New York Senate Bill S03417

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/27/25
• Refer: 1/27/25
• Refer: 1/7/26

Caption

Updates the admission criteria for the science and technology entry program and collegiate science and technology entry program to consider whether a student is a member of an ethnic group that is underrepresented in the eligible profession they are pursuing.

Summary

This bill amends New York’s Education Law to revise the eligibility and admissions criteria for the Science and Technology Entry Program (STEP) and the Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (CSTEP). It changes the programs’ focus from students who are members of broadly defined minority groups historically underrepresented in STEM, health, and related professions to students who are members of ethnic groups underrepresented in the specific eligible profession or field they want to pursue. The bill also expands the stated eligible professions to include scientific, technical, health, health-related, and any profession licensed under Title 8 of the Education Law. The bill directs the State Education Department and the Board of Regents to periodically review workforce data and determine which ethnic groups are underrepresented in eligible professions before issuing funding requests. It also updates grant criteria for participating institutions, including priority for schools coordinating efforts to increase representation of underrepresented ethnic groups, and preserves program uses such as tutoring, counseling, academic enrichment, financial assistance, and licensing exam support. The measure applies to both undergraduate and graduate STEP/CSTEP funding and includes existing residency and immigration-status pathways for student eligibility.

Impact

The bill would amend sections 6454 and 6455 of the Education Law, altering who may be admitted to and supported by STEP and CSTEP and how underrepresentation is defined for those programs. It would require the Regents to make field-specific underrepresentation determinations using workforce statistics, and it would shift program administration toward periodic, data-driven eligibility reviews tied to the profession or field involved. Institutions receiving grants would need to align applications and outreach with the revised criteria, but the bill does not create a new program; it restructures eligibility and grant-priority rules within existing state education programs.

Sentiment

The bill’s stated tone is strongly supportive of expanding opportunity and workforce diversity, especially in STEM and health professions. The findings emphasize economic development, healthcare access, and the benefits of diverse teams, suggesting the measure is intended as a modernization of existing equity programs rather than a major policy departure. No votes or committee transcript excerpts were provided, so there is no recorded opposition or formal debate in the supplied materials.

Contention

The main policy issue is the bill’s replacement of a broad minority-based eligibility standard with a more specific underrepresentation standard tied to particular professions and workforce data. Supporters appear to view this as a legally responsive way to preserve diversity-focused programming while making eligibility more targeted and defensible. Potential points of contention include how the Regents will define underrepresentation, which ethnic groups qualify in each field, how often the data will be updated, and whether the shift narrows or broadens access compared with the prior criteria. Institutions may also need to adjust recruitment and grant applications to fit the new framework.