New York A 11333: Enacts the New York state prepaid college access and affordability act

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A11333 Summary:

BILL NOA11333 

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SAME ASNo Same As

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SPONSORRules (Blumencranz)

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COSPNSR

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MLTSPNSR

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Add Art 129-C §§6450-a - 6450-k, Ed L; add §99-uu, St Fin L

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Enacts the "New York state prepaid college access and affordability act" to establish the empire prepaid college program to provide families with affordable, guaranteed tuition plans for New York state public postsecondary institutions; establishes the empire prepaid college fund.

Go to top A11333 Actions:

BILL NOA11333 

&nbsp

05/11/2026referred to higher education

Go to topA11333 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topA11333 Floor&nbspVotes:

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

Go to topA11333 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 11333

 IN ASSEMBLY

 May 11, 2026
 ___________

 Introduced by COMMITTEE ON RULES -- (at request of M. of A. Blumencranz)
 -- read once and referred to the Committee on Higher Education

 AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to establishing the
 empire prepaid college program to provide families with affordable,
 guaranteed tuition plans for New York state public postsecondary
 institutions; and to amend the state finance law, in relation to
 establishing the empire prepaid college fund

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

 1 Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
 2 the "New York state prepaid college access and affordability act".
 3 § 2. Legislative findings and intent. The Legislature finds that the
 4 rising cost of higher education places an increasing burden on New York
 5 families and deters many qualified students from pursuing a college
 6 degree at our state colleges and universities. New York currently oper-
 7 ates 529 college savings accounts, but these plans do not guarantee
 8 tuition coverage or protect families from future tuition increases.
 9 The intent of this legislation is to create an empire prepaid college
 10 program, enabling families to purchase tuition and housing credits at
 11 today's rates for future use at in-state public colleges and universi-
 12 ties, ensuring predictability, affordability, and access to higher
 13 education across the Empire State.
 14 § 3. The education law is amended by adding a new article 129-C to
 15 read as follows:
 16 ARTICLE 129-C
 17 EMPIRE PREPAID COLLEGE PROGRAM
 18 Section 6450-a. Establishment of the program.
 19 6450-b. Empire prepaid college board.
 20 6450-c. Prepaid tuition and housing plans.
 21 6450-d. Transferability and portability.
 22 6450-e. Scholarships and unused funds.
 23 6450-f. State pledge.
 24 6450-g. Confidentiality.
 25 6450-h. Refunds and termination.

 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD15764-01-6

 A. 11333 2

 1 6450-i. Tax status.
 2 6450-j. Implementation and rules.
 3 6450-k. Establishment of the empire prepaid promise fund.
 4 § 6450-a. Establishment of the program. There is hereby established
 5 the empire prepaid college program (hereafter referred to in this arti-
 6 cle as "the program"), administered by the empire prepaid college board,
 7 to enable advance payments of tuition and dormitory fees for attendance
 8 at state university of New York (SUNY), city university of New York
 9 (CUNY), and community colleges.
 10 § 6450-b. Empire prepaid college board. 1. An empire prepaid college
 11 board referred to as the "board" in this article, is hereby created as a
 12 public corporate entity within the higher education services corporation
 13 (HESC).
 14 2. The board shall consist of:
 15 (a) the state comptroller, or their designee;
 16 (b) the commissioner, or their designee;
 17 (c) the chancellor of the state university of New York, or their
 18 designee;
 19 (d) the chancellor of the city university of New York, or their desig-
 20 nee;
 21 (e) two members appointed by the governor with expertise in finance or
 22 higher education;
 23 (f) one member appointed by the speaker of the assembly;
 24 (g) one member appointed by the minority leader of the assembly;
 25 (h) one member appointed by the temporary president of the senate;
 26 (i) one member appointed by