NY A03892

Establishes a competitive grant program administered by the Commissioner of Education to provide funding for educational programs at museums, historical societies, zoos, botanical gardens, aquariums, and cultural institutions serving low-income communities.

Eligible institutions include nonprofit organizations chartered by the Board of Regents or meeting applicable registration standards, located in or serving students from low-income urban, suburban, or rural communities; excludes state and federal government-operated institutions.

Grants may fund curriculum development, educational technology, specialized exhibitions, continuing education programs, student transportation, and other curriculum-based programming, with maximum awards of $500,000 per year for up to three years.

Requires the Commissioner to allocate a minimum of 25 percent of appropriated funds to each of four budget size categories of institutions: $10,000-$150,000; $150,001-$500,000; $500,001-$1,000,000; and over $1,000,000 annually.

Requires the Commissioner to submit annual reports by March 1st beginning in 2020 to legislative committees and the budget director detailing program implementation, institutional participation, curriculum integration, and geographic distribution of funds.