S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   6151
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               April 3, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  BLUMENCRANZ -- read once and referred to the
   Committee on Higher Education
 
 AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation  to  a  loan  forgiveness
   program for licensed mental health professionals in jails and prisons
 
   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 MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS IN JAILS
 AND PRISONS LOAN FORGIVENESS PROGRAM.  1.  PURPOSE.  (A)  THE  PRESIDENT
 SHALL  GRANT STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESS AWARDS FOR THE PURPOSE OF INCREAS-
 ING THE NUMBER OF MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS  RENDERING  MENTAL  HEALTH
 SERVICES IN CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS IN NEW YORK STATE.
   (B)  FOR  THE  PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, THE TERM "CORRECTIONAL INSTI-
 TUTIONS" SHALL MEAN ANY PLACE OPERATED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF  CORRECTIONS
 AND  COMMUNITY  SUPERVISION  AS  A  PLACE FOR THE CONFINEMENT OF PERSONS
 UNDER SENTENCE OF IMPRISONMENT OR PERSONS COMMITTED FOR FAILURE TO PAY A
 FINE, INCLUDING ANY PLACE OWNED AND  OPERATED  BY  COUNTY  OR  MUNICIPAL
 GOVERNMENTS  WITHIN  NEW  YORK AS A PLACE FOR THE CONFINEMENT OF PERSONS
 UNDER SENTENCE OF DETENTION, IMPRISONMENT OR PERSONS COMMITTED FOR FAIL-
 URE TO PAY A FINE.
   2. ELIGIBILITY. TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR AN AWARD PURSUANT TO THIS  SECTION,
 APPLICANTS SHALL: (A) BE LICENSED AS A MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL PURSU-
 ANT  TO ARTICLE ONE HUNDRED SIXTY-THREE OF THIS CHAPTER; (B) COMPLY WITH
 SUBDIVISIONS THREE AND 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 AN  APPLICANT  WHO  HAS  RECEIVED
 PAYMENT OF AN AWARD PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION IN A PRIOR YEAR AND WHO, IN
 THE  YEAR  PRIOR  TO APPLICATION, HAS PROVIDED MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES TO
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD10547-01-3
              

 A. 6151                             2
 
 INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS  AND/OR  CORRECTION  STAFF  IN  A  CORRECTIONAL
 INSTITUTION;
   (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 MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES TO INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS  AND/OR
 CORRECTION STAFF IN A CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION; AND
   (C)  THIRD  PRIORITY  SHALL  BE  GIVEN TO APPLICANTS WHO ARE CURRENTLY
 PROVIDING MENTAL HEALTH  SERVICES  TO  INCARCERATED  INDIVIDUALS  AND/OR
 CORRECTION STAFF IN A CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION FOR LESS THAN ONE YEAR.
   4.  AWARDS.  THE  CORPORATION  SHALL  GRANT AWARDS IN THE VALUE OF TWO
 THOUSAND DOLLARS TO  INDIVIDUALS  WHO  HAVE  PROVIDED  FULL-TIME  MENTAL
 HEALTH SERVICES TO INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS AND/OR CORRECTION STAFF IN A
 CORRECTIONAL  INSTITUTION,  PROVIDED  THAT NO RECIPIENT 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 TWENTY THOUSAND DOLLARS. AWARDS  SHALL  BE  WITHIN
 THE  AMOUNT  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.