BILL NUMBER: S3531
SPONSOR: ORTT
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the education law and the state finance law, in relation
to creating a volunteer firefighter scholarship program and a volunteer
fire fighter scholarship fund; and making an appropriation relating
therefor
 
PURPOSE:
This legislation would help to address the continuing difficulty local
volunteer fire and emergency medical service (EMS) departments have had
recruiting and retaining volunteers. This difficulty is particularly
true for young people who are hard pressed to pursue their careers and
their education while volunteering for these critically important
services.
 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section 1: adds a new section to § 669-i establishing the Volunteer
Firefighter Scholarship Program.
(a) A volunteer firefighter scholarship award shall be made to an appli-
cant who: serves as an active volunteer firefighter who has attended
twenty-five percent of emergency calls for each year (8-year program).
Student loans eligible for this program are: (1) student loans accrued
while attending a private or public institution of higher education
within New York state from which the recipient received credits which
were used to acquire a bachelor's degree at an approved program; or
(2) student loans accrued while attending an accredited trade school or
vocational program within New York state from which the recipient
received a certificate or license.
2. Amount. Within amounts appropriated therefor and based on availabili-
ty of funds, awards shall be granted to applicants that the office has
determined are eligible to receive such awards. The office shall grant
such awards in an amount up to four times the current tuition rate, at a
state university of New York college.
3. Conditions. A recipient shall agree to reside exclusively in New York
State and shall not be employed in any other state for eight years.
Recipient serves as an active volunteer firefighter who has attended
twenty-five percent of emergency calls for each year (8 year program).
4. Contract. (a) A recipient shall sign a contract with the office to
have his or her full award converted to a student loan according to a
schedule to be determined by the office if such recipient fails to
fulfill the requirements set out in subdivision three of this section
unless such requirement is waived by the commissioner. The terms and
conditions of the contract shall be established by the rules and regu-
lations by the office. A waiver issued by the commissioner shall only be
for up to one year of requirements and must be renewed by the commission
to waive requirements for additional years. Any obligation to comply
with such provisions as outlined in this paragraph shall be cancelled
upon the death of the recipient.
(b) The commissioner may, in extreme circumstances including, but not
limited to, temporary or permanent, disability, illness and family emer-
gency resulting in relocation or extended family leave, waive an amount
of the award converted into a student loan equal to the amount of the
award multiplied by the years the recipient fulfilled his or her
requirements under subdivision three of this section divided by eight.
5. Recipient selection. The office shall establish: (a) an application
deadline of within two years of completing a qualifying course of study;
a method of selecting recipients if in any given year there are insuffi-
cient funds to cover the needs of all the applicant s provided that
priority shall be given to eligible applicants; and (c) a method of
recording how much each recipient owes in student loans at any time, how
much each recipient had taken out in principal in student loans and how
much has been paid on each recipient's student loans by the program.
6. Rules and regulations. The office is authorized to promulgate rules
and regulations, and may promulgate emergency regulations, necessary for
the implementation of the provisions of this section including, but not
limited to, the criteria for distributing the awards, which may include
a lottery or other form of random selection.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
During the last several years it has become increasingly difficult for
local volunteer fire and EMS departments, especially rural communities
in Upstate and Western New York, to recruit and retain new members.
Given modern obligations, and the rising cost of living for all New
Yorkers prohibits many individuals from serving in a volunteer capacity.
Using various concepts of the Excelsior Scholarship program which are
aimed at retaining college graduates to New York State, this legislation
offers a loan forgiveness option for students that meet requirements
outlined in the bill and serve their community as a volunteer firefight-
er.
This legislation offers volunteer firefighters a direct benefit of loan
forgiveness, not only opening the doors for more young people and
students to exit, college debt free, but also assist local volunteer
fire companies recruit young people who are attending college and are
willing to volunteer their time to become part of a local firefighter or
emergency medical services organization.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2023-2024: S.5167/A.6036 Referred to Finance/Higher Education
2021-2022: S.3656 Referred to Finance
2019-2020: S.6283/A.7809 Referred to Finance/Higher Education
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
Annual Cap of $1 Million
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it
shall have become a law.