Plugged In To Education

March 8, 2024

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

What’s Inside

  • Damia Harris-Madden Nominated to serve as Commissioner of the Office of Children and Family Services
  • Governor Hochul Announces Funding to Support Electric School Bus Charging Infrastructure
  • Legislature Elects Three New Members and Re-elects Three Members to Board of Regents
  • Governor Launches the Youth Mental Health Advisory Board
  • Governor Hochul Marks $27 Million for School Technology and Security Enhancements
  • Funding Opportunities
  • State Register
  • Coming Up

Dr. Damia Harris-Madden Nominated to serve as Commissioner of the Office of Children and Family Services

Governor Kathy Hochul announced the nomination of Dr. DaMia Harris-Madden to serve as Commissioner of the New York State Office of Children and Family Services. Dr. Harris-Madden is an experienced nonprofit and community leader who currently serves as Executive Director of the Westchester County Youth Bureau and will take office as Acting Commissioner on April 8.

Governor Hochul Announces Funding to Support Electric School Bus Charging Infrastructure

Governor Kathy Hochul announced funding is available for electric school bus charging infrastructure under the $4.2 billion Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act and through the New York School Bus Incentive Program. Support is available to help make installing Level 2 or Direct Current Fast Charging chargers and associated electrical upgrades more affordable for public school districts and the bus operators that contract with them. Administered by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), the program is accepting applications from public school districts and school bus operators. Funding is available on a first-come, first-served basis, and the level of funding provided is based on the number of buses a school district or bus operator has purchased or is currently purchasing. Amounts start at $25,000 per bus to cover hardware, customer-side electrical site upgrades, installation costs, and battery storage.

Legislature Elects Three New Members and Re-elects Three Members to Board of Regents

Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, Senate and Assembly Education Committee Chairs Shelley B. Mayer and Michael Benedetto, and Assembly Higher Education Committee Chair Patricia Fahy announced the Legislature’s election of Hasoni Pratts, Dr. Seema Rivera and Patrick A. Mannion, and the re-election of Dr. Christine D. Cea, Dr. James E. Cottrell and Wade S. Norwood to the New York State Board of Regents.

  • Hasoni Pratts (second Judicial District ) is currently senior advisor to CEO and President Marc Morial at the National Urban League, where she serves as liaison for federal, state and local equity outreach in underserved communities.
  • Seema Rivera (third Judicial District) is an associate professor of STEM education at the Institute for STEM Education at Clarkson University, and previously served as program director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) Noyce Grant. Her research areas include STEM graduate student education, graduate student self-efficacy and identity, and STEM teaching in secondary schools. Prior to her work in higher education, Dr. Rivera taught chemistry in the Bronx, Germantown and Cairo, N.Y.
  • Patrick A. Mannion (fifth Judicial District) served as vice chair of the Columbian Financial Group in Syracuse prior to his retirement in 2020, and currently is an active member of the Fayetteville Fire Department where he is a firefighter, emergency medical technician, lieutenant and public information officer. Previously he served as chairman, president and CEO of Unity Mutual Life Insurance Company.

Governor Launches the Youth Mental Health Advisory Board

Governor Hochul announced that her Youth Mental Health Advisory Board will begin accepting applications from interested children and teenagers. The application portal for the advisory board is now open. Middle and high school students interested in mental health issues or with lived experience are encouraged to apply for the advisory board. This initiative emerged following last year’s statewide youth mental health listening tour and Youth Mental Health Summit. During those engagement sessions, young people communicated that they wanted their voices to be heard, and in response, Governor Hochul created the Youth Mental Health Advisory Board as part of the 2024 State of the State.

Governor Hochul Marks $27 Million for School Technology and Security Enhancements

Governor Kathy Hochul announced the approval of 59 Smart Schools Investment Plans focused on reimagining education in an evolving age and boosting school security. The approved plans, totaling $27 million, are part of the $2 billion Smart Schools Bond Act, a sweeping education technology program. The plans approved by the Board were submitted by 53 school districts and two special education schools. Projects include $21 million for high-tech security, $4.4 million for classroom technology, $1 million for prekindergarten classrooms, $604,000 for school connectivity, and $37,000 for nonpublic schools’ classroom technology and school connectivity. A summary of the plans is available.

Funding Opportunities

The Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY) has released details for the next round of Higher Education Capital (HECap) matching grant program to provide matching capital grants to finance capital projects and equipment purchases by independent institutions of higher learning in NYS. Due March 22, 2024

The New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) and the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY) announced the availability of funds under the Statewide Health Care Facility Transformation Program IV (SHCFTP IV) to provide grants in support of capital projects and debt retirement and restructuring, working capital or other non-capital projects directly related to a capital project that facilitate furthering transformational goals, including, but not limited to, transforming, redesigning, and strengthening quality health care services in alignment with statewide and regional health care needs and in the ongoing pandemic response, or other activities intended to build innovative, patient-centered models of care, to increase access to care, to improve the quality of care and to ensure financial sustainability of health care providers. Grants shall not be made to support general, day-to-day operating costs. Due March 26, 2024

The New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH), Office of Health Insurance Programs (OHIP), Division of Program Development and Management (DPDM) announced the availability of funds to support Social Care Networks (SCN) lead entities that will be responsible for the coordination of social care service delivery in regions across the state. SCN lead entities will maintain and strengthen a network of community-based organizations (CBOs) responsible for delivering high-quality, evidence-based, and accessible social care services. This network will also capture and share data required for effective coordination between the SCNs, CBOs, NYS, and other stakeholders to help evaluate the SCN’s impact on health outcomes. Due March 27, 2024

The New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) is committed to investing in community-based services that will reduce the demand for psychiatric hospitalization and long lengths of stay in inpatient settings. Based on the need for additional residential opportunities to support this mission, OMH is announcing this Request for Proposals (RFP) for the development and operation of up to 171 Treatment Apartment Program (TAP) housing units statewide. Due April 9, 2024

The NYS Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) has released a RFP to solicit competitive applications for eligible not-for-profit organizations to apply for the creation, development, and/or continuation of quality after-school programs in partnership with local schools and/or school districts as part of the NYS Learning and Enrichment After-school Program Supports (LEAPS) initiative. Due April 11, 2024

The NYS Office of Mental Health (OMH), in partnership with the Office of Addiction and Support Services (OASAS), released a Request for Proposals (RFP) to establish a baseline of best practice and clinical acumen in children’s behavioral health services through a Technical Assistance Center for Children’s Behavioral Health Providers. Due April 16, 2024

The New York State (NYS) Office of Mental Health (OMH) is providing one-time funding of up to $250,000 to OMH providers through two opportunities in Mental Health Outpatient Treatment and Rehabilitative Services (MHOTRS) programs (formerly known as Article 31 Clinics). This funding opportunity is intended to promote development of MHOTRS programs and services in underserved geographic areas, as well as to underserved populations in all areas. Due May 14, 2024

The Dormitory Authority of NYS announced the Nonprofit Infrastructure Capital Investment Program to make targeted investments throughout the State in capital construction projects that will improve or maintain the quality, efficiency, accessibility of such nonprofit human services organizations that serve New Yorkers. NICIP is offered through a rolling application period on a first come, first served basis.

The New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) is making up to $2 million in Apprenticeship Expansion Formula (SAEF) funding available under the Direct Entry Pre-Apprenticeship Programs (DEPA) Request for Applications (RFA). The purpose of the RFA is to: provide funding for DEPA programs to support approximately 300 participants; and support entry into NYS Registered Apprenticeship (RA) programs for underrepresented populations including women, minorities, individuals with disabilities, and veterans. Applications will be received on a rolling basis.

State Register

State Education Department

  • Licensing Examinations in the Profession of Public Accountancy (Emergency)
  • Mental Health Practitioners’ Diagnostic Privilege (Adopted)
  • Use of the Term University (Adopted)
  • Requirements for Clinical Education and Simulation Experience in Nursing Education Program (Adopted)
  • Optometrist’s Certification to Use Topical and Oral Therapeutic Drugs for Certain Ocular Diseases (Adopted)
  • Non-Patient Specific Orders to Administer Immunizing Agents Against Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) (Adopted)
  • Dispensing Self-Administered Hormonal Contraceptives (Proposed)
  • Eligibility Criteria for State Financial Aid, Including the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) (Proposed)
  • Profession of Physical Therapy Assistant (Emergency)

Office of Children and Family Services

Coming Up

2024 Regents Meeting Dates

  • March 11 – 12 (Monday and Tuesday)
  • April 15 – 16 (Monday and Tuesday)
  • May 6 – 7 (Monday and Tuesday)
  • June 10 – 11 (Monday and Tuesday)
  • July 15 – 16 (Monday and Tuesday)
  • August – Recess
  • September 9 – 10 (Monday and Tuesday)
  • October 7 – 8 (Monday and Tuesday)
  • November 4 – 5 (Monday and Tuesday)
  • December 9 – 10 (Monday and Tuesday)

State Board Meetings

  • Chiropractic: March 14, 2024 (Albany)

OTDA Meetings

  • April 3, 2024, 1:30 p.m.: Homeless Housing and Assistance Corporation (HHAC)

May 2, 2024, 1:00 p.m.: HEAP Block Grant Advisory Council (BGAC)

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. 2020. All rights reserved.