuition assistance programs

Requires the higher education services corporation to make a determination of financial eligibility of a student for financial aid, awards and loans within 60 days from the day of the receipt of the financial aid application; where the higher education services corporation fails to make a timely determination the applicant shall be deemed eligible for such aid for the semester for which the application was made; allows for a 30-day extension if notice is given to the educational institution within the initial 60-day period.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill mandates timely financial aid determinations for higher education, preventing delays that could block student access to tuition assistance. Ensures eligibility if deadlines are missed, directly advancing educational access.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

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