Assemblywoman Marianne Buttenschon (D-Utica/Rome) announced that legislation she sponsored to classify spouses or dependents of active-duty service members stationed out-of-state following an assignment in New York as in-state residents so they can qualify for in-state SUNY tuition rates has passed the Higher Education Committee (A.6249).

“The brave men and women who serve our country and the families of these heroes who sacrifice so much deserve our utmost respect and support,” Buttenschon said. “Many military families often have to pack up and move in the blink of an eye, putting their plans in disarray and forcing those who want to pursue a college education to pay exorbitant out-of-state costs or enroll in a different college altogether. This simply isn’t right and prevents countless aspiring students from enrolling in the SUNY schools they set out to attend, which is why I fought to push this bill out of committee, and will continue to advocate for it. I’ll always be a strong voice for our service members and their families and do everything I can to improve their quality of life.”

Buttenschon’s bill would allow a spouse or child of an active-duty service member who is assigned to duty elsewhere following an assignment in New York to be deemed an in-state resident if they have been accepted to a state university. The student would have to remain continuously enrolled at the school to qualify for in-state tuition rates and fees at the SUNY or CUNY school. If passed, New York would join the 25 other states that have already enacted this policy since it was identified by the U.S. Department of Defense in 2019.

Buttenschon has been an outspoken advocate for our current service members and veterans, especially those in the Mohawk Valley. She also sponsored bills to:

• Provide a waiver from SUNY application fees for veterans (A.1015);
• Eliminate additional application fees and annual fees for special license plates issued to veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces (A.1230);
• Provide a help/crisis line to assist veterans (A.5832); and
• Establish a Giving Internships for Disabled Veterans Not Fully Employed Program (G.I.V.E. Back NY) as well as award 10% of available internships in the Assembly Youth Participation Program and the Senate Student Program to eligible honorably discharged veterans with service-connected disabilities (A.6445).