S 8220: Reduces tuition rates of out of state Olympic athletes who represented Team USA.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 8220 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE May 23, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. S. RYAN -- 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 reducing tuition rates for certain Olympic athletes The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Paragraph h of subdivision 2 of section 355 of the educa- 2 tion law is amended by adding a new subparagraph 11 to read as follows: 3 (11) (i) For purposes of this subparagraph: 4 (A) "Team USA athlete" means any student athlete who meets the eligi- 5 bility standards defined and approved by the United States Olympic and 6 Paralympic Committee or by the national governing body for the sport in 7 which the athlete competes. 8 (B) "International athlete" means any student athlete who meets the 9 eligibility standards defined and approved by their sport's interna- 10 tional federation. 11 (ii) Notwithstanding the provisions of any other general, special or 12 local law, rule or regulation and pursuant to an appropriation and fund- 13 ing being made for such purpose, such regulations shall further provide 14 that the payment of tuition and fees by any student who is not a resi- 15 dent of New York state shall be paid at a rate or charge no greater than 16 that imposed for students who are residents of this state if such 17 student is enrolled in an institution or educational unit of the state 18 university, has been selected to be a Team USA athlete or international 19 athlete, and is training in New York State in an elite level program 20 approved by the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee or the 21 international federation for the sport in which the athlete competes. 22 § 2. Subdivision 7 of section 6206 of the education law is amended by 23 adding a new paragraph (g) to read as follows: 24 (g) (i) For purposes of this paragraph: EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD00386-05-5 
 S. 8220 2 1 (A) "Team USA athlete" means any student athlete who meets the eligi- 2 bility standards defined and approved by the United States Olympic and 3 Paralympic Committee or by the national governing body for the sport in 4 which the athlete competes. 5 (B) "International athlete" means any student athlete who meets the 6 eligibility standards defined and approved by their sport's interna- 7 tional federation. 8 (ii) Notwithstanding the provisions of any other general, special or 9 local law, rule or regulation and pursuant to an appropriation and fund- 10 ing being made for such purpose, the trustees shall further provide that 11 the payment of tuition and fees by any student who is not a resident of 12 New York state shall be paid at a rate or charge no greater than that 13 imposed for students who are residents of this state if such student is 14 enrolled in an institution or educational unit of the city university of 15 New York, has been selected to be a Team USA athlete or international 16 athlete, and is training in New York State in an elite level program 17 approved by the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee or the 18 international federation for the sport in which the athlete competes. 19 § 3. This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding 20 the date on which it shall have become a law.