Plugged In To Education

June 27, 2025

Coverage of updates in lower education, higher education & human services.

What’s Inside

  • Governor Hochul and Education Leaders Celebrate the End of Smartphone Disruptions as New York Schools Prepare for Distraction-Free Learning This Fall
  • Governor Hochul & 22 Governors Call on Congressional Leaders to Save Nutrition Programs from the ‘Big Ugly’ Reconciliation Bill
  • Attorney General James Wins Court Cases Against Trump Administration
  • Empire AI Beta Supercomputer Launched in NYS
  • New Report Shows Youth in NYC Face Double Digit Unemployment Rate
  • Funding Opportunities
  • State Register
  • Coming Up

Governor Hochul and Education Leaders Celebrate the End of Smartphone Disruptions as New York Schools Prepare for Distraction-Free Learning This Fall

This week Governor Kathy Hochul joined millions of New York students, teachers, and parents to celebrate the last week of public school statewide, marking the end of digital distractions in our schools. When the 2025-2026 school year begins this fall, New York will become the largest state in the nation to restrict smartphones and other internet-enabled personal devices throughout the entire school day – from bell to bell.

After being signed by Governor Hochul last month, New York State’s distraction-free school law will be in effect for the 2025-26 School Year. It applies to all schools statewide in public school districts, as well as charter schools and Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES). Under this law, all school districts must publish their distraction-free policy by August 1, so it is visible to the district’s community of students, parents and other key stakeholders.

Governor Hochul & 22 Governors Call on Congressional Leaders to Save Nutrition Programs from the ‘Big Ugly’ Reconciliation Bill

Governor Hochul joined a group of 23 Governors to urge Congressional leadership to support the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program that puts food on the table for millions of people across the nation. The letter signed by 23 governors from across the country warns that the GOP reconciliation bill in Congress threatens to strip critical food benefits from more than 42 million people in the United States, including 3 million here in New York.

Previously, the Governor warned that estimates indicate the reconciliation bill would shift exorbitant costs to states across the country, including New York, where up to an additional $2.1 billion annually would be forced on State and local county governments.

Attorney General James Wins Court Cases Against Trump Administration

This week, New York Attorney General Letitia James won her lawsuit against the Trump administration for its unlawful cancellation of National Institutes of Health (NIH) research grants that fund critical medical and scientific advancements. In April, Attorney General James joined a coalition of 15 other attorneys general in suing the administration after it terminated millions of dollars in grant funding for previously approved research projects, including projects focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), LGBTQ+ health, and vaccine hesitancy. In a ruling in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, Judge William Young declared the administration’s cuts to NIH funding illegal and void. This follows Judge Young’s verbal decision last week, in which he asserted that the administration’s targeting of funding cuts represented racial discrimination and discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community.

Last week, the Attorney General won a court order stopping the Trump administration’s mass closure of AmeriCorps programs and requiring the reinstatement of thousands of volunteers nationwide. On April 29, Attorney General James joined a coalition of 24 other states in suing the Trump administration to stop cuts to AmeriCorps after the administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) directed the agency to end the service of thousands of volunteers and canceled hundreds of millions of dollars of grants. The U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland granted a preliminary injunction based on a motion brought by Attorney General James and the coalition, halting the administration’s policies that would close AmeriCorps programs and strip communities of the valuable services its members provide.

Governor Hochul Announces $40 Million to Launch Empire AI Beta Supercomputer

Governor Kathy Hochul announced that the Empire State Development (ESD) Board approved $40 million to launch Empire AI Beta, the second phase of the supercomputer powering New York’s nation-leading Empire AI initiative. Empire AI Beta will be 11 times more powerful than current capacity, allowing hundreds of researchers from the now 10 member institutions to continue to advance AI research for public good. Empire AI is now backed by over $500 million in public and private funding, including up to $340 million in state capital funding secured by Governor Hochul.

New Report Shows Youth in NYC Face Double Digit Unemployment Rate

New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli issued a report earlier this month that found that young workers in New York City between the ages of 16-24 continued to face a high 13.2% unemployment rate in 2024, which was 3.6 points higher than in 2019 and higher than all other age groups. Despite significant improvement in 2023, the city’s youth unemployment rate was higher than the national rate. Black, Hispanic, and Asian youth, especially males, continued to face even higher unemployment rates, with young Black workers at 23.8%, nine points greater than in 2019.

Funding Opportunities

The Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence (OPDV) is seeking to contract with ten (10) domestic violence service providers to deliver regional comprehensive trainings and offer technical assistance to non-law enforcement Extreme Risk Order of Protection (ERPO) petitioners to increase the understanding of how to utilize these petitions to improve victim safety in domestic and gender-based violence situations through the Regional Gender-Based Violence and Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) Community Training and Technical Assistance Program. Due July 14, 2025

The Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for Family Support Services (FSS) with the intent to award several contracts for these services. Proposals are being accepted for FSS funding to provide new or enhanced programs/services to OPWDD eligible individuals who live at home with their families. The emphasis of FSS Proposals should be to increase the variety and availability of services and supports to unserved/underserved individuals and their families towards satisfying their unmet needs and offsetting some of the challenges these families may experience. Due July 14, 2025

The New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS), acting upon the recommendation of the New York State Juvenile Justice Advisory Group (JJAG), seeks applications to create the first ever Transformative Youth Justice Hubs (Hubs) in New York State. Nonprofit community-based organizations, local municipal education agencies, or institutes of higher education may apply for up to $4 million to fund approximately four Hubs designed to support youth justice prevention efforts in rural or urban areas in New York State. DCJS anticipates that each award will total approximately one ($1) million, over a three-year period. Due July 30, 2025

Governor Kathy Hochul announced the launch of the 2025 Regional Economic Development Council Initiative (REDC). New in 2025 is the Governor’s $150 million Advancing Collaboration for High-impact Initiatives for Economic Visions & Expansion competition — ACHIEVE — aimed at empowering the REDCs to advance catalytic economic development projects backed by enhanced implementation funding to jump-start regional growth. The CFA portal is now open for the 2025 programs. For programs subject to the deadline, applications must be submitted by Thursday, July 31 at 4 p.m. Open enrollment programs are not subject to the July 31 deadline and will continue to accept applications on an ongoing basis until funds are exhausted.

State Register

State Education Department

  • Use of Therapeutic Pharmaceutical Agents and Continuing Education Requirements for Licensed Optometrists (Emergency)
  • Diploma Assessment Requirements (Emergency)
  • Supplementary Certificate and Supplementary Bilingual Education Extension Requirements (Emergency & Proposed)
  • Professional Learning Plans (Adopted)
  • Execution by Registered Professional Nurses of Non-Patient Specific Orders (Adopted)
  • Reimagining the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Accountability System (Adopted)
  • Special Subject Tenure Areas (Proposed)
  • Performance-Based Learning and Assessment Networks (PLAN) Pilot Program (Proposed)
  • Technical Amendment of Section 52.21 (Proposed)

Department of Health

  • Safety of Infant Formula Distributed Under the NYS Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Program (Proposed)

Office of Children and Family Services

  • Expansion of Background Checks for Staff at Child Care Institutions (Proposed)

Coming Up

Upcoming Regents Meeting Dates

  • July 14 – 15
  • August – Recess
  • September 8 – 9
  • October 6 – 7
  • November 3 – 4
  • December 15 – 16

State Board Meetings

  • Respiratory Therapy: July 24, 2025
  • Engineering, Land Surveying & Geology: September 4, 2025 (Albany)
  • Medicine: September 5, 2025 (New York City)
  • Chiropractic: September 11, 2025 (Albany)
  • Speech-Language Pathology: September 19, 2025 (Albany)
  • Interior Design: September 19, 2025 (New York City)
  • Occupational Therapy: September 25, 2025 (Albany, New York City & Syracuse)

Not-For-Profit Contracting Advisory Committee

  • September 16, 2025
  • October 28, 2025

Opioid Settlement Fund Advisory Board

  • September 12, 2025- 1450 Western Avenue, Albany, NY 12203 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
  • October 16, 2025- 1450 Western Avenue, Albany, NY 12203 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Plugged In to Education is prepared by Hinman Straub P.C. and is intended to keep our clients informed about news and Legislative and regulatory developments that may affect or otherwise be of interest to them. The comments contained herein do not constitute legal opinion and should not be regarded as a substitute for legal advice. If you prefer not to receive these updates, please alert us so we may remove you from our distribution list. © Hinman Straub P.C. 2025. All rights reserved.