NY State Senate Bill 2025-S1277

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 09, 2025	referred to higher education

co-Sponsors

2025-S1277 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Higher Education
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Add §679-k, Ed L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2017-2018: S5552
2019-2020: S1429
2021-2022: S2664
2023-2024: S7486

2025-S1277 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Provides for loan forgiveness for mental health nurses that make a commitment to practice in a "rural" tract or county.

2025-S1277 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S1277

SPONSOR: GALLIVAN
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the education law, in relation to providing loan
forgiveness for mental health nurses

 
PURPOSE:

To provide loan forgiveness for mental health nurses.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1. adds a new section to the education law to provide loan
forgiveness for mental health nurses.

Section 2. provides the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

New York State's mental health care system is facing a severe crisis
attracting nurses and other health care professionals into the field to
care for individuals and children at state and locally based treatment
programs. The lack of nurses is particularly acute in New York's rural
areas where state operated institutions like the St.  Lawrence Psychiat-
ric Center struggle to recruit nurses to staff in-patient and outpatient
programs for both children and adults.

Creating a student nursing loan forgiveness program will help to encour-
age nurses and nursing students to enter the mental health field. High
student loan debt is often cited as a reason why graduates of nursing
programs seek positions in urban areas and in fields outside of the
mental health field. Creating a student loan debt relief program for
nurses that choose to work in the mental health field can help rural
areas attract the professionals they need. Rural mental health care
programs and in-patient facilities already face difficulties in recruit-
ing specialized health care professionals, such as nurses, due to their
remoteness, long commutes and lifestyle differences.

Mental health nurses work with individuals and their families to develop
a comprehensive approach to medical and nursing care for psychiatric
disorders in both in-patient and community-based settings. With New
York's rural areas already facing higher rates of mortality, disability
and chronic diseases compared to urban and suburban areas, ways to
address severe staffing shortages is critical to preventing the collapse
of rural health care networks that rely on a comprehensive team
approach.

Creating a new student loan repayment program for mental health nurses
will help provide a powerful new recruitment tool to help encourage
nurses to enter the mental health field.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2023-24: S.7486/A.4562Referred to higher education

2021-22: S.2664/A.5220Referredto higher education

2019-20: S.1429/A.2892Referredto higher education

2017-18: S.5552B/A.8211Reportedto finance/referred to higher education

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have
become a law.

2025-S1277 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   1277
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              January 9, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sens. GALLIVAN, BORRELLO -- read twice and ordered print-
   ed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Higher Educa-
   tion
 
 AN ACT to amend  the  education  law,  in  relation  to  providing  loan
   forgiveness for mental health nurses
 
   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 MENTAL HEALTH NURSE LOAN FORGIVENESS INCENTIVE
 PROGRAM. 1.  PURPOSE. THE PRESIDENT SHALL GRANT STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESS
 AWARDS  FOR  THE  PURPOSE OF ALLEVIATING THE BURDEN OF STUDENT LOAN DEBT
 FOR MENTAL HEALTH NURSES IN NEW YORK STATE. SUCH AWARDS SHALL BE MADE ON
 A COMPETITIVE BASIS AS PROMULGATED BY THE CORPORATION FOR SUCH PURPOSES,
 TO APPLICANTS WHO MEET THE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA. SUCH  RULES  AND  REGU-
 LATIONS SHALL INCLUDE PROVISIONS FOR THE CONSIDERATION OF APPLICANTS WHO
 ARE ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED.
   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) HAVE AN OUTSTANDING STUDENT LOAN DEBT FROM OBTAINING SUCH DEGREE;
   (C)  BE  EMPLOYED  AS A PROFESSIONAL OR PRACTICAL NURSE, NURSE PRACTI-
 TIONER, OR CLINICAL NURSE SPECIALIST IN NEW  YORK  STATE  IN  ACCORDANCE
 WITH  SECTIONS SIX THOUSAND NINE HUNDRED FIVE, SIX THOUSAND NINE HUNDRED
 SIX, SIX THOUSAND NINE HUNDRED TEN AND SIX THOUSAND NINE HUNDRED  ELEVEN
 OF THIS CHAPTER;
   (D) APPLY FOR THIS PROGRAM WITHIN TWO YEARS OF COLLEGE GRADUATION;
   (E)  COMPLY  WITH  SUBDIVISIONS  THREE AND FIVE OF SECTION SIX HUNDRED
 SIXTY-ONE OF THIS PART;

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD04131-01-5
 S. 1277                             2

 
   (F) MAKE A COMMITMENT TO PRACTICE IN A TRACT OR COUNTY DEFINED BY  THE
 HEALTH  RESOURCES AND SERVICES ADMINISTRATION AS BEING "RURAL" OR ELIGI-
 BLE FOR A RURAL HEALTH GRANT; AND
   (G)  MAKE  A  COMMITMENT  TO  PRACTICE IN STATE PSYCHIATRIC HOSPITALS,
 HOSPITAL IN-PATIENT  PSYCHIATRIC  UNITS,  ADDICTION  TREATMENT  CENTERS,
 BEHAVIORAL  HEALTH CLINICS OR A COUNTY RUN MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAM FOR THE
 DURATION OF THE AWARD.
   3. AWARDS. THE CORPORATION SHALL  GRANT  SUCH  AWARDS  WITHIN  AMOUNTS
 APPROPRIATED FOR SUCH PURPOSES AND BASED ON THE AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS.
   §  2.  This  act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
 have become a law.

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Senate Bill S1277

Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Higher Education Committee

co-Sponsors

2025-S1277 (ACTIVE) - Details

2025-S1277 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2025-S1277 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S1277 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments

Senate Bill S1277

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Sponsored By

Patrick M. Gallivan

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Higher Education Committee

co-Sponsors

George M. Borrello

2025-S1277 (ACTIVE) - Details

2025-S1277 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2025-S1277 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S1277 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments