S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   1152
 
                        2017-2018 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 10, 2017
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of  A. ROZIC, BRINDISI, COOK, HEVESI, JAFFEE, MAYER,
   MOSLEY, SANTABARBARA, SIMANOWITZ, SKARTADOS -- read once and  referred
   to the Committee on Higher Education
 
 AN  ACT  to amend the education law, in relation to the empire engineers
   initiative act

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  This  act  shall be known and may be cited as "the empire
 engineers initiative act".
   § 2. The education law is amended by adding a  new  section  679-h  to
 read as follows:
   §  679-H.  NEW  YORK  STATE  ENGINEERS  LOAN  FORGIVENESS  PROGRAM. 1.
 PURPOSE. THE PRESIDENT SHALL GRANT STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESS  AWARDS  FOR
 THE  PURPOSE  OF  INCREASING THE NUMBER OF ENGINEERS SERVING IN NEW YORK
 CITY AND THE REST OF THE STATE.
   2. ELIGIBILITY. TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR AN AWARD PURSUANT TO THIS  SECTION,
 APPLICANTS  SHALL  (A)  HAVE  RECEIVED  A  DEGREE IN ENGINEERING FROM AN
 ACCREDITED COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY; (B) COMPLY WITH SUBDIVISIONS THREE AND
 FIVE OF SECTION  SIX  HUNDRED  SIXTY-ONE  OF  THIS  PART;  (C)  HAVE  AN
 OUTSTANDING  STUDENT  LOAN  DEBT; AND (D) ENTER INTO A CONTRACT WITH THE
 CORPORATION TO PERFORM ENGINEERING SERVICES WITHIN THE STATE.
   3. AWARDS. THE CORPORATION SHALL GRANT AWARDS IN AN  AMOUNT  EQUAL  TO
 FIFTY PERCENT OF THE TOTAL TUITION CHARGED TO THE STUDENT BY ALL SCHOOLS
 OR  FIFTY  PERCENT  OF  THE  TOTAL  TUITION  CHARGED TO A STATE RESIDENT
 STUDENT ATTENDING AN ENGINEERING PROGRAM AT THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF  NEW
 YORK,  WHICHEVER  IS  LESS PRIOR TO THE APPLICATION OF ANY SCHOLARSHIPS,
 GRANTS, OR OTHER FINANCIAL AWARDS. AWARDS SHALL BE  WITHIN  THE  AMOUNTS
 APPROPRIATED FOR SUCH PURPOSE AND BASED ON AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS.
   4.  CONVERSION.  THE  CORPORATION  SHALL CONVERT TO A STUDENT LOAN THE
 FULL AMOUNT OF THE AWARD GIVEN PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION, PLUS  INTEREST,
 ACCORDING  TO  A SCHEDULE TO BE DETERMINED BY THE CORPORATION IF: (A) AT
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD00885-01-7

 A. 1152                             2
 
 ANY POINT IN THE FIVE YEAR PERIOD AFTER RECEIPT OF SUCH AWARD THE RECIP-
 IENT IS NOT EMPLOYED AS AN ENGINEER LOCATED WITHIN NEW  YORK  STATE;  OR
 (B)  A RECIPIENT FAILS TO RESPOND TO REQUESTS BY THE CORPORATION REGARD-
 ING HIS OR HER PROFESSIONAL STATUS.
   5.  RULES AND REGULATIONS. THE CORPORATION IS AUTHORIZED TO PROMULGATE
 RULES AND REGULATIONS NECESSARY FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROVISIONS
 OF THIS SECTION, INCLUDING A METHOD  FOR  DETERMINING  THE  PRIORITY  IN
 WHICH  AWARDS ARE DISTRIBUTED. WHEN DETERMINING RULES CONCERNING PRIORI-
 TY, THE CORPORATION SHALL TAKE SUCH ACTION TO ENSURE THAT THE INTENT  OF
 THIS  SECTION IS FULFILLED, AND SHALL GIVE PREFERENCE TO INDIVIDUALS WHO
 RECEIVED THEIR DEGREE FROM A NEW YORK BASED COLLEGE  OR  UNIVERSITY.  IN
 THE EVENT THAT THERE ARE MORE APPLICANTS WHO HAVE THE SAME PRIORITY THAN
 THERE  ARE REMAINING AWARDS, THE CORPORATION SHALL PROVIDE IN REGULATION
 THE METHOD OF DISTRIBUTING THE REMAINING NUMBER OF  SUCH  AWARDS,  WHICH
 MAY INCLUDE A LOTTERY OR OTHER FORM OF RANDOM SELECTION.
   §  3. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeed-
 ing the date on which it shall have become a law.