§ 562. Tuition reimbursement payments to parents. 1. Upon the filing by a parent of the verified statement as required by subdivision two, the commissioner shall make a tuition reimbursement payment to such parent for tuition expenses made in the preceding calendar year. Only one such payment shall be made on behalf of any pupil in a calendar year. Such payment shall be the lesser of either (a) fifty percent of the tuition paid by the parent during the preceding calendar year for the elementary or secondary education of each pupil, or (b) five dollars per month for the period of enrollment in a nonpublic school during the regular school year for each pupil in grades one through eight, and ten dollars per month for the period of enrollment in a nonpublic school during the preceding regular school year for each pupil in grades nine through twelve. Whenever payments as herein computed total less than ten dollars, no such payment shall be made.
2. In order to be eligible for tuition reimbursement hereunder, the parent of a pupil shall, by May first of the year following the calendar year for which reimbursement is sought, file with the commissioner a verified statement, in such form as he shall provide, stating that the pupil was enrolled during such year in a nonpublic school or schools and, in addition, the following information: (a) the name, address and taxable income of the parent; (b) the name, address and birth date of the pupil; (c) the grade in which the pupil was enrolled during each month in a nonpublic school in such year; (d) the name and address of the nonpublic school or schools attended by such pupil; (e) a receipted tuition bill. For reimbursement for the calendar year nineteen hundred seventy-one, such verified statement shall be filed not later than July first, nineteen hundred seventy-two.
3. No parent shall be eligible to receive a tuition reimbursement payment who has claimed a modification of federal adjusted gross income for nonpublic school tuition pursuant to paragraph fourteen of subsection (c) of section six hundred twelve of the tax law based upon the same tuition expenditures.
4. The state tax commission shall, when requested by the com- missioner, compare any verified statement filed with the commissioner pursuant to this article with the state income tax returns if any, filed by the parent making such verified statement and shall report any discrepancies to the commissioner. All verified statements filed with the commissioner and all reports made to him by the state tax commission, pursuant to this article shall be deemed confidential and, except in accordance with proper judicial order or as otherwise prescribed by law, it shall be unlawful for the commissioner or any officer or employee of the department to divulge or make known in any manner the amount of income or any other particulars set forth in any verified statement filed with him hereunder or report made to him pursuant to this subdivision; but nothing contained herein shall be considered to prohibit the commissioner's publication of statistics so classified as to prevent the identification of particular affidavits or reports.
