In the wake of a Nassau County SAT cheating scandal, a New York senator has proposed a new bill that would greatly increase the punishment for cheating on educational testing. If the bill passes, new felony laws would be applied to those who impersonate a student for pay in an effort to cheat on a test.

The bill would create two new felony classifications: scheming to defraud educational testing and facilitation of education testing fraud. The bill would also add a misdemeanor charge of forgery of a test. In addition, the proposed measure would increase security around the test, calling for test takers to provide photo identification (and potentially fingerprint ID or retinal scans) to assure test authenticity.

This action is part of a larger initiative by the New York senator to clamp down on fraudulent educational testing. The senator questioned The College Board - which administers the SAT - in regards to a cheating scheme last September in Nassau County. The scandal involved 20 people who posed as students and took the SATs in their place to boost scores. The imposters received as much as $3,600 for their services.

The College Board admitted that they are "not a law enforcement agency," and that, in most cases, those who cheat have their scores wiped for that test. Turning the crime into a felony, however, seems to be a big step by New York officials in an effort to combat the fraudulent act.

The New York senator admitted as much, and wants the state to champion the movement against cheating. "As they say, as New York goes, so does the country," he said.

Source: Washington Post, "NY bill would make crimes out of SAT test cheating; hearings continue in Long Island scandal," AP, Jan. 24, 2012