Senate Bill S5407

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   5407
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               March 4, 2021
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  RATH  --  read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Higher Education
 
 AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to enacting the New  York
   state rural teaching incentive 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 RURAL TEACHING INCENTIVE PROGRAM. 1.  ELIGI-
 BILITY.  NOTWITHSTANDING SUBDIVISION FIVE OF SECTION SIX HUNDRED  SIXTY-
 ONE  OF THIS PART, UNDERGRADUATE AND/OR GRADUATE STUDENTS WHO ARE MATRI-
 CULATED IN AN APPROVED  UNDERGRADUATE  OR  GRADUATE  PROGRAM  AT  DEGREE
 GRANTING  INSTITUTIONS LOCATED WITHIN THE STATE OF NEW YORK LEADING TO A
 CAREER AS A PRIMARY OR SECONDARY TEACHER SHALL BE ELIGIBLE FOR AN  AWARD
 UNDER  THIS  SECTION,  PROVIDED THE APPLICANT: (A) SIGNS A CONTRACT WITH
 THE CORPORATION AGREEING TO TEACH IN THE CLASSROOM ON A FULL-TIME  BASIS
 FOR  FIVE  YEARS  IN  A RURAL PUBLIC PRIMARY OR SECONDARY SCHOOL LOCATED
 WITHIN NEW YORK; AND (B) COMPLIES WITH THE APPLICABLE PROVISIONS OF THIS
 ARTICLE AND ALL 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 MADE TO NEW RECIPIENTS
 ANNUALLY. SUCH AWARDS SHALL BE MADE TO RECIPIENTS AFTER  THE  SUCCESSFUL
 COMPLETION OF EACH ACADEMIC YEAR, AS DEFINED BY THE CORPORATION.
   3.  AN  AWARD  SHALL  ENTITLE THE RECIPIENT TO ANNUAL PAYMENTS FOR NOT
 MORE THAN FOUR ACADEMIC YEARS OF FULL-TIME UNDERGRADUATE STUDY  AND  ONE
 ACADEMIC  YEAR OF FULL-TIME GRADUATE STUDY LEADING TO CERTIFICATION AS A
 CLASSROOM TEACHER IN A PRIMARY OR SECONDARY PUBLIC SCHOOL.
   4. RECIPIENTS SHALL RECEIVE  AN  ANNUAL  PAYMENT  FOR  THE  SUCCESSFUL
 COMPLETION  OF  AN ACADEMIC YEAR, EQUAL TO THE ANNUAL TUITION CHARGED TO
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD10034-01-1

 S. 5407                             2
 
 STATE RESIDENT STUDENTS ATTENDING AN UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM FULL-TIME  AT
 THE  STATE  UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK, OR ACTUAL TUITION CHARGED, WHICHEVER
 IS LESS.
   5.  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) TWO YEARS AFTER THE
 COMPLETION OF THE DEGREE PROGRAM AND RECEIPT OF INITIAL CERTIFICATION IT
 IS  FOUND  THAT  A  RECIPIENT  IS  NOT TEACHING IN A RURAL PUBLIC SCHOOL
 LOCATED WITHIN NEW YORK STATE PROVIDING PRIMARY OR SECONDARY  EDUCATION;
 OR (B) A RECIPIENT HAS NOT TAUGHT IN A RURAL PUBLIC PRIMARY OR SECONDARY
 SCHOOL  LOCATED  WITHIN NEW YORK STATE FOR FIVE OF THE SEVEN YEARS AFTER
 THE COMPLETION OF THE DEGREE PROGRAM  AND  RECEIPT  OF  INITIAL  CERTIF-
 ICATION;  OR  (C)  A RECIPIENT FAILS TO COMPLETE THEIR DEGREE PROGRAM OR
 CHANGES MAJORS TO AN UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE PROGRAM OTHER THAN IN  PRIMARY
 OR  SECONDARY EDUCATION; OR (D) A RECIPIENT FAILS TO RECEIVE OR MAINTAIN
 THEIR TEACHING CERTIFICATE OR LICENSE IN NEW YORK STATE; OR (E) A RECIP-
 IENT 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 UNDERGRAD-
 UATE OR 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
 NECESSARY FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF  THE  PROVISIONS  OF  THIS  SECTION,
 INCLUDING  THE  CRITERIA  FOR  THE  PROVISION OF AWARDS ON A COMPETITIVE
 BASIS AND THE RATE OF INTEREST CHARGED  FOR  REPAYMENT  OF  THE  STUDENT
 LOAN.
   7.  FOR  THE  PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, A RURAL PUBLIC SCHOOL SHALL BE
 DEFINED AS A PUBLIC SCHOOL LOCATED IN A RURAL AREA AS DEFINED IN  SUBDI-
 VISION THREE OF SECTION TWELVE HUNDRED THREE OF THIS TITLE.
   §  2.  This  act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
 have become a law.