Relates to the distribution of grants for the health workforce retraining program to grant recipients with health workforce retraining projects in multiple regions.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A4610
SPONSOR: Russell TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the public health law, in relation to
the distribution of grants for the health workforce retraining program
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this bill is to amend the health workforce retraining
program (2807-g of the PHL) so that no less than 2.5% of the total funds
available in any request for proposals is made available in any region
and to allow grant recipients who have received awards for the same
retraining project in multiple regions, with the approval of the commis-
sioner, to redistribute funds between regions.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 of the bill amends subdivision 2 of Section 2807-g of the
Public Health Law to provide that no less than 2.5% of the total funds
available in any request for proposals under the health workforce
retraining grant program is made available in any region and to allow
grant recipients who have received awards for the same retraining
project in multiple regions, with the approval of the commissioner, to
redistribute funds between regions.
Section 2 is the effective date.
EXISTING LAW:
The health workforce retraining program was enacted as part of the
Health Care Reform Act (Chapter 639 of the Laws of 1996).
JUSTIFICATION:
When the Health Workforce Retraining Program was enacted as part of the
Health Care Reform Act in 1996, funding for workforce retraining was
commensurate with the amount of money raised each region's health care
initiative pool and this method of allocating workforce grant funding
has been maintained to this date. This methodology was originally
intended to assure the availability of funds across the state. As we
begin the year 2012, the allocation methodology should be reviewed to
examine the relationship between health care initiative pool funding and
workforce retraining needs. In particular the Utica- Watertown region is
disadvantaged by the methodology to the point where due to the fixed
costs of running a quality training program and the limited grant funds
available, it is difficult to propose a viable training program. By way
of example, while the Rochester region had just a 100,000 more residents
(1M vs. 900K) and 3,000 more health care FTEs than the Utica-Watertown
region, Rochester's workforce retraining allocation is almost 15 times
as large (Rochester receives 5.9% of available grant funds while the
Utica-Watertown region receives 0.4% of available funds.)
Absent the implementation of an entirely new methodology, this legis-
lation proposes that each region receive no less than 2.5% of funds made
available under any work force retraining request for proposals to allow
for the submission of more financially viable proposals.
Further, since grant applicants must apply by region this legislation
would also allow grant recipients who have received grants for the same
project in multiple regions to, with the permission of the commissioner,
redistribute funds among the same project in different regions. Grant
applicants make a good faith effort to estimate the number of individ-
uals that will avail themselves of training opportunities and the
concomitant costs, but the actual costs and training uptake can and do
vary. This amendment would allow grant recipients whose training
proposal has been approved by the Department to transfer funds from
regions where the costs and training uptake was overestimated to regions
where the costs and training uptake was underestimated. This would
maximize the use of fixed training costs and increase the overall number
of individuals trained.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2012; Referred to Health
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
There is no additional cost to the state.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This bill is effective immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
4610
2013-2014 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 6, 2013
___________
Introduced by M. of A. RUSSELL -- read once and referred to the Commit-
tee on Health
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to the distribution
of grants for the health workforce retraining program
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subdivision 2 of section 2807-g of the public health law,
2 as added by chapter 1 of the laws of 1999, is amended to read as
3 follows:
4 2. Grants shall be made on a competitive basis by region, in accord-
5 ance with the amount raised in the region, provided that no less than
6 two and one-half percent of the total funds made available in any
7 request for proposals shall be made available in any region, with pref-
8 erence within regions given to areas and eligible organizations that
9 have experienced or are likely to experience job loss because of changes
10 in the health care system. If, at the conclusion of the regional compet-
11 itive contract award process, there are excess funds available within
12 any regional allocation, such funds shall be redistributed to regions
13 where there is a shortage of funds available for programs which other-
14 wise qualify for funding pursuant to this section. If a grant recipient
15 has received grant awards for the same workforce retraining project in
16 multiple regions, such grant recipient, with the approval of the commis-
17 sioner, may redistribute funds among said regions.
18 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD06565-01-3
