New York S 6541: Relates to high school equivalency diplomas

Bill Text

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S06541 Summary:

BILL NOS06541 

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SAME ASNo Same As

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SPONSORSANDERS

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COSPNSR

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MLTSPNSR

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Add §317-a, amd §§355, 6206 & 6301, Ed L; amd §97-hhh, St Fin L; amd §336, Soc Serv L; amd §§803 & 2, Cor L;
amd §§3-209 & 21-703, NYC Ad Cd; amd §58, Civ Serv L

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Prohibits a fee for admission to any exam that would award a high school equivalency diploma.

Go to top S06541 Actions:

BILL NOS06541 

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03/17/2025REFERRED TO EDUCATION

01/07/2026REFERRED TO EDUCATION

Go to topS06541 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topS06541 Floor&nbspVotes:

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

Go to topS06541 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 6541

 2025-2026 Regular Sessions

 IN SENATE

 March 17, 2025
 ___________

 Introduced by Sen. SANDERS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
 printed to be committed to the Committee on Education

 AN ACT to amend the education law, the state finance law, the social
 services law, the correction law, the administrative code of the city
 of New York and the civil service law, in relation to high school
 equivalency diplomas

 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 317-a
 2 to read as follows:
 3 § 317-a. High school equivalency exams. No fee shall be established
 4 for admission to any exam that would award a high school equivalency
 5 diploma or its equivalent, as determined by the commissioner.
 6 § 2. Clause (ii) of subparagraph 8 of paragraph h of subdivision 2 of
 7 section 355 of the education law, as amended by chapter 669 of the laws
 8 of 2022, is amended to read as follows:
 9 (ii) attended an approved New York state program for [general] high
 10 school equivalency diploma exam preparation, received a [general] high
 11 school equivalency diploma issued within New York state and applied for
 12 attendance at an institution or educational unit of the state university
 13 within five years of receiving a [general] high school equivalency
 14 diploma issued within New York state; or
 15 § 3. Subparagraph (ii) of paragraph (a-1) of subdivision 7 of section
 16 6206 of the education law, as amended by chapter 669 of the laws of
 17 2022, is amended to read as follows:
 18 (ii) attended an approved New York state program for [general] high
 19 school equivalency diploma exam preparation, received a [general] high
 20 school equivalency diploma issued within New York state and applied for
 21 attendance at an institution or educational unit of the city university
 22 within five years of receiving a [general] high school equivalency
 23 diploma issued within New York state; or

 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD00471-01-5

 S. 6541 2

 1 § 4. Clause 2 of subparagraph (i) of paragraph (a) of subdivision 7 of
 2 section 6206 of the education law, as amended by section 3 of part B of
 3 chapter 56 of the laws of 2023, is amended to read as follows:
 4 (2) attended an approved New York state program for [general] high
 5 school equivalency diploma exam preparation, received a [general] high
 6 school equivalency diploma issued within New York state and applied for
 7 attendance at an institution or educational unit of the city university
 8 within five years of receiving a [general] high school equivalency
 9 diploma issued within New York state; or
 10 § 5. Paragraph (ii) of subdivision 5 of section 6301 of the education
 11 law, as amended by chapter 327 of the laws of 2002, is amended to read
 12 as follows:
 13 (ii) attended an approved New York state program for [general] high
 14 school equivalency diploma exam preparation, received a [general] high
 15 school equivalency diploma issued within New York state and applied for
 16 attendance at an institution or educational unit of the state university
 17 within five years of receiving a [general] high school equivalency
 18 diploma issued within New York state; or
 19 § 6. Subdivisions 2 and 3 of section 97-hhh of the state finance law,
 20 as added by section 84 of part A of chapter 436 of the laws of 1997, are