S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   3870
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 28, 2021
                                ___________
 
 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:
 
   Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section  679-k
 to read as follows:
   §  679-K. THE NEW YORK STATE COVID-19 HEALTH CARE WORKER LOAN FORGIVE-
 NESS PROGRAM. 1. ELIGIBILITY. TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR AN  AWARD  PURSUANT  TO
 THIS  SECTION, APPLICANTS SHALL BE A HEALTH CARE WORKER WHO WAS PRACTIC-
 ING AT A HOSPITAL, GENERAL PRACTITIONER OFFICE,  NURSING  HOME,  OR  ANY
 OTHER  HEALTH CARE PRACTICE OR FACILITY AND WHO PROVIDED MEDICAL CARE AT
 THE TIME OF THE CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 (COVID-19) STATE OF EMERGENCY.
   2. DEFINITIONS. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, THE FOLLOWING  TERMS
 SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOWING MEANINGS:
   (A)  "HEALTH  CARE  WORKER"  SHALL MEAN ANY PERSON WORKING AS A NURSE,
 REGISTERED PROFESSIONAL NURSE, LICENSED PRACTICAL NURSE,  NURSE  PRACTI-
 TIONER,  CLINICAL  NURSE  SPECIALIST, CERTIFIED NURSE ASSISTANT, MEDICAL
 ASSISTANT,  PHYSICIAN  ASSISTANT,  SPECIALIST  ASSISTANT,  PATHOLOGISTS'
 ASSISTANT,  MEDICAL TECHNICIAN, RESPIRATORY THERAPY TECHNICIANS, MEDICAL
 TECHNOLOGIST, DIAGNOSTIC MEDICAL SONOGRAPHER, EMERGENCY MEDICAL  TECHNI-
 CIAN, PARAMEDIC, PHLEBOTOMIST, CLINICAL SUPPORT AID, OR IMMEDIATE TREAT-
 MENT  ASSISTANT  DURING THE CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 (COVID-19) STATE OF
 EMERGENCY.
   (B) "STATE OF EMERGENCY" MEANS THE  STATE  OF  EMERGENCY  DECLARED  BY
 EXECUTIVE  ORDER  TWO HUNDRED TWO THAT BEGAN ON MARCH SEVENTH, TWO THOU-
 SAND TWENTY.
   3. AWARDS. THE CORPORATION SHALL GRANT AWARDS IN AN AMOUNT UP TO:
   (A) FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS PER YEAR FOR FOUR YEARS  TO  RECIPIENTS  WHO
 EARNED A BACHELOR'S DEGREE, PROVIDED THAT NO RECIPIENTS SHALL RECEIVE AN
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD07452-01-1

 A. 3870                             2
 
 AWARD  THAT  EXCEEDS  THE  TOTAL REMAINING BALANCE OF HIS OR HER STUDENT
 LOAN DEBT FROM STATE STUDENT LOANS, FEDERAL  STUDENT  LOANS  OR  PRIVATE
 STUDENT  LOANS  MADE  BY COMMERCIAL ENTITIES THAT ARE SUBJECT TO GOVERN-
 MENTAL EXAMINATION FOR DEGREES AND/OR CERTIFICATIONS DIRECTLY PERTAINING
 TO THE RECIPIENT'S POSITION AS A HEALTH CARE WORKER; AND
   (B)  TWO  THOUSAND  FIVE  HUNDRED  DOLLARS  PER YEAR FOR FOUR YEARS TO
 ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS WHO HAVE NOT EARNED A  BACHELOR'S  DEGREE,  PROVIDED
 THAT  NO APPLICANT SHALL RECEIVE AN AWARD THAT EXCEEDS THE TOTAL REMAIN-
 ING BALANCE OF HIS OR HER STUDENT LOAN DEBT FROM  STATE  STUDENT  LOANS,
 FEDERAL  STUDENT LOANS OR PRIVATE STUDENT LOANS MADE BY COMMERCIAL ENTI-
 TIES THAT ARE SUBJECT TO GOVERNMENTAL  EXAMINATION  FOR  DEGREES  AND/OR
 CERTIFICATIONS  DIRECTLY  PERTAINING  TO  THE  RECIPIENT'S POSITION AS A
 HEALTH CARE WORKER.
   4. RULES AND REGULATIONS. THE CORPORATION IS AUTHORIZED TO  PROMULGATE
 RULES AND REGULATIONS AND MAY PROMULGATE EMERGENCY REGULATIONS NECESSARY
 FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.