Senate BillIntroduced
S 6597: Prohibits legacy preference as eligible criteria for admission standards.
What S 6597 does, verified January 9, 2026
The proposed law aims to prohibit institutions of higher education in New York from giving preference to applicants based on their familial relationship to a person who has graduated from the institution. Institutions can still inquire about an applicant's familial relationship to a person who has graduated after an offer of admission has been accepted, but this information can only be used for data collection purposes. The law will take effect on July 1st, following its passage into law.
Bill journey
1IntroducedCurrent
2In CommitteePending
3First Chamber FloorPending
4Second ChamberPending
5GovernorPending
6ChapteredPending
Last action: REFERRED TO HIGHER EDUCATION (2026-01-07)Alert me
Quick answers about S 6597
- What is the current status of S 6597?
- As of January 9, 2026, S 6597 is recorded as "Introduced": it has been introduced and is waiting for its first committee hearing or floor vote. The last recorded action, on January 7, 2026, was "REFERRED TO HIGHER EDUCATION".
- Did S 6597 pass?
- Not yet. S 6597 has been introduced and has not passed either house.
- Who wrote S 6597, and where is it now?
- S 6597 was authored by Sen. Robert Jackson with 1 coauthor. Its committee of record is Senate Higher Education.
Author and sponsors
Full contact details, staff, and committees with Connect, $16/moUnlockRecent actions2 total · showing 2
| Jan. 07, 2026 | REFERRED TO HIGHER EDUCATION |
| Mar. 18, 2025 | REFERRED TO HIGHER EDUCATION |
Latest bill textIntroduced version, March 18, 2025 · 270 words
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 6597 2025-2026 Regular Sessions IN SENATE March 18, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sens. JACKSON, PARKER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Higher Education AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to prohibiting legacy preference as eligible criteria for admission standards 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 239-c 2 to read as follows: 3 § 239-c. Legacy preference for admission. No degree-granting institu- 4 tion of higher education shall give preference to an applicant for 5 admission to such institution on the basis of such applicant's familial 6 relationship to a person who has graduated from such institution. An 7 institution may inquire about an applicant's familial relationship to a 8 person who has graduated from such institution after an offer of admis- 9 sion has been accepted by an applicant for the purposes of data 10 collection. 11 § 2. This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding 12 the date on which it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the 13 addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary 14 for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized 15 to be made and completed on or before such effective date. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD11123-01-5
Text of S 6597 as introduced, from the official record. Connect Plus keeps every version and highlights what changed.Compare versions