S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   1154
 
                        2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              January 7, 2021
                                ___________
 
 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 creating the New  York
   state rural doctors and nurses 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  RURAL DOCTORS AND NURSES LOAN FORGIVENESS
 PROGRAM. 1. PURPOSE.  THE PRESIDENT SHALL GRANT STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESS
 AWARDS FOR THE PURPOSE OF ATTRACTING DOCTORS AND NURSES TO  BE  EMPLOYED
 IN RURAL AREAS THROUGHOUT NEW YORK STATE ON A FULL-TIME BASIS.
   2.  ELIGIBILITY. TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR AN AWARD PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION,
 APPLICANTS SHALL:
   (A) HAVE GRADUATED AND OBTAINED A DEGREE FROM  AN  APPROVED  NEW  YORK
 STATE COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY;
   (B) BE EMPLOYED AS A DOCTOR OF MEDICINE, DOCTOR OF OSTEOPATHY, PROFES-
 SIONAL  OR  PRACTICAL  NURSE,  NURSE  PRACTITIONER,  OR  CLINICAL  NURSE
 SPECIALIST IN NEW YORK STATE  IN  ACCORDANCE  WITH  SECTIONS  SIXTY-FIVE
 HUNDRED  TWENTY-FOUR,  SIXTY-NINE  HUNDRED FIVE, SIXTY-NINE HUNDRED SIX,
 SIXTY-NINE HUNDRED TEN AND SIXTY-NINE HUNDRED ELEVEN OF THIS CHAPTER;
   (C) COMPLY WITH SUBDIVISION FIVE OF SECTION SIX HUNDRED  SIXTY-ONE  OF
 THIS PART; AND
   (D)  MAKE A COMMITMENT TO PRACTICE IN A RURAL AREA FOR THE DURATION OF
 THE AWARD.
   3. DEFINITIONS. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS  SECTION,  THE  TERM  "RURAL"
 SHALL  MEAN  A  TRACT  OR  COUNTY  DEFINED  BY  THE HEALTH RESOURCES AND
 SERVICES ADMINISTRATION AS BEING RURAL OR ELIGIBLE FOR  A  RURAL  HEALTH
 GRANT.
   4.  PRIORITY.  SUCH AWARDS SHALL BE MADE ANNUALLY TO APPLICANTS IN THE
 FOLLOWING PRIORITY:
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD04526-01-1

 S. 1154                             2
 
   (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, IN
 THE  YEAR  PRIOR  TO APPLICATION, ARE DOCTORS OR NURSES IN A RURAL AREA;
 AND
   (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 ARE
 DOCTORS OR NURSES IN A RURAL AREA IN THE YEAR PRIOR TO SUCH APPLICATION.
   5.  AWARDS.  THE CORPORATION SHALL GRANT AWARDS PURSUANT TO THE AMOUNT
 APPROPRIATED FOR SUCH PURPOSE AND BASED ON AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS  IN  AN
 AMOUNT UP TO FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS TO INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE EMPLOYED FULL-
 TIME  AS  DOCTORS  OR  NURSES  FOR  THE  YEAR PRIOR TO SUCH APPLICATION,
 PROVIDED THAT NO RECIPIENT SHALL RECEIVE AN AWARD THAT EXCEEDS THE TOTAL
 REMAINING BALANCE OF THE STUDENT LOAN DEBT PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION,  IN
 EXCESS OF TWENTY THOUSAND DOLLARS.
   6.  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.  IN THE  EVENT
 THAT  THERE  ARE MORE APPLICANTS WHO HAVE THE SAME PRIORITY, AS PROVIDED
 IN SUBDIVISION FOUR OF THIS SECTION, THAN THERE  ARE  REMAINING  AWARDS,
 THE  CORPORATION  SHALL PROVIDE IN REGULATION 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 on the ninetieth day after it shall
 have become a law.