Assembly Bill A1795

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   1795
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 14, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. HYNDMAN -- read once and referred to the Commit-
   tee on Higher Education
 
 AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to  the  New  York  state
   dental faculty loan forgiveness 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  679-k
 to read as follows:
   §  679-K.  NEW  YORK  STATE  DENTAL FACULTY LOAN FORGIVENESS INCENTIVE
 PROGRAM.  1. PURPOSE. A. PROCESS. THE PRESIDENT SHALL GRANT STUDENT LOAN
 FORGIVENESS AWARDS FOR THE PURPOSE OF INCREASING THE NUMBER OF EDUCATORS
 AND ADJUNCT CLINICAL FACULTY TEACHING IN THE FIELD OF  DENTAL  EDUCATION
 IN  NEW  YORK STATE. SUCH AWARDS SHALL BE MADE ON A COMPETITIVE BASIS AS
 PROMULGATED BY THE CORPORATION THROUGH RULES AND REGULATIONS, TO  APPLI-
 CANTS  WHO  ARE  LICENSED  DENTISTS WITH PREVIOUS CLINICAL EXPERIENCE IN
 DENTISTRY WHO HAVE COMPLETED COURSEWORK THAT QUALIFIES  THEM  AS  DENTAL
 FACULTY  OR  ADJUNCT CLINICAL FACULTY. THE PRESIDENT MAY CONTRACT WITH A
 THIRD PARTY  FOR  PURPOSES  OF  ADMINISTERING  THE  COMPETITIVE  PROCESS
 REQUIRED UNDER THIS PARAGRAPH.
   B.  ELIGIBILITY. TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR AN AWARD PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION,
 APPLICANTS SHALL:
   (I) BE LICENSED AS A DENTIST;
   (II) HAVE AN OUTSTANDING  STUDENT  LOAN  DEBT  FROM  A  DENTAL  DEGREE
 PROGRAM;
   (III)  HAVE  TAKEN COURSEWORK THAT QUALIFIED THEM AS DENTAL FACULTY OR
 ADJUNCT CLINICAL FACULTY;
   (IV) BE EMPLOYED AS A FACULTY MEMBER AT A DENTAL SCHOOL LOCATED IN NEW
 YORK STATE; AND
   (V) COMPLY WITH SUBDIVISION FIVE OF SECTION SIX HUNDRED  SIXTY-ONE  OF
 THIS PART.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD03668-01-5
 A. 1795                             2
              

 
   C.  AWARD.   AN AWARD OF FORTY THOUSAND DOLLARS SHALL BE MADE ANNUALLY
 TO RECIPIENTS WHO HAVE PROVIDED CLASSROOM OR CLINICAL INSTRUCTION OF NOT
 LESS THAN TWELVE ACADEMIC CREDIT HOURS, OR  ITS  EQUIVALENT,  AS  DENTAL
 FACULTY  OR  IN CLINICAL TEACHING SERVICE IN THE ACADEMIC YEAR PRECEDING
 THE  GRANTING  OF  THE  AWARD,  PROVIDED THAT NO RECIPIENT SHALL RECEIVE
 CUMULATIVE AWARDS, PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION, IN EXCESS  OF  ONE  HUNDRED
 SIXTY THOUSAND DOLLARS.
   D. OTHER AWARDS. AWARD RECIPIENTS SHALL BE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY FOR OTHER
 AWARDS.
   E.  CURRICULUM  DEVELOPMENT. THE PRESIDENT SHALL CONTRACT WITH A THIRD
 PARTY FOR PURPOSES  OF  DEVELOPING  A  UNIFORM  CURRICULUM  ON  ACADEMIC
 DENTISTRY,  WHICH  SHALL  SERVE AS THE BASIS FOR THE COURSEWORK REQUIRED
 UNDER PARAGRAPH A OF SUBDIVISION ONE OF  THIS  SECTION.  NOTWITHSTANDING
 ANY  CONTRARY PROVISION OF THIS SECTION, SECTIONS ONE HUNDRED TWELVE AND
 ONE HUNDRED SIXTY-THREE OF THE STATE FINANCE LAW, OR ANY OTHER PROVISION
 OF LAW, SUCH CONTRACT SHALL BE AWARDED TO  AN  ASSOCIATION  REPRESENTING
 THE  NEW YORK STATE ACADEMIC DENTAL CENTERS WITHOUT A COMPETITIVE BID OR
 REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL PROCESS.
   2. DURATION. LOAN FORGIVENESS AWARDS SHALL BE MADE ANNUALLY TO  APPLI-
 CANTS  WHOM  THE  CORPORATION HAS CERTIFIED ARE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE SUCH
 AWARDS AND HAVE PROVIDED  DENTAL  FACULTY  OR  CLINICAL  DENTAL  FACULTY
 SERVICES REQUIRED PURSUANT TO THIS ARTICLE; PROVIDED THAT NO AWARD SHALL
 BE GRANTED FOR MORE THAN FOUR YEARS.
   3.  AMOUNT. THE CORPORATION SHALL GRANT SUCH AWARDS WITHIN THE AMOUNTS
 APPROPRIATED FOR SUCH PURPOSE AND BASED ON AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS  IN  AN
 AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED THE TOTAL COST OF THE STUDENT LOAN DEBT.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.