S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8897
 
                        2019-2020 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             December 30, 2019
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. ORTIZ -- 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 licensed school social worker loan forgiveness program
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section  679-k
 to read as follows:
   § 679-K. NEW YORK STATE LICENSED SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKER LOAN FORGIVENESS
 PROGRAM. 1. PURPOSE.  THE PRESIDENT SHALL GRANT STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESS
 AWARDS FOR THE PURPOSE OF INCREASING THE NUMBER OF SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKERS
 SERVING IN THE STATE.
   2.  ELIGIBILITY. TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR AN AWARD PURSUANT TO THIS SUBDIVI-
 SION, APPLICANTS SHALL (A) BE LICENSED AS A SOCIAL  WORKER  PURSUANT  TO
 ARTICLE  ONE HUNDRED FIFTY-FOUR OF THIS CHAPTER OR CERTIFIED PURSUANT TO
 RULES AND REGULATIONS ESTABLISHED BY THE  DEPARTMENT;  (B)  COMPLY  WITH
 SUBDIVISION  FIVE OF SECTION SIX HUNDRED SIXTY-ONE OF THIS PART; AND (C)
 HAVE AN OUTSTANDING STUDENT LOAN DEBT.
   3. PRIORITY. SUCH AWARDS SHALL BE MADE ANNUALLY TO APPLICANTS  IN  THE
 FOLLOWING PRIORITY:
   (A)  FIRST  PRIORITY  SHALL  BE  GIVEN TO APPLICANTS WHO HAVE RECEIVED
 PAYMENT OF AN AWARD PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION IN A  PRIOR  YEAR  AND  WHO
 HAVE  PROVIDED SOCIAL WORK SERVICES IN ELEMENTARY, INTERMEDIATE, MIDDLE,
 JUNIOR HIGH OR SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLS IN THE YEAR PRIOR  TO  SUCH  APPLICA-
 TION;
   (B) SECOND PRIORITY SHALL BE GIVEN TO APPLICANTS WHO HAVE NOT RECEIVED
 PAYMENT  OF  AN  AWARD  PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION IN A PRIOR YEAR AND WHO
 HAVE PROVIDED SOCIAL WORK SERVICES IN ELEMENTARY, INTERMEDIATE,  MIDDLE,
 JUNIOR  HIGH  OR  SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLS IN THE YEAR PRIOR TO SUCH APPLICA-
 TION; AND
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD14178-01-9
              

 A. 8897                             2
 
   (C) THIRD PRIORITY SHALL BE GIVEN TO APPLICANTS WHO  ARE  ECONOMICALLY
 DISADVANTAGED AS DEFINED BY THE CORPORATION.
   4.  AWARDS.  THE  CORPORATION  SHALL  GRANT AWARDS IN THE VALUE OF TEN
 THOUSAND DOLLARS TO INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE PROVIDED FULL-TIME SOCIAL  WORK
 SERVICES IN ELEMENTARY, INTERMEDIATE, MIDDLE, JUNIOR HIGH OR SENIOR HIGH
 SCHOOLS  IN THE YEAR PRIOR TO SUCH APPLICATION, PROVIDED THAT NO RECIPI-
 ENT SHALL RECEIVE AN AWARD THAT EXCEEDS THE TOTAL REMAINING  BALANCE  OF
 THE  STUDENT  LOAN  DEBT  AND THAT NO RECIPIENT SHALL RECEIVE CUMULATIVE
 AWARDS, PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION, IN EXCESS OF FIFTY  THOUSAND  DOLLARS.
 AWARDS  SHALL  BE  WITHIN  THE AMOUNTS APPROPRIATED FOR SUCH PURPOSE AND
 BASED ON AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS.
   5. RULES AND REGULATIONS. THE CORPORATION IS AUTHORIZED TO  PROMULGATE
 RULES AND REGULATIONS NECESSARY FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROVISIONS
 OF  THIS  SECTION.  IN THE EVENT THAT THERE ARE MORE APPLICANTS WHO HAVE
 THE SAME PRIORITY, AS PROVIDED IN SUBDIVISION  THREE  OF  THIS  SECTION,
 THAN  THERE ARE REMAINING AWARDS, THE CORPORATION SHALL PROVIDE IN REGU-
 LATION THE METHOD OF DISTRIBUTING THE REMAINING NUMBER OF  SUCH  AWARDS,
 WHICH MAY INCLUDE A LOTTERY OR OTHER FORM OF RANDOM SELECTION.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.