BILL NUMBER: S379A
SPONSOR: BROUK
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the education law, in relation to establishing a high
school robotics participation grant program
 
PURPOSE:
To create a grant program through the department of education to help
high schools to participate in robotics competitions to encourage
studies of science and technology.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 adds new section 3641-c to the Education Law to create a grant
program to assist high schools to participate in robotics competitions.
Grants will be in the amount of $5,000, with specified purposes, and be
contingent on certain criteria, including partnership with one or more
businesses, institutions of higher learning or technological schools and
matching funds from other sources. This section also sets forth eligi-
bility and application requirements, and award details given to eligible
schools.
Section 2 is the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
Robotics competitions offer students as close to real-world engineering
as they can get under strict rules, limited time, and resources, teams
of students are challenged to raise funds, design a team 'brand,' hone
teamwork skills, and build and program industrial-size robots to play a
difficult field game against like-minded competitors.
It is well recognized that New York needs more students in STEM to
supply the growing demand for employees in these fields, Robotics compe-
titions have a proven track record as robotics competition participants
are more likely to show an increase in STEM regardless of race, gender,
income, or community type, and they show significant gains in workforce
skills.
Under the robotics league participation grant program, eligible high
schools may receive grants of $5,000, with preference given to Title I
schools that lack the financial and community resources available to
other schools then schools that have not previously participated in such
competitions. This program will allow more high schools to create robot-
ics programs and more students to participate in competitions, which
will result in an increase in students, and ultimately members of the
workforce, in STEM. Many other states have embraced this encouragement
of science and technology through state grant programs, including Michi-
gan, Oregon, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, Iowa, Indiana, and Texas.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2021-22: S9411 - Referred to Education.
2023: S1576B - Amended and recommitted to Finance.
2024: S1576B - Passed Senate.
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
To be determined.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect one hundred and twenty days after becoming
law, provided that effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or
repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of
this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed
on or before such date.