STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
4963
2015-2016 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
April 24, 2015
___________
Introduced by Sen. RITCHIE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Higher Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to providing loan
forgiveness for agriculture educators
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-h
2 to read as follows:
3 § 679-h. New York state agriculture educators loan forgiveness incen-
4 tive program. 1. Definition. The term "agriculture educator" means an
5 instructor who provides didactic instruction to students about agricul-
6 ture, food and natural resources delivered through lessons in science,
7 communications, leadership, management and technology.
8 2. Purpose. The president shall grant student loan forgiveness awards
9 for the purpose of alleviating the burden of student loan debt for agri-
10 culture educators teaching in the field of agriculture education in New
11 York state. Such awards shall be made on a competitive basis as promul-
12 gated by the corporation for such purposes, to applicants who meet the
13 eligibility criteria. Such rules and regulations shall include
14 provisions for the consideration of applicants who are economically
15 disadvantaged.
16 3. Eligibility. To be eligible for an award pursuant to this section,
17 applicants shall:
18 (a) have graduated and obtained a degree from an approved New York
19 state college or university;
20 (b) have an outstanding student loan debt from obtaining such degree;
21 (c) be employed as an agriculture educator in New York state;
22 (d) apply for this program within two years of college graduation; and
23 (e) comply with subdivisions three and five of section six hundred
24 sixty-one of this part.
25 4. Awards. The corporation shall grant such awards within amounts
26 appropriated for such purposes and based on the availability of funds.
27 § 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
28 have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07577-02-5
