STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                         1576--B

                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions

                    IN SENATE

                                    January 12, 2023
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  Sens.  BROUK, PALUMBO -- read twice and ordered printed,
          and when printed to be  committed  to  the  Committee  on  Finance  --
          committee  discharged,  bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and
          recommitted to said committee -- committee discharged,  bill  amended,
          ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee

        AN  ACT  to amend the education law, in relation to establishing the For
          Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology ("FIRST")  grant
          program

          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 3641-c
     2  to read as follows:
     3    § 3641-c. For inspiration and recognition of  science  and  technology
     4  robotics  league  participation  ("FIRST") grant program. 1. The commis-
     5  sioner shall establish the FIRST grant program and  the  FIRST  robotics
     6  competition pursuant to this section and regulations of the commissioner
     7  adopted  for  such  purpose.  Within  the  amounts appropriated for this
     8  purpose, the commissioner shall award grants on a competitive  basis  to
     9  public  and private high schools for the purpose of encouraging study in
    10  the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math.
    11    2. Eligibility. a. Applicants must be a public or private high  school
    12  in the state that has a school sponsored robotics club or a team partic-
    13  ipating, or intending to participate, in a FIRST robotics competition.
    14    b. Applicants must establish a partnership for the purposes of design-
    15  ing,  building  and/or  programming  the  team's robot with at least one
    16  other sponsor, which shall be a business, institution of higher learning
    17  or technological school.
    18    3. Applications. Applications must be submitted to the commissioner by
    19  June first of each year for grants to be made for the following academic
    20  year. All grants shall be subject to the  applicant  obtaining  matching
    21  funds from other sources of at least fifty percent of the grant.

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD01587-04-3

        S. 1576--B                          2

     1    4.  Awards.  a.  The  commissioner shall grant awards in the amount of
     2  five thousand dollars to schools that are eligible, pursuant to subdivi-
     3  sion two of this section. Awards shall be within the  amounts  appropri-
     4  ated for such purpose and based on availability of funds.
     5    b.  Preference  shall  be  given  to teams at Title I schools, then to
     6  teams at schools that  have  not  previously  participated  in  robotics
     7  competitions  or  received  grants through this program, on a first-come
     8  first-served basis, and if there are funds remaining thereafter to other
     9  previously established programs.
    10    c. Funds awarded under this grant shall be  used  for:    registration
    11  costs;  materials;  travel costs; and other expenses associated with the
    12  preparation for, and attendance at, FIRST robotics competitions.
    13    d. Additional grants shall also be made pursuant to such  other  rules
    14  and regulations as may be promulgated by the commissioner.
    15    §  2.    This  act  shall take effect on the one hundred twentieth day
    16  after it shall have become a law. Effective immediately,  the  addition,
    17  amendment,  and/or  repeal  of  any rule or regulation necessary for the
    18  implementation of this act on its effective date are  authorized  to  be
    19  made and completed on or before such date.