S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8501
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             December 3, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M. of A. FAHY -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on Higher Education
 
 AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to  the  New  York  state
   masters-in-mental health incentive scholarship program
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section  669-i
 to read as follows:
   § 669-I. NEW YORK STATE MASTERS-IN-MENTAL HEALTH INCENTIVE SCHOLARSHIP
 PROGRAM. 1. STUDENTS WHO ARE MATRICULATED IN AN APPROVED MASTER'S DEGREE
 IN MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAM AT A NEW YORK STATE PUBLIC INSTITUTION OF HIGH-
 ER  EDUCATION  LEADING TO A CAREER AS A MENTAL HEALTH CLINICIAN SHALL BE
 ELIGIBLE FOR AN AWARD UNDER THIS SECTION, PROVIDED  THE  APPLICANT:  (A)
 WAS  A NEW YORK STATE RESIDENT FOR TWELVE CONTINUOUS MONTHS PRIOR TO THE
 BEGINNING OF THE TERM; (B) IS A UNITED STATES CITIZEN;  IS  AN  ELIGIBLE
 NON-CITIZEN;  OR  IS  ELIGIBLE  TO  APPLY  FOR CITIZENSHIP WITHIN TWELVE
 MONTHS; (C) ACHIEVED ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE  AS  AN  UNDERGRADUATE  STUDENT
 FROM  A  COLLEGE  OR  UNIVERSITY  LOCATED IN THIS STATE WITH A 3.0 GRADE
 POINT AVERAGE OR HIGHER UPON COMPLETION OF SUCH UNDERGRADUATE STUDY; (D)
 ENROLLS IN FULL-TIME STUDY IN AN APPROVED  MASTER'S  DEGREE  FOR  MENTAL
 HEALTH  PRACTITIONERS  PROGRAM AT A NEW YORK STATE PUBLIC INSTITUTION OF
 HIGHER EDUCATION   OR PRIVATE NOT-FOR-PROFIT COLLEGE  OR  UNIVERSITY  IN
 THIS STATE WHICH LEADS TO LICENSURE AS A MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELOR, FAMILY
 THERAPIST, CREATIVE ARTS THERAPIST, PSYCHOANALYST, OR APPLIED BEHAVIORAL
 ANALYST;  BE ENROLLED IN SUCH PROGRAM ON A FULL-TIME BASIS; (E) EXECUTES
 A SERVICE CONTRACT AGREEING TO BE EMPLOYED FOR FOUR YEARS BY A  NON-PRO-
 FIT  ORGANIZATION LICENSED, FUNDED OR DESIGNATED BY THE OFFICE OF MENTAL
 HEALTH, THE OFFICE OF ADDICTION SERVICES AND SUPPORTS, OR THE OFFICE FOR
 PERSONS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES; (F) BE IN A NON-DEFAULT  STATUS
 ON  A  STUDENT  LOAN  MADE UNDER ANY NEW YORK STATE OR FEDERAL EDUCATION
 LOAN PROGRAM OR REPAYMENT OF ANY NEW YORK STATE AWARD; (G) EARN A  CUMU-
 LATIVE GRADE POINT AVERAGE OF 3.0 OR HIGHER EACH TERM OF GRADUATE STUDY;
 AND  (H) COMPLIES WITH THE APPLICABLE PROVISIONS OF THIS ARTICLE AND ALL
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
              

                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD13180-01-1
 A. 8501                             2

 REQUIREMENTS PROMULGATED BY THE CORPORATION FOR  THE  ADMINISTRATION  OF
 THE PROGRAM.
   2.  WITHIN  AMOUNTS  APPROPRIATED THEREFOR, AWARDS SHALL BE GRANTED TO
 APPLICANTS THAT THE CORPORATION HAS CERTIFIED ARE  ELIGIBLE  TO  RECEIVE
 SUCH  AWARDS. UP TO FIVE HUNDRED AWARDS MAY BE GRANTED TO NEW RECIPIENTS
 ANNUALLY. SUCH AWARDS SHALL BE GRANTED  UPON  SUCCESSFUL  COMPLETION  OF
 EACH TERM, AS DEFINED BY THE CORPORATION.
   3.  AN  AWARD  SHALL  ENTITLE THE RECIPIENT TO ANNUAL PAYMENTS FOR NOT
 MORE THAN TWO ACADEMIC YEARS OF  FULL-TIME  GRADUATE  STUDY  LEADING  TO
 CERTIFICATION AS A MENTAL HEALTH CLINICIAN.
   4.  THE  CORPORATION SHALL GRANT SUCH AWARDS IN AN AMOUNT EQUAL TO THE
 ANNUAL TUITION CHARGED TO STATE RESIDENT STUDENTS ATTENDING  A  GRADUATE
 PROGRAM FULL-TIME AT THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK, OR ACTUAL TUITION
 CHARGED,  WHICHEVER  IS  LESS;  PROVIDED,  HOWEVER,  (A)  A  STUDENT WHO
 RECEIVES EDUCATIONAL GRANTS AND/OR SCHOLARSHIPS THAT COVER THE STUDENT'S
 FULL COST OF ATTENDANCE SHALL NOT BE ELIGIBLE FOR AN  AWARD  UNDER  THIS
 PROGRAM; (B) FOR A STUDENT WHO RECEIVES EDUCATIONAL GRANTS AND/OR SCHOL-
 ARSHIPS THAT COVER LESS THAN THE STUDENT'S FULL COST OF ATTENDANCE, SUCH
 GRANTS  AND/OR  SCHOLARSHIPS  SHALL  NOT  BE  DEEMED DUPLICATIVE OF THIS
 PROGRAM AND MAY BE HELD CONCURRENTLY WITH AN AWARD UNDER  THIS  PROGRAM,
 PROVIDED  THAT  THE  COMBINED  BENEFITS DO NOT EXCEED THE STUDENT'S FULL
 COST OF ATTENDANCE; AND (C) AN AWARD UNDER THIS PROGRAM SHALL BE APPLIED
 TO TUITION AFTER THE APPLICATION OF ALL  OTHER  EDUCATIONAL  GRANTS  AND
 SCHOLARSHIPS  LIMITED TO TUITION AND SHALL BE REDUCED IN AN AMOUNT EQUAL
 TO SUCH EDUCATIONAL GRANTS AND/OR SCHOLARSHIPS. UPON NOTIFICATION OF  AN
 AWARD  UNDER  THIS  PROGRAM,  THE  INSTITUTION SHALL DEFER THE AMOUNT OF
 TUITION EQUAL TO THE AWARD. NO AWARD SHALL BE FINAL  UNTIL  THE  RECIPI-
 ENT'S SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF A TERM HAS BEEN CERTIFIED BY THE INSTITU-
 TION.
   5.  THE CORPORATION SHALL CONVERT TO A STUDENT LOAN THE FULL AMOUNT OF
 THE AWARD GRANTED PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION, PLUS INTEREST, ACCORDING  TO
 A  SCHEDULE  TO BE DETERMINED BY THE CORPORATION IF: (A) TWO YEARS AFTER
 THE COMPLETION OF THE DEGREE PROGRAM  AND  RECEIPT  OF  INITIAL  CERTIF-
 ICATION  IT IS FOUND THAT A RECIPIENT IS  NOT EMPLOYED FOR FOUR YEARS BY
 A NOT-FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATION LICENSED,  FUNDED  OR  DESIGNATED  BY  THE
 OFFICE  OF MENTAL HEALTH, THE OFFICE OF ADDICTION SERVICES AND SUPPORTS,
 OR THE OFFICE FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES; (B) A  RECIPIENT  FAILS  TO
 COMPLETE  HIS  OR  HER  GRADUATE  DEGREE PROGRAM IN MENTAL HEALTH; (C) A
 RECIPIENT FAILS TO RECEIVE OR MAINTAIN HIS OR HER LICENSE  IN  NEW  YORK
 STATE  FOR  THE  REQUIRED PERIOD; OR (D) A RECIPIENT FAILS TO RESPOND TO
 REQUESTS BY THE CORPORATION FOR THE STATUS OF HIS  OR  HER  ACADEMIC  OR
 PROFESSIONAL  PROGRESS.  THE  TERMS  AND  CONDITIONS OF THIS SUBDIVISION
 SHALL BE DEFERRED FOR ANY INTERRUPTION IN GRADUATE STUDY  OR  EMPLOYMENT
 AS  ESTABLISHED  BY  THE  RULES  AND REGULATIONS OF THE CORPORATION. ANY
 OBLIGATION TO COMPLY WITH SUCH PROVISIONS AS OUTLINED  IN  THIS  SECTION
 SHALL  BE CANCELLED UPON THE DEATH OF THE RECIPIENT. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY
 PROVISIONS OF THIS SUBDIVISION  TO  THE  CONTRARY,  THE  CORPORATION  IS
 AUTHORIZED TO PROMULGATE RULES AND REGULATIONS TO PROVIDE FOR THE WAIVER
 OR  SUSPENSION  OF  ANY FINANCIAL OBLIGATION WHICH WOULD INVOLVE EXTREME
 HARDSHIP.
   6. THE CORPORATION IS AUTHORIZED TO PROMULGATE RULES AND  REGULATIONS,
 AND  MAY PROMULGATE EMERGENCY REGULATIONS, NECESSARY FOR THE IMPLEMENTA-
 TION OF THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION INCLUDING, BUT  NOT  LIMITED  TO,
 THE CRITERIA FOR THE PROVISION OF AWARDS ON A COMPETITIVE BASIS, AND THE
 RATE OF INTEREST CHARGED FOR REPAYMENT OF THE STUDENT LOAN.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.