New York A 1322: Establishes a novel virus essential workers scholarship program

Bill Text

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A01322 Summary:

BILL NOA01322 

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SAME ASNo Same As

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SPONSORSimon

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COSPNSR

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MLTSPNSR

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Add §§608-b & 668-h, amd §604, Ed L

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Establishes a novel virus essential workers scholarship program to award annual scholarships to essential employees who worked during the outbreak of novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) or during the outbreak of another novel virus and children of essential employees who have died as a result of contracting COVID-19 or another novel virus.

Go to top A01322 Actions:

BILL NOA01322 

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01/09/2025referred to higher education

01/07/2026referred to higher education

Go to topA01322 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topA01322 Floor&nbspVotes:

There are no Assembly votes for this bill in this legislative session.

Go to topA01322 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 1322

 2025-2026 Regular Sessions

 IN ASSEMBLY

 January 9, 2025
 ___________

 Introduced by M. of A. SIMON -- read once and referred to the Committee
 on Higher Education

 AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to establishing a novel
 virus essential workers scholarship program

 The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
 bly, do enact as follows:

 1 Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 608-b
 2 to read as follows:
 3 § 608-b. Novel virus essential worker scholarships. 1. Notwithstanding
 4 subdivision five of section six hundred sixty-one of this title, essen-
 5 tial employees who worked during the outbreak of novel coronavirus
 6 disease two thousand nineteen (COVID-19) or during the outbreak of
 7 another novel virus which results in the declaration of a state disaster
 8 emergency and children of essential employees who have died as a result
 9 of contracting COVID-19 or another novel virus, shall be eligible to
 10 receive a scholarship in an annual amount determined pursuant to subdi-
 11 vision two of section six hundred sixty-eight-h of this title. The
 12 commissioner shall promulgate rules and regulations regarding who quali-
 13 fies as an essential employee.
 14 2. Awards under this section shall be payable for each of not more
 15 than four academic years of undergraduate study or five academic years
 16 if a program normally requires five years, as defined by the commission-
 17 er pursuant to this article.
 18 3. For purposes of this section, "novel virus" means a virus or bacte-
 19 rial strain that has not been previously identified in humans.
 20 § 2. The education law is amended by adding a new section 668-h to
 21 read as follows:
 22 § 668-h. Novel virus essential worker scholarships. 1. Eligible
 23 groups. Notwithstanding subdivision five of section six hundred sixty-
 24 one of this part, essential employees who worked during the outbreak of
 25 novel coronavirus disease two thousand nineteen (COVID-19) or during the

 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD00122-01-5

 A. 1322 2

 1 outbreak of another novel virus which results in the declaration of a
 2 state disaster emergency and children of essential employees who have
 3 died as a result of contracting COVID-19 or another novel virus, shall
 4 be eligible to receive a scholarship. The commissioner shall promulgate
 5 rules and regulations regarding who qualifies as an essential employee.
 6 For purposes of this section, "novel virus" means a virus or bacterial
 7 strain that has not been previously identified in humans.
 8 2. Amount. (a) The president shall grant annual scholarships in the
 9 following amounts:
 10 (1) If the recipient attends an institution of the city university of
 11 New York or an institution of the state university of New York other
 12 than the statutory colleges at Cornell, the college of environmental
 13 science and forestry at Syracuse and the college of ceramics at Alfred,
 14 the annual award shall be an amount equal to: the tuition charged at
 15 such institution provided that, notwithstanding any provision of law to
 16 the contrary, the tuition charged to award recipients shall not exceed
 17 that charged to state resident students attending such institution; the
 18 mandatory fees charged at such institution; and the no