Assembly Bill A9980

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   9980
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                                May 1, 2024
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. KELLES -- read once and referred to the Committee
   on Higher Education
 
 AN  ACT  to  amend  the  education  law, in relation to establishing the
   advanced initiative in mental health careers 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 6457
 to read as follows:
   § 6457. ADVANCED INITIATIVE  IN  MENTAL  HEALTH  CAREERS  PROGRAM.  1.
 GENERAL  REQUIREMENTS.  THE  COMMISSIONER  SHALL AWARD GRANTS TO DEGREE-
 GRANTING INSTITUTIONS IN NEW YORK STATE OR TO CONSORTIA OF  SUCH  INSTI-
 TUTIONS  TO  BE USED FOR THE PURPOSE OF INCREASING ACCESS BY UNDERREPRE-
 SENTED OR DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS TO POST-BACCALAUREATE ACADEMIC PROGRAMS
 THAT HAVE BEEN REGISTERED BY THE COMMISSIONER AND THAT PREPARE  STUDENTS
 FOR  LICENSURE  IN  MENTAL  HEALTH  PROFESSIONS AND EMPLOYMENT IN MENTAL
 HEALTH FIELDS.
   2. GRADUATE PROGRAMS. (A) (I) ADVANCED  INITIATIVE  IN  MENTAL  HEALTH
 CAREERS PROGRAM MONEYS MAY BE USED FOR RECRUITMENT, ACADEMIC ENRICHMENT,
 CAREER PLANNING, SUPPLEMENTAL FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, REVIEW FOR LICENSING
 EXAMINATIONS,  PROGRAM  ADMINISTRATION,  AND  OTHER ACTIVITIES WHICH THE
 COMMISSIONER MAY DEEM APPROPRIATE. TO BE ELIGIBLE  FOR  ADVANCED  INITI-
 ATIVE  IN  MENTAL  HEALTH  CAREERS  PROGRAM SUPPORT, A STUDENT MUST BE A
 RESIDENT OF NEW YORK STATE, OR MEET  THE  REQUIREMENTS  OF  SUBPARAGRAPH
 (II) OF THIS PARAGRAPH, AND MUST BE EITHER ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED OR
 FROM  A  CURRENTLY  UNDERREPRESENTED GROUP IN THE LICENSED MENTAL HEALTH
 PROFESSIONS. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL REVIEW WORKFORCE DATA PERIODICALLY  TO
 DETERMINE CURRENT LEVELS OF REPRESENTATION IN THE LICENSED MENTAL HEALTH
 PROFESSIONS.    ELIGIBLE  STUDENTS  MUST  BE  IN GOOD ACADEMIC STANDING,
 ENROLLED FULL TIME IN AN APPROVED GRADUATE OR DOCTORAL LEVEL PROGRAM, AS
 DEFINED BY THE REGENTS.
   (II) AN APPLICANT WHO IS NOT A LEGAL RESIDENT OF NEW YORK  STATE,  BUT
 WHO IS A UNITED STATES CITIZEN, A PERMANENT LAWFUL RESIDENT, AN INDIVID-
 UAL  WHO  IS GRANTED U OR T NON-IMMIGRANT STATUS PURSUANT TO THE VICTIMS
 OF TRAFFICKING AND VIOLENCE PROTECTION ACT OF  2000,  A  PERSON  GRANTED
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD14038-01-4
 A. 9980                             2

 TEMPORARY  PROTECTED  STATUS  PURSUANT TO THE FEDERAL IMMIGRATION ACT OF
 1990, AN INDIVIDUAL OF A CLASS  OF  REFUGEES  PAROLED  BY  THE  ATTORNEY
 GENERAL  OF THE UNITED STATES UNDER HIS OR HER PAROLE AUTHORITY PERTAIN-
 ING  TO  THE ADMISSION OF NONCITIZENS TO THE UNITED STATES, OR AN APPLI-
 CANT WITHOUT LAWFUL IMMIGRATION STATUS SHALL BE ELIGIBLE FOR AN AWARD AT
 THE GRADUATE LEVEL OF STUDY PROVIDED THAT THE STUDENT:
   (1) ATTENDED A REGISTERED APPROVED NEW YORK STATE HIGH SCHOOL FOR  TWO
 OR  MORE  YEARS,  GRADUATED FROM A REGISTERED NEW YORK STATE HIGH SCHOOL
 AND APPLIED FOR ATTENDANCE AT THE INSTITUTION OF  HIGHER  EDUCATION  FOR
 GRADUATE  STUDY FOR WHICH AN AWARD IS SOUGHT WITHIN TEN YEARS OF RECEIV-
 ING A NEW YORK STATE HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA; OR
   (2) ATTENDED AN APPROVED NEW YORK  STATE  PROGRAM  FOR  A  STATE  HIGH
 SCHOOL  EQUIVALENCY  DIPLOMA,  RECEIVED  A STATE HIGH SCHOOL EQUIVALENCY
 DIPLOMA AND APPLIED FOR ATTENDANCE AT THE INSTITUTION OF  HIGHER  EDUCA-
 TION FOR GRADUATE STUDY FOR WHICH AN AWARD IS SOUGHT WITHIN TEN YEARS OF
 RECEIVING A STATE HIGH SCHOOL EQUIVALENCY DIPLOMA; OR
   (3)  IS  OTHERWISE  ELIGIBLE  FOR THE PAYMENT OF TUITION AND FEES AT A
 RATE NO GREATER THAN THAT IMPOSED FOR RESIDENT  STUDENTS  OF  THE  STATE
 UNIVERSITY  OF  NEW  YORK,  THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK OR COMMUNITY
 COLLEGES AS PRESCRIBED IN SUBPARAGRAPH EIGHT OF PARAGRAPH H OF  SUBDIVI-
 SION  TWO OF SECTION THREE HUNDRED FIFTY-FIVE OR PARAGRAPH (A) OF SUBDI-
 VISION  SEVEN  OF  SECTION  SIXTY-TWO  HUNDRED  SIX  OF  THIS   CHAPTER.
 PROVIDED,  FURTHER,  THAT  A  STUDENT  WITHOUT LAWFUL IMMIGRATION STATUS
 SHALL ALSO BE REQUIRED TO FILE AN AFFIDAVIT  WITH  SUCH  INSTITUTION  OF
 HIGHER  EDUCATION  STATING  THAT THE STUDENT HAS FILED AN APPLICATION TO
 LEGALIZE HIS OR HER IMMIGRATION STATUS, OR WILL FILE SUCH AN APPLICATION
 AS SOON AS HE OR SHE IS ELIGIBLE TO DO SO.
   (B) APPLICATIONS FOR FUNDING SHALL BE MADE BY ELIGIBLE INSTITUTIONS IN
 ACCORDANCE WITH REQUIREMENTS ESTABLISHED  BY  THE  COMMISSIONER.  GRANTS
 SHALL  BE  AWARDED  BASED  ON  CRITERIA ESTABLISHED BY THE COMMISSIONER.
 PRIORITY CONSIDERATION SHALL BE GIVEN TO INSTITUTIONS WITH  DEMONSTRATED
 SUCCESS IN OPERATING OTHER PROGRAMS AUTHORIZED BY THIS ARTICLE.
   (C) PREFERENCE IN ADMISSION TO THIS PROGRAM SHALL BE GIVEN TO STUDENTS
 WHO GRADUATED FROM A BACCALAUREATE PROGRAM LOCATED IN NEW YORK STATE.
   3.  REPORTING REQUIREMENTS. INSTITUTIONS PARTICIPATING IN THE ADVANCED
 INITIATIVE IN MENTAL HEALTH CAREERS PROGRAM SHALL SUBMIT TO THE  COMMIS-
 SIONER SUCH REPORTS OR OTHER INFORMATION AS HE OR SHE SHALL REQUIRE. THE
 COMMISSIONER  SHALL  PREPARE  FOR  THE  REGENTS  AN ANNUAL REPORT OF THE
 ACTIVITIES OF INSTITUTIONS WHICH RECEIVE STATE FUNDS  PURSUANT  TO  THIS
 SECTION  CONCERNING,  BUT  NOT  LIMITED  TO,  THE  EFFECTIVENESS  OF THE
 PROGRAMS, THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS SERVED, AND FUTURE PLANS.
   § 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day  after  it  shall
 have  become  a  law.  Effective  immediately,  the addition, amendment,
 and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation
 of this act on  its  effective  date  are  authorized  to  be  made  and
 completed on or before such effective date.