New York Assembly Bill A08955

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 7/18/25
• Refer: 7/18/25
• Refer: 1/7/26

Caption

Renames an office of addiction services and supports scholarship program the "NYS Father Peter Young Memorial Addiction Professionals Scholarship Program"; codifies the purposes of such program as offering financial education assistance to individuals pursuing a bachelor's degree in addiction studies or the education requirements for an office of addiction services and supports credential at Alfred State College, Stony Brook University or Empire State University.

Summary

This bill amends the Mental Hygiene Law to formally rename an existing Office of Addiction Services and Supports scholarship program as the "NYS Father Peter Young Memorial Addiction Professionals Scholarship Program." It also codifies the program’s purpose: to provide financial education assistance to individuals pursuing a bachelor’s degree in addiction studies or the educational requirements for an Office of Addiction Services and Supports credential. The bill specifies that the scholarship program may be used at Alfred State College, Stony Brook University, or Empire State University. It directs the Office to administer the program using funds provided by the Governor, allows the commissioner to seek assistance from the University of the State of New York, and authorizes the commissioner to adopt any necessary rules and regulations. The measure is framed as a continuation of an existing program operating under the Office’s leadership, rather than the creation of an entirely new initiative.

Impact

The bill would amend section 19.07 of the Mental Hygiene Law by adding a new subdivision establishing the named scholarship program and defining its administration, eligible educational pathways, and institutional partners. Its practical effect is to preserve and formalize state support for training future addiction professionals, while giving the Office of Addiction Services and Supports explicit authority to manage the program and promulgate implementing regulations. It does not create a new regulatory scheme for treatment providers or patients, but it does affect state education and workforce development policy tied to addiction services.

Sentiment

Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee debate or votes in the provided materials, the measure appears to be noncontroversial and supportive in tone. The naming of the program after Father Peter Young suggests a commemorative and workforce-development purpose, and the bill’s structure indicates an effort to continue an existing scholarship initiative rather than alter policy in a disruptive way. No opposing viewpoints are reflected in the available record.

Contention

No specific points of contention are documented in the provided transcripts or voting history. Potential areas where questions could arise include the use of state funds, the choice of named institutions eligible for the scholarship, and the decision to memorialize the program in honor of Father Peter Young. However, the available materials do not show any organized opposition or debate over those issues.