NY State Senate Bill 2023-S4157

Senate Bill S4157

2023-2024 Legislative Session

Relates to establishing the New York state loan redemption program for certain public school teachers

download bill text pdf

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Higher Education Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 03, 2024	referred to higher education
Feb 03, 2023	referred to higher education

2023-S4157 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A3337
Current Committee:: Senate Higher Education
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Add §679-k, Ed L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2015-2016: S6647, A9417
2017-2018: S4671, A955
2019-2020: S2481, A3073
2021-2022: S3922, A2164

2023-S4157 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Relates to establishing the New York state loan redemption program for certain public school teachers.

2023-S4157 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S4157

SPONSOR: SANDERS
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the education law, in relation to establishing the New
York state loan redemption program for certain public school teachers

 
PURPOSE:

To establish a state loan redemption program to retain qualified teach-
ers who teach Mathematics or Science, and help them pay back student
loans.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 amends the education law by adding a new section 679-h allow-
ing teachers to redeem up to nine thousand dollars to help pay back
student loans if they graduated in the top twenty percent of their high
school class, or scored in the top twenty percent on the Scholastic
Assessment Test (SAT) or the American College Testing (ACT) examination;
graduated with a GPA of at least 3.5; and teach science, technology,

engineering or mathematics (STEM).

The redemption amount should be the lesser of nine thousand dollars or
the remaining balance of principal and interest of the eligible student
loan expenses following the third consecutive year of full-time employ-
ment as a STEM teacher in a public school. A program participant is not
required to work at the same school for three consecutive years. A
program participant may cancel the redemption contract at any time. In
the case of death or disability, the corporation will nullify the
service obligation of the program participant.

Section 2 of the bill provides that the act shall take effect immediate-
ly.

 
EXISTING LAW:

Currently Education Law Section 679 awards loan forgiveness to individ-
uals who are licensed social workers, primary care practitioners, nurs-
ing faculty, district attorney, indigent legal services attorney and
young farmers.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

The cost of higher education has skyrocketed in recent years. It has
become so expensive to pay for one's higher education that decisions
regarding career are being determined based on economics.  Consequently,
the teaching job market, specifically with regard to STEM teachers,
suffers. Without providing debt relief, we will continue to lose to the
private sector talented individuals who could become great teachers.
This legislation is a means of investing in those who are willing to
invest in building our future.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2021-22 REFERRED TO SENATE HIGHER EDUCATION

2019-20 REFERRED TO SENATE HIGHER EDUCATION
2019-20 referred to assembly higher education

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined

 
LOCAL FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

2023-S4157 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   4157
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             February 3, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. SANDERS -- 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 establishing  the  New
   York state loan redemption program for certain public school teachers
 
   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 LOAN REDEMPTION PROGRAM FOR CERTAIN PUBLIC
 SCHOOL TEACHERS. 1.  FOR THE PURPOSES OF  THIS  SECTION,  THE  FOLLOWING
 TERMS SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOWING MEANINGS:
   (A)  "ELIGIBLE  STUDENT  LOAN EXPENSES" MEANS NINE THOUSAND DOLLARS OR
 THE OUTSTANDING BALANCE OF THE PRINCIPAL AND  INTEREST  DUE  ON  STUDENT
 LOANS,  WHICHEVER  IS  LESS,  USED TO COVER THE COST OF ATTENDANCE WHILE
 ENROLLED IN AN UNDERGRADUATE OR GRADUATE DEGREE PROGRAM AT  AN  INSTITU-
 TION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.
   (B)  "PROGRAM  PARTICIPANT" MEANS A PERSON WHO IS INITIALLY HIRED BY A
 SCHOOL DISTRICT FOLLOWING THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF  THIS  SECTION  AND  WHO
 MEETS  THE CRITERIA OF PARAGRAPH (A) OF SUBDIVISION TWO OF THIS SECTION,
 AND WHO HAS EXECUTED A CONTRACT WITH THE CORPORATION  FOR  PARTICIPATION
 IN  THE  LOAN REDEMPTION PROGRAM. A PROGRAM PARTICIPANT SHALL BE A RESI-
 DENT OF NEW YORK STATE.
   (C) "PUBLIC SCHOOL" MEANS A SCHOOL LOCATED IN NEW YORK, UNDER COLLEGI-
 ATE GRADE, WHICH IS OPERATED BY A SCHOOL DISTRICT OR  A  CHARTER  SCHOOL
 ESTABLISHED PURSUANT TO ARTICLE FIFTY-SIX OF THIS CHAPTER.
   (D)  "SCHOOL  DISTRICT"  MEANS  A COMMON, UNION FREE, CENTRAL, CENTRAL
 HIGH SCHOOL OR CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT.
   2. (A) THERE IS ESTABLISHED  IN  THE  CORPORATION  A  LOAN  REDEMPTION
 PROGRAM FOR PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS WHO MEET THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA:
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD07678-01-3
 S. 4157                             2

   (I)  GRADUATED  IN THE TOP TWENTY PERCENT OF THE STUDENT'S HIGH SCHOOL
 GRADUATING CLASS OR SCORED IN THE TOP TWENTY PERCENT ON  THE  SCHOLASTIC
 ASSESSMENT TEST (SAT) OR THE AMERICAN COLLEGE TESTING (ACT) EXAMINATION;
   (II)  GRADUATED  FROM  AN INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION WITH A GRADE
 POINT AVERAGE OF AT LEAST 3.5; AND
   (III) TEACHES SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING OR  MATHEMATICS  (STEM)
 CLASSES OR SPECIAL EDUCATION.
   THE  PROGRAM  SHALL PROVIDE FOR THE REDEMPTION OF THE ELIGIBLE STUDENT
 LOAN EXPENSES OF A PROGRAM PARTICIPANT FOLLOWING THE  THIRD  CONSECUTIVE
 YEAR  OF FULL-TIME EMPLOYMENT AS A TEACHER OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGI-
 NEERING, MATHEMATICS OR SPECIAL EDUCATION IN A PUBLIC SCHOOL.
   (B) A PROGRAM PARTICIPANT MAY REDEEM ELIGIBLE  STUDENT  LOAN  EXPENSES
 UPON  EXECUTION  OF  A  CONTRACT BETWEEN THE PROGRAM PARTICIPANT AND THE
 CORPORATION. THE CONTRACT SHALL SPECIFY THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF DEBT  TO  BE
 REDEEMED BY THE STATE IN RETURN FOR SERVICE PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH (C) OF
 THIS SUBDIVISION.
   (C)  THE  REDEMPTION  OF LOANS UNDER THE LOAN REDEMPTION PROGRAM SHALL
 AMOUNT TO NINE THOUSAND DOLLARS OR THE OUTSTANDING BALANCE OF THE  PRIN-
 CIPAL AND INTEREST OF ELIGIBLE STUDENT LOAN EXPENSES, WHICHEVER IS LESS,
 FOLLOWING THE THIRD CONSECUTIVE YEAR OF FULL-TIME EMPLOYMENT AS A TEACH-
 ER OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, MATHEMATICS OR SPECIAL EDUCATION
 IN  A  PUBLIC SCHOOL.   A PROGRAM PARTICIPANT SHALL SUBMIT TO THE CORPO-
 RATION PROOF OF ELIGIBLE EMPLOYMENT IN A PUBLIC SCHOOL PRIOR TO  REDEMP-
 TION  OF  LOAN  INDEBTEDNESS.  A  PROGRAM PARTICIPANT IS NOT REQUIRED TO
 TEACH AT THE SAME PUBLIC SCHOOL FOR THREE CONSECUTIVE YEARS.
   (D) A PROGRAM PARTICIPANT WHO HAS ENTERED INTO A  REDEMPTION  CONTRACT
 WITH  THE  CORPORATION  MAY  NULLIFY  THE CONTRACT BY SUBMITTING WRITTEN
 NOTIFICATION TO THE CORPORATION AND  ASSUMING  FULL  RESPONSIBILITY  FOR
 REPAYMENT  OF  PRINCIPAL  AND  INTEREST ON THE FULL AMOUNT OF HIS OR HER
 LOANS OR THAT PORTION OF THE LOANS WHICH HAS NOT BEEN  REDEEMED  BY  THE
 STATE IN RETURN FOR FULFILLMENT OF THE CONTRACT.
   (E) IN THE CASE OF THE PROGRAM PARTICIPANT'S DEATH OR TOTAL AND PERMA-
 NENT DISABILITY, THE CORPORATION SHALL NULLIFY THE SERVICE OBLIGATION OF
 THE  PROGRAM  PARTICIPANT.  THE NULLIFICATION SHALL TERMINATE THE CORPO-
 RATION'S OBLIGATIONS UNDER THE LOAN REDEMPTION  CONTRACT.  IF  CONTINUED
 ENFORCEMENT OF THE CONTRACT RESULTS IN EXTREME HARDSHIP, THE CORPORATION
 MAY  NULLIFY  OR  SUSPEND  THE SERVICE OBLIGATION OF THE PROGRAM PARTIC-
 IPANT.
   3. THE CORPORATION SHALL ANNUALLY SUBMIT A REPORT ON  THE  PROGRAM  TO
 THE  GOVERNOR  AND  TO THE LEGISLATURE. THE REPORT SHALL BE SUBMITTED NO
 LATER THAN AUGUST FIRST OF EACH YEAR  AND  SHALL  INCLUDE,  BUT  NOT  BE
 LIMITED  TO,  INFORMATION  ON THE TOTAL NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS RECEIVING
 LOAN REDEMPTION UNDER THE PROGRAM, THE IMPACT OF THE PROGRAM ON ATTRACT-
 ING TEACHERS TO TEACH STEM SUBJECTS OR SPECIAL EDUCATION, AND THE NUMBER
 OF PARTICIPANTS WHO WITHDREW FROM THE PROGRAM PRIOR TO THE COMPLETION OF
 THE REQUIRED SERVICE.
   4. THE CORPORATION, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE DEPARTMENT,  SHALL  ADOPT
 RULES  AND  REGULATIONS  NECESSARY  TO  EFFECTUATE  THE PURPOSES OF THIS
 SECTION.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

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