Establishes the New York state COVID-19 health care worker loan forgiveness program which forgives up to twenty thousand dollars in student loan debt from certain health care workers.
STATE OF NEW YORK
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10382
IN ASSEMBLY
May 4, 2020
___________
Introduced by M. of A. BURKE -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Higher Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to establishing the New
York state COVID-19 health care worker loan forgiveness program
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 679-k
2 to read as follows:
3 § 679-k. The New York state COVID-19 health care worker loan forgive-
4 ness program. 1. Eligibility. To be eligible for an award pursuant to
5 this section, applicants shall be a health care worker who was practic-
6 ing at a hospital, general practitioner office, nursing home, or any
7 other health care practice or facility and who provided medical care at
8 the time of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) state of emergency.
9 2. Definitions. For the purposes of this section, the following terms
10 shall have the following meanings:
11 (a) "health care worker" shall mean any person working as a nurse,
12 registered professional nurse, licensed practical nurse, nurse practi-
13 tioner, clinical nurse specialist, certified nurse assistant, medical
14 assistant, physician assistant, specialist assistant, pathologists'
15 assistant, medical technician, respiratory therapy technicians, medical
16 technologist, diagnostic medical sonographer, emergency medical techni-
17 cian, paramedic, phlebotomist, clinical support aid, or immediate treat-
18 ment assistant during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) state of
19 emergency.
20 (b) "state of emergency" means the state of emergency declared by
21 executive order two hundred two that began on March seventh, two thou-
22 sand twenty.
23 3. Awards. The corporation shall grant awards in an amount up to:
24 (a) five thousand dollars per year for four years to recipients who
25 earned a bachelor's degree, provided that no recipients shall receive an
26 award that exceeds the total remaining balance of his or her student
27 loan debt from state student loans, federal student loans or private
28 student loans made by commercial entities that are subject to govern-
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD16136-05-0
A. 10382 2
1 mental examination for degrees and/or certifications directly pertaining
2 to the recipient's position as a health care worker; and
3 (b) two thousand five hundred dollars per year for four years to
4 eligible applicants who have not earned a bachelor's degree, provided
5 that no applicant shall receive an award that exceeds the total remain-
6 ing balance of his or her student loan debt from state student loans,
7 federal student loans or private student loans made by commercial enti-
8 ties that are subject to governmental examination for degrees and/or
9 certifications directly pertaining to the recipient's position as a
10 health care worker.
11 4. Rules and regulations. The corporation is authorized to promulgate
12 rules and regulations and may promulgate emergency regulations necessary
13 for the implementation of the provisions of this section.
14 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.