S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   5246
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             February 12, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  GUNTHER,  STECK, COOK, McDONOUGH, MONTESANO,
   BRABENEC -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. COLTON, PERRY -- read  once
   and referred 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-TWO, 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
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD02449-01-1
              

 A. 5246                             2
 
 AWARDS  SHALL  BE  ADMINISTERED  CONSISTENT  WITH THE PROVISIONS OF THIS
 SUBDIVISION.
   (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.