Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official source posted by the New York State Senate, fetched 2026-08-11. Nothing is edited or removed. Where this bill amends existing law, language marked for deletion in the official source appears here in brackets. The official bill page.
S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
9476
I N A S S E M B L Y
January 7, 2026
___________
Introduced by M. of A. DINOWITZ -- read once and referred to the Commit-
tee on Higher Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to expanding the veterans
tuition awards program to allow the transfer of unused benefits to an
eligible immediate family member; to amend a chapter of the laws of
2025 amending the education law relating to expanding the veterans
tuition awards program to allow the transfer of unused benefits to a
spouse, survivor or child, as proposed in legislative bills numbers S.
4358-A and A. 3240-A, in relation to the effectiveness thereof; and to
repeal certain provisions of the education law relating thereto
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Paragraphs g and h of subdivision 1 of section 699-a of the
education law, as added by a chapter of the laws of 2025 amending the
education law relating to expanding the veterans tuition awards program
to allow the transfer of unused benefits to a spouse, survivor or child,
as proposed in legislative bills numbers S. 4358-A and A. 3240-A, are
amended to read as follows:
g. "Eligible immediate family MEMBER" means a person who is the
spouse, child or [survivor] FINANCIAL DEPENDENT of a qualified veteran,
and who resides in this state.
h. "Qualified veteran" means a veteran who [would be eligible to
receive a tuition award if such veteran satisfied] SATISFIES the
[enrollment and application] requirements set forth in paragraph a, B,
C, OR D of subdivision [two] ONE of this section.
§ 2. Paragraph i of subdivision 1 of section 699-a of the education
law, as added by a chapter of the laws of 2025 amending the education
law relating to expanding the veterans tuition awards program to allow
the transfer of unused benefits to a spouse, survivor or child, as
proposed in legislative bills numbers S. 4358-A and A. 3240-A, is
REPEALED.
§ 3. Subdivision 5 of section 669-a of the education law, as added by
a chapter of the laws of 2025 amending the education law relating to
expanding the veterans tuition awards program to allow the transfer of
unused benefits to a spouse, survivor or child, as proposed in legisla-
tive bills numbers S. 4358-A and A. 3240-A, is amended and a new subdi-
vision 6 is added to read as follows:
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07221-04-6
A. 9476 2
5. a. A qualified veteran who [would be eligible to receive a tuition
award if such veteran satisfied the enrollment and application require-
ments set forth in paragraph a of subdivision two of this section, but]
has not utilized such tuition award, may elect to transfer IN A SINGLE
INSTANCE all or [a portion of the] ANY REMAINING tuition award to [an]
ONE eligible immediate family member [or members].
b. A qualified veteran who elects to transfer their award shall desig-
nate the eligible immediate family member [or members] to whom such
award is being transferred[, including the number of semesters. Such
designation shall be made on a form prescribed by the president, shall
be appended to the application specified in subdivision two of this
section, and the president shall make the form and relevant information
of this section available on the corporation's website] IN THE MANNER
PRESCRIBED BY THE CORPORATION.
c. A child to whom a tuition award is transferred under this subdivi-
sion shall be under twenty-six years of age. [Such child shall not
commence the use of a tuition award transferred under this subdivision
unless the qualified veteran has served in the armed forces of the
United States for at least ten years, except where such qualified veter-
an did not complete such service requirement due to:
(i) the qualified veteran's death;
(ii) discharge or release for a medical condition that pre-existed
service;
(iii) discharge or release for hardship;
(iv) discharge or release for a physical or mental condition, not a
disability, that did not result from their willful misconduct but did
interfere with their performance of duty;
(v) discharge for a disability;
(vi) discharge for a reduction in force; or
(vii) involuntary force shaping.]
d. The tuition award transfers designated by a qualified veteran
pursuant to this subdivision shall not exceed the award available to
such veteran under this section.
e. The TOTAL number of tuition award transfers under this subdivision
shall not exceed one hundred per year.
6. THE PRESIDENT IS AUTHORIZED TO PROMULGATE RULES AND REGULATIONS TO
IMPLEMENT THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION. THE PRESIDENT MAY ESTABLISH A.
AN APPLICATION DEADLINE AND B. A METHOD OF SELECTING WHICH ONE HUNDRED
TUITION AWARD TRANSFERS ARE TO BE GRANTED IF IN ANY GIVEN YEAR THERE ARE
MORE THAN ONE HUNDRED ELIGIBLE TUITION AWARD TRANSFERS REQUESTED.
§ 4. Section 4 of a chapter of the laws of 2025 amending the education
law relating to expanding the veterans tuition awards program to allow
the transfer of unused benefits to a spouse, survivor or child, as
proposed in legislative bills numbers S. 4358-A and A. 3240-A, is
amended to read as follows:
§ 4. This act shall take effect July 1, [2026] 2027. Effective imme-
diately, 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 effective date.
§ 5. This act shall take effect immediately; provided however, that
sections one, two and three shall take effect on the same date and in
the same manner as a chapter of the laws of 2025 amending the education
law relating to expanding the veterans tuition awards program to allow
the transfer of unused benefits to a spouse, survivor or child, as
proposed in legislative bills numbers S. 4358-A and A. 3240-A, takes
effect.Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.