Enacts the "military experience recognized for institutional transfer (MERIT) act"

Showing the cosponsors who are on Agora, A to Z. The official record may list more.

• Democratic6

Shown in neutral colors by design; Agora is non-partisan.

◆ The sponsor's argument

Why Joseph P. Addabbo Jr. says this is needed

According to September 2012 statistics from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics, just under one million veterans reside in New York State. Across the nation, over two million U.S. troops have deployed to Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. It is the duty of the nation and the state to understand and address our responsibilities to our return- ing service members. Data derived from a 2011 report to the New York State Health Foundation by the RAND Corporation reported that 36 percent of sample veterans(n.913 in New York State were enrolled in higher education, and 77% of veterans expressed that additional training or college would help to advance their career. Accordingly, colleges and universities have formed veterans affairs-specifics offices, often hiring veterans as staff, to accommodate the rising number of veteran students. Veteran students have different backgrounds, experiences, and skills than traditional students, and as such have different needs. Often times veterans, while attending school, have other obligations including work and supporting a family. For many, the goal is to complete their degree as quickly as possible in order to expedite the transition from soldier to civilian. This bill seeks to ensure that veterans receive higher education credits for relevant military coursework and training. The American Council on Education, in collaboration with the Department of Defense, evaluates military transcripts from each branch of service and makes recommenda- tions for appropriate academic credit. Veterans, throughout their mili- tary careers, have received valuable and translatable education that should be acknowledged at institutions of higher learning. By giving credit where credit is due, New York State and its public university system can accelerate veterans' transition into, and increase marketa- bility in, a competitive labor force. In addition, the state will continue its longstanding tradition of honoring our veterans and promot- ing the State of New York as a welcoming place to live, work and learn. War, for the purposes of this legislation, includes but is not limited to, the Persian Gulf conflicts that took place on or after August 2, 1990 until 2011, and the war in Afghanistan after September 11, 2001 to present and any future wars in which the United States engages in.

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.