S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   5000
 
                        2019-2020 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               April 3, 2019
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sens. PARKER, KAMINSKY -- read twice and ordered printed,
   and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Health
 
 AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to  establishing  the
   nurse loan repayment program
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Section 2807-m of the  public  health  law  is  amended  by
 adding a new subdivision 5-c to read as follows:
   5-C.  REGISTERED  NURSE  LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAM. (A) BEGINNING JANUARY
 FIRST, TWO THOUSAND  TWENTY,  THE  COMMISSIONER  IS  AUTHORIZED,  WITHIN
 AMOUNTS  AVAILABLE  PURSUANT  TO  SUBDIVISION FIVE-A OF THIS SECTION, TO
 MAKE LOAN REPAYMENT AWARDS:
   (I) TO REGISTERED PROFESSIONAL  NURSES  OR  OTHER  LICENSED  PRACTICAL
 NURSES  SPECIALITIES  DETERMINED  BY  THE  COMMISSIONER  TO  BE IN SHORT
 SUPPLY, LICENSED TO PRACTICE NURSING PURSUANT  TO  ARTICLE  ONE  HUNDRED
 THIRTY-NINE  OF  THE  EDUCATION  LAW, WHO AGREE TO PRACTICE FOR AT LEAST
 FIVE YEARS IN AN UNDERSERVED AREA OR NURSING HOME, AS DETERMINED BY  THE
 COMMISSIONER.   SUCH REGISTERED PROFESSIONAL NURSE OR LICENSED PRACTICAL
 NURSE SHALL BE ELIGIBLE FOR A LOAN REPAYMENT AWARD OF UP TO ONE  HUNDRED
 FIFTY  THOUSAND  DOLLARS OVER A FIVE YEAR PERIOD DISTRIBUTED AS FOLLOWS:
 FIFTEEN PERCENT OF TOTAL LOAN DEBT NOT TO EXCEED TWENTY THOUSAND DOLLARS
 FOR THE FIRST YEAR; FIFTEEN PERCENT OF TOTAL LOAN  DEBT  NOT  TO  EXCEED
 TWENTY-FIVE  THOUSAND  DOLLARS  FOR  THE  SECOND YEAR; TWENTY PERCENT OF
 TOTAL LOAN DEBT NOT TO EXCEED THIRTY-FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR THE THIRD
 YEAR; AND TWENTY-FIVE PERCENT OF TOTAL LOAN DEBT NOT TO  EXCEED  THIRTY-
 FIVE  THOUSAND  DOLLARS PER YEAR FOR THE FOURTH AND FIFTH YEARS OF PRAC-
 TICE IN SUCH AREA; AND
   (II) TO GENERAL HOSPITALS AND OTHER HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS TO  ADMINIS-
 TER  AS  PART OF THEIR RECRUITMENT PACKAGES; PROVIDED THE LOAN REPAYMENT
 AWARDS SHALL BE ADMINISTERED CONSISTENT  WITH  THE  PROVISIONS  OF  THIS
 SUBDIVISION.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD00899-01-9

 S. 5000                             2
 
   (B)  LOAN  REPAYMENT AWARDS MADE TO A REGISTERED PROFESSIONAL NURSE OR
 LICENSED PRACTICAL NURSE PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH (A) OF  THIS  SUBDIVISION
 SHALL NOT EXCEED THE TOTAL QUALIFYING OUTSTANDING DEBT OF THE REGISTERED
 PROFESSIONAL  NURSE  OR  LICENSED  PRACTICAL NURSE FROM STUDENT LOANS TO
 COVER TUITION AND OTHER RELATED EDUCATIONAL EXPENSES, MADE BY OR GUARAN-
 TEED  BY THE FEDERAL OR STATE GOVERNMENT, OR MADE BY A LENDING OR EDUCA-
 TIONAL INSTITUTION APPROVED UNDER TITLE IV OF THE FEDERAL HIGHER  EDUCA-
 TION  ACT.    LOAN  REPAYMENT  AWARDS SHALL BE USED SOLELY TO REPAY SUCH
 OUTSTANDING DEBT.
   (C) ANY RECIPIENT OF FUNDS PURSUANT TO THIS SUBDIVISION WHO  PRACTICES
 LESS  THAN  TWO  YEARS IN AN UNDERSERVED AREA OR NURSING HOME, AS DETER-
 MINED BY THE COMMISSIONER, SHALL REPAY ALL FUNDS PAID IN AMOUNTS  TO  BE
 DETERMINED  BY  THE COMMISSIONER PURSUANT TO THIS SUBDIVISION, AND SHALL
 NO LONGER BE ELIGIBLE FOR FUTURE PAYMENTS UNDER  THIS  SUBDIVISION.  THE
 RATE  OF  INTEREST  APPLIED SHALL BE DETERMINED BY THE COMMISSIONER, BUT
 WILL NOT BE LESS THAN THE RATE OF INTEREST SET BY  THE  COMMISSIONER  OF
 TAXATION  AND  FINANCE  WITH RESPECT TO UNDERPAYMENTS OF PERSONAL INCOME
 TAX PURSUANT TO SECTION SIX HUNDRED EIGHTY-FOUR OF THE TAX LAW.
   (D) THE COMMISSIONER IS AUTHORIZED TO APPLY ANY  FUNDS  AVAILABLE  FOR
 PURPOSES  OF PARAGRAPH (A) OF THIS SUBDIVISION FOR USE AS MATCHING FUNDS
 FOR FEDERAL GRANTS FOR THE PURPOSE OF ASSISTING STATES IN OPERATING LOAN
 REPAYMENT PROGRAMS PURSUANT TO SECTION THREE HUNDRED THIRTY-EIGHT  I  OF
 THE PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE ACT.
   (E)  THE  COMMISSIONER  MAY,  IN HIS OR HER SOLE DISCRETION, POSTPONE,
 CHANGE OR WAIVE THE SERVICE OBLIGATION SET FORTH IN SUBPARAGRAPH (I)  OF
 PARAGRAPH (A) OF THIS SUBDIVISION.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.