Establishes the New York state health care professionals COVID-19 heroes loan forgiveness program of up to one hundred thousand dollars for persons who meet the eligibility requirements, including, physician or a professional or practical nurse, nurse practitioner, or clinical nurse specialist, physician assistant or specialist assistant; authorizes the commissioner of health to promulgate any necessary rules and regulations.
STATE OF NEW YORK
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8375
IN SENATE
May 19, 2020
___________
Introduced by Sen. LAVALLE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Health
AN ACT to amend the public health law, in relation to establishing the
New York state health care professionals COVID-19 heroes loan forgive-
ness program
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The public health law is amended by adding a new section
2 903-a to read as follows:
3 § 903-a. New York state health care professionals COVID-19 heroes loan
4 forgiveness program. 1. Purpose. The commissioner, in collaboration with
5 the commissioner of education, and the president of the higher education
6 services corporation, is authorized and directed to establish a New York
7 state health care professionals COVID-19 heroes loan forgiveness
8 program.
9 2. Eligibility. To be eligible for an award pursuant to this section,
10 applicants shall:
11 (a) be a physician or a professional or practical nurse, nurse practi-
12 tioner, or clinical nurse specialist, physician assistant or specialist
13 assistant in New York state in accordance with sections sixty-five
14 hundred twenty-four, sixty-nine hundred five, sixty-nine hundred six,
15 sixty-nine hundred ten and sixty-nine hundred eleven, and sixty-five
16 hundred forty-one and sixty-five hundred forty-eight of the education
17 law; and
18 (b) have served in such capacity in direct response to the COVID-19
19 public health emergency, pursuant to Executive Order 202, issued by the
20 governor on March seventh, two thousand twenty.
21 3. Awards. The commissioner shall grant awards pursuant to the amount
22 appropriated for such purpose and based on availability of funds in an
23 amount up to one hundred thousand dollars to individuals who meet the
24 eligibility requirements of subdivision two of this section, provided
25 that loan repayment awards shall not exceed the total qualifying
26 outstanding debt from student loans to cover tuition and other related
27 educational expenses, made by or guaranteed by the federal or state
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD16267-04-0
S. 8375 2
1 government, or made by a lending or educational institution approved
2 under title IV of the federal higher education act. Loan repayment
3 awards shall be used solely to repay such outstanding debt.
4 4. Rules and regulations. The commissioner is authorized to promulgate
5 rules and regulations and may promulgate emergency regulations necessary
6 for the implementation of the provisions of this section.
7 § 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
8 have become a law.