S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
3721
2009-2010 Regular Sessions
I N A S S E M B L Y
January 28, 2009
___________
Introduced by M. of A. PRETLOW -- read once and referred to the Commit-
tee on Higher Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to funding of physician
loan forgiveness programs
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Subdivision 9 of section 605 of the education law is
amended by adding a new paragraph g to read as follows:
G. USE OF EXCESS FUNDS FROM THE REGENTS HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL
OPPORTUNITY SCHOLARSHIPS. ANY FUNDS APPLIED TOWARD THIS PROGRAM FROM
UNUSED ALLOCATIONS DIRECTED TOWARD THE REGENTS HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL
OPPORTUNITY SCHOLARSHIPS, PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION TEN OF THIS SECTION,
SHALL BE DISTRIBUTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH REGENTS RULES THAT SHALL GIVE
PRIORITY TO PHYSICIANS WHO ARE ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED AND/OR MEMBERS
OF AN UNDERREPRESENTED MINORITY GROUP. AWARDEES SHALL PROVIDE SERVICE
PAYBACK IN AN AREA DESIGNATED AS HAVING A SHORTAGE OF PHYSICIANS, BUT
NOT LIMITED TO, PRIMARY CARE SERVICES.
S 2. The opening paragraph of subdivision 10 of section 605 of the
education law, as added by chapter 31 of the laws of 1985, is amended to
read as follows:
Regents health care professional opportunity scholarships. Regents
health care professional opportunity scholarships shall be awarded annu-
ally to students who are beginning or engaged in an approved program in
medicine or dentistry and who are economically disadvantaged and/or
members of an underrepresented minority group, provided, however, that
to the extent that regents health care professional opportunity scholar-
ships are not awarded, such [scholarships shall be awarded as regents
professional opportunity scholarships] REMAINING FUNDING SHALL BE
APPLIED TO THE REGENTS PHYSICIAN LOAN FORGIVENESS PROGRAM. These schol-
arships shall be classified and allocated in accordance with regents
rules.
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02159-01-9
A. 3721 2
S 3. This act shall take effect immediately, provided that the amend-
ments to subdivisions 9 and 10 of section 605 of the education law, made
by sections one and two of this act, shall not affect the termination of
such subdivisions pursuant to section 17 of chapter 31 of the laws of
1985, as amended, and shall terminate therewith.