Relates to additional apportionment of building aid for certain projects; defines an eligible school construction project as one that is entirely funded from capital outlays and has a total project cost of two hundred fifty thousand dollars or less.
Summary
This bill amends the Education Law provisions governing additional apportionment of building aid for certain school construction projects. It raises the project-cost threshold for eligibility from $100,000 to $250,000 and adds a new formula tied to county or multi-county labor market composite wage rates and the building aid regional cost factor. The bill also allows a school district to combine up to five years of project allowances and apply for approval of the full apportionment, which may then be used for one or more projects.
In practical terms, the measure expands the range of small capital projects that can qualify for state building aid and makes the eligibility standard more responsive to regional labor and construction costs. The bill is intended to help school districts finance smaller infrastructure and maintenance projects by increasing the amount of aid available and by giving districts more flexibility in how they aggregate and use project allowances.
Impact
The bill would amend section 3602 of the Education Law, specifically the rules for additional apportionment of building aid under subdivision 6-f. It changes the statutory eligibility criteria for certain school construction projects, increasing the maximum project cost threshold and replacing the prior one-project-per-school-year limitation with a more flexible multi-year allowance structure. School districts, the Commissioner of Education, and the Commissioner of Labor would be affected by the new wage-rate-based calculation and approval process.
Sentiment
There is no recorded committee transcript or vote history provided, so no formal support or opposition can be directly measured from the available materials. Based on the bill’s structure, the measure appears designed to be supportive of school districts by expanding access to aid and adjusting for regional cost differences, suggesting a generally favorable policy intent. However, without discussion or votes, the level of consensus or controversy cannot be determined from the record provided.
Contention
The main policy questions raised by the bill are likely to concern the higher cost threshold, the use of labor-market wage rates and regional cost factors to determine eligibility, and the ability of districts to combine up to five years of allowances for one or more projects. Potential supporters would be school districts and education finance advocates seeking greater flexibility and more realistic aid levels, while potential critics could include fiscal watchdogs or budget-focused policymakers concerned about increased state aid exposure and reduced limits on project eligibility. No specific objections are documented in the provided materials.
Same As
Relates to additional apportionment of building aid for certain projects; defines an eligible school construction project as one that is entirely funded from capital outlays and has a total project cost of two hundred fifty thousand dollars or less.
Relates to additional apportionment of building aid for certain projects; defines an eligible school construction project as one that is entirely funded from capital outlays and has a total project cost of two hundred fifty thousand dollars or less.
Relates to additional apportionment of building aid for certain projects; defines an eligible school construction project as one that is entirely funded from capital outlays and has a total project cost of two hundred fifty thousand dollars or less.
Relates to additional apportionment of building aid for certain projects; defines an eligible school construction project as one that is entirely funded from capital outlays and has a total project cost of two hundred fifty thousand dollars or less.
Defines the term "construction projects" to mean the construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation or improvement of any school building where a district receives any apportionment for debt service or building aid and the school building is sited within the Long Island region; provides that each contract involving the award of a construction project shall require the use of a project labor agreement for all contractors and subcontractors on such project.
Defines the term "construction projects" to mean the construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation or improvement of any school building where a district receives any apportionment for debt service or building aid and the school building is sited within the Long Island region; provides that each contract involving the award of a construction project shall require the use of a project labor agreement for all contractors and subcontractors on such project.
Increases the additional permit fee cap on residential construction that supports electronic permitting and residential construction workforce training from one hundred dollars ($100) to one hundred fifty dollars ($150).
Increases the amount of the credit against taxes for long-term care insurance from twenty to forty percent and from one thousand five hundred dollars to two thousand five hundred dollars.