A 1061: Establishes community literacy programs and the community literacy fund to provide grants to non-profit organizations that assist adults in reading, writing, math, English language proficiency, and problem-solving skills.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 1061 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN ASSEMBLY January 8, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. LUNSFORD -- read once and referred to the Commit- tee on Education AN ACT to amend the education law and the state finance law, in relation to establishing the community literacy fund 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 article 102 to 2 read as follows: 3 ARTICLE 102 4 COMMUNITY LITERACY PROGRAMS 5 Section 5050. Definitions. 6 5051. Grants. 7 5052. Report. 8 § 5050. Definitions. As used in this article, the following terms 9 shall have the following meanings: 10 1. "Eligible agency" means: 11 (a) an organization having tax exempt status under section 501(c) of 12 the United States Internal Revenue Code which provides adult education 13 and literacy services to residents of the state of New York and which 14 utilizes volunteers to directly provide such services; or 15 (b) an organization having tax exempt status under section 501(c) of 16 the United States Internal Revenue Code whose primary purpose is provid- 17 ing adult education and literacy services which provides other adult 18 literacy organizations with technical assistance, including training, 19 data reporting, or operational assistance. 20 2. "Adult education and literacy services" means services which assist 21 adults in acquiring the necessary basic skills needed to be productive 22 workers, family members, and citizens, including but not limited to, 23 reading, writing, math, English language proficiency, and problem-solv- 24 ing skills. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD01370-01-5 
 A. 1061 2 1 § 5051. Grants. 1. The commissioner shall be authorized to make grants 2 to eligible agencies that conduct community literacy programs from funds 3 held within the community literacy fund pursuant to section ninety-nine- 4 ss of the state finance law in accordance with the procedures set forth 5 by this section. No for-profit agency or institution may act as the 6 fiscal agent of any grant receivable under the provisions of this 7 section. 8 2. Eligible agencies shall submit proposals to the commissioner to 9 fund authorized expenditures in support of community literacy programs. 10 Such proposals shall be in a form and shall be submitted on a schedule 11 prescribed by the commissioner. 12 3. The commissioner shall adopt rules and regulations to establish 13 eligibility criteria and procedures for the award of such grants and to 14 otherwise implement the provisions of this section. The commissioner 15 shall award grants using the eligibility criteria established in regu- 16 lation and shall determine the amount of each grant award. 17 4. Subject to the availability of funds for such purpose, upon 18 approval of a proposal by the commissioner, the commissioner shall 19 distribute the grant allocation according to a schedule prescribed by 20 the commissioner. 21 5. The commissioner shall adopt rules and regulations to create a 22 reporting schedule for the agencies who receive grants pursuant to this 23 section. Data to be reported by agencies who are eligible pursuant to 24 paragraph (a) of subdivision one of section five thousand fifty of this 25 article shall allow recipients to show the impact of their work on indi- 26 viduals, based upon their needs and goals, and may include educational 27 gain, civic participation, digital literacy skills mastery, improved 28 health literacy, improved financial literacy, and engagement in chil- 29 dren's schooling. Agencies who are eligible pursuant to paragraph (a) of 30 subdivision one of section five thousand fifty of this article shall 31 report impact data. 32 § 5052. Report. On or before January first, two thousand twenty-six 33 and by January first of each year thereafter, the commissioner shall 34 submit to the governor, the temporary president of the senate, and the 35 speaker of the assembly a report describing and evaluating the community 36 literacy programs funded pursuant to this article. 37 § 2. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section 99-ss to 38 read as follows: 39 § 99-ss. Community literacy fund. 1. Notwithstanding any other 40 provision of law, rule, regulation or practice to the contrary, there is 41 hereby established in the joint custody of the state comptroller and the 42 commissioner of education a community literacy fund, which shall consist 43 of all moneys appropriated to the fund by the department of education 44 and all moneys collected from individuals for the implementation of 45 community literacy programs as specified in article one hundred two of 46 the education law. 47 2. Moneys within the community literacy fund shall be made available 48 to the commissioner of education to provide grants to eligible agencies, 49 as such term is defined pursuant to subdivision one of section five 50 thousand fifty of the education law, in accordance with the regulations 51 set forth in article one hundred two of the education law. 52 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.