Authorizes enrollment grants for medical education programs of non-public institutions for minorities, as a plan to increase the number of minority students entering and completing educational programs leading to professional licensure in medicine; increases grants based upon percentage of minority students enrolled at such institution; appropriates $258,000 to education department for payment of such grants.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
5240
2009-2010 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 11, 2009
___________
Introduced by M. of A. ESPAILLAT, PERALTA, ROBINSON -- Multi-Sponsored
by -- M. of A. ALFANO, BARRA, BOYLAND, DIAZ, HOOPER, PERRY -- read
once and referred to the Committee on Higher Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to authorizing enrollment
grants to increase the participation and retention in medical educa-
tion programs of New York state residents from groups historically
underrepresented and making an appropriation therefor
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Legislative findings and purpose. The legislature hereby
2 finds and declares that individuals from certain minority groups, prima-
3 rily Blacks, Hispanics and Native Americans, have been historically
4 underrepresented in medical education programs and, as a consequence, in
5 the medical profession. A vast human resource remains largely untapped
6 at a time when medical services in urban areas are inadequate and the
7 urban poor continue to be underserved.
8 The medical schools of the state have not been successful in attract-
9 ing the available qualified minority candidates, and in some instances
10 have fallen below national averages and comparable states in enrollment
11 of minorities. Medical schools have repeatedly cited the lack of
12 adequate resources as being a major obstacle in their attempts to
13 attract and retain larger numbers of qualified minority students.
14 The legislature therefore declares that a modified program of capita-
15 tion assistance is needed for the purpose of expanding opportunities to
16 underrepresented minority students to participate in medical education
17 programs leading to licensure and a career in the medical profession.
18 § 2. The education law is amended by adding a new section 6402-a to
19 read as follows:
20 § 6402-a. Minority enrollment grants to medical schools. 1. The
21 commissioner shall annually apportion to each non-public institution of
22 higher education offering an approved program in medicine an additional
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07779-01-9
A. 5240 2
1 enrollment grant for the purpose of expanding educational opportunities
2 for minority students, which for the purposes of this section shall mean
3 state residents who are Black, Hispanic or Native American, in a sum to
4 be determined as follows:
5 (a) One thousand dollars shall be apportioned for each full-time
6 minority student enrolled, provided that not less than eight percent of
7 the students enrolled at the institution are minority students. An addi-
8 tional one thousand dollars shall be apportioned for each fourth-year
9 minority student.
10 (b) Two thousand dollars shall be apportioned for each full-time
11 minority student enrolled, provided that not less than twelve percent of
12 the students enrolled at the institution are minority students. An addi-
13 tional two thousand dollars shall be apportioned for each fourth-year
14 minority student.
15 (c) Four thousand dollars shall be apportioned for each full-time
16 student enrolled, provided that not less than sixteen percent of the
17 students enrolled at the institution are minority students. An addi-
18 tional four thousand dollars shall be apportioned for each fourth-year
19 minority student.
20 2. Institutions which receive grants pursuant to this section shall
21 submit to the commissioner such reports or documents in such form and at
22 such time as he or she may require by regulation in order to carry out
23 the purposes of this section. The commissioner periodically shall review
24 the institutions which receive state funds pursuant to this section to
25 evaluate the effectiveness of the institutions' minority recruitment and
26 retention programs.
27 3. The commissioner may promulgate rules and regulations to accomplish
28 the purposes of this section.
29 4. Funds appropriated for the purposes of this section shall be paid
30 in accordance with a payment schedule to be established by the commis-
31 sioner and approved by the director of the budget.
32 § 3. The sum of two hundred fifty-eight thousand dollars ($258,000),
33 or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated to the
34 education department out of any moneys in the state treasury in the
35 general fund to the credit of the local assistance account, not other-
36 wise appropriated, for the payment of capitation grants to increase the
37 participation and retention of minority students in medical education
38 programs. Such sum shall be payable on the audit and warrant of the
39 state comptroller on vouchers certified or approved by the commissioner
40 of education, in the manner prescribed by law.
41 § 4. This act shall take effect on the first of October next succeed-
42 ing the date on which it shall have become a law.
