S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   5091
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             February 18, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sens. SEPULVEDA, GALLIVAN, GOUNARDES, HARCKHAM, MARTINS,
   MAY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be  commit-
   ted to the Committee on Health
 
 AN  ACT  to  amend  the  public health law, in relation to expanding the
   Doctors Across New York program to include dentists

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Paragraph (c) of subdivision 5-a of section 2807-m of the
 public health law, as amended by section 6 of part C of  chapter  57  of
 the laws of 2023, is amended to read as follows:
   (c)  Physician  AND  DENTIST  loan repayment program. One million nine
 hundred sixty thousand dollars for the period January first,  two  thou-
 sand  eight  through  December  thirty-first,  two  thousand  eight, one
 million nine hundred sixty  thousand  dollars  for  the  period  January
 first,  two  thousand  nine  through December thirty-first, two thousand
 nine, one million nine hundred sixty thousand  dollars  for  the  period
 January first, two thousand ten through December thirty-first, two thou-
 sand  ten,  four  hundred ninety thousand dollars for the period January
 first, two thousand eleven  through  March  thirty-first,  two  thousand
 eleven,  one  million  seven  hundred thousand dollars each state fiscal
 year for the period April first, two thousand eleven through March thir-
 ty-first, two thousand fourteen, up to one million  seven  hundred  five
 thousand  dollars each state fiscal year for the period April first, two
 thousand fourteen through March thirty-first, two thousand seventeen, up
 to one million seven hundred five thousand  dollars  each  state  fiscal
 year  for  the  period April first, two thousand seventeen through March
 thirty-first, two thousand twenty, up to one million seven hundred  five
 thousand  dollars each state fiscal year for the period April first, two
 thousand twenty through March thirty-first, two  thousand  twenty-three,
 and  up  to  one  million seven hundred five thousand dollars each state
 fiscal year for  the  period  April  first,  two  thousand  twenty-three
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD07848-01-5
              

 S. 5091                             2
 
 through  March thirty-first, two thousand twenty-six, shall be set aside
 and reserved by the commissioner from  the  regional  pools  established
 pursuant  to  subdivision two of this section and shall be available for
 purposes  of  physician  AND  DENTIST  loan repayment in accordance with
 subdivision ten of this section. Notwithstanding any contrary  provision
 of this section, sections one hundred twelve and one hundred sixty-three
 of  the  state finance law, or any other contrary provision of law, such
 funding shall be allocated regionally with one-third of available  funds
 going  to  New  York city and two-thirds of available funds going to the
 rest of the state and shall be distributed in a manner to be  determined
 by  the  commissioner  without a competitive bid or request for proposal
 process as follows:
   (i) Funding shall first be awarded to repay loans of up to twenty-five
 physicians who train in primary care or  specialty  tracks  in  teaching
 general hospitals, and who enter and remain in primary care or specialty
 practices in underserved communities, as determined by the commissioner.
   (ii)  After  distributions in accordance with subparagraph (i) of this
 paragraph, all remaining funds shall be awarded to repay loans of physi-
 cians OR DENTISTS who enter and remain  in  primary  care  or  specialty
 practices in underserved communities, as determined by the commissioner,
 including  but  not limited to physicians OR DENTISTS working in general
 hospitals, or other health care facilities.
   (iii) In no case shall less than fifty percent of the funds  available
 pursuant  to  this  paragraph be distributed in accordance with subpara-
 graphs (i) and (ii) of this paragraph to physicians OR DENTISTS  identi-
 fied by general hospitals.
   (iv)  In addition to the funds allocated under this paragraph, for the
 period April first, two thousand fifteen through March thirty-first, two
 thousand sixteen,  two  million  dollars  shall  be  available  for  the
 purposes described in subdivision ten of this section;
   (v)  In  addition to the funds allocated under this paragraph, for the
 period April first, two thousand sixteen through March thirty-first, two
 thousand seventeen, two million  dollars  shall  be  available  for  the
 purposes described in subdivision ten of this section;
   (vi) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, and subject
 to the extension of the Health Care Reform Act of 1996, sufficient funds
 shall be available for the purposes described in subdivision ten of this
 section  in amounts necessary to fund the remaining year commitments for
 awards made pursuant to subparagraphs (iv) and (v) of this paragraph.
   § 2. Paragraph (d) of subdivision 5-a of section 2807-m of the  public
 health  law, as amended by section 6 of part C of chapter 57 of the laws
 of 2023, is amended to read as follows:
   (d) Physician AND DENTIST practice support. Four million nine  hundred
 thousand  dollars  for  the  period  January  first,  two thousand eight
 through December thirty-first, two thousand  eight,  four  million  nine
 hundred  thousand  dollars  annually  for  the period January first, two
 thousand nine through  December  thirty-first,  two  thousand  ten,  one
 million  two hundred twenty-five thousand dollars for the period January
 first, two thousand eleven  through  March  thirty-first,  two  thousand
 eleven,  four  million  three hundred thousand dollars each state fiscal
 year for the period April first, two thousand eleven through March thir-
 ty-first, two thousand fourteen, up to four million three hundred  sixty
 thousand  dollars each state fiscal year for the period April first, two
 thousand fourteen through March thirty-first, two thousand seventeen, up
 to four million three hundred sixty  thousand  dollars  for  each  state
 fiscal  year  for the period April first, two thousand seventeen through
 S. 5091                             3
 
 March thirty-first, two  thousand  twenty,  up  to  four  million  three
 hundred sixty thousand dollars for each fiscal year for the period April
 first,  two  thousand  twenty  through  March thirty-first, two thousand
 twenty-three,  and  up  to  four  million  three  hundred sixty thousand
 dollars for each fiscal year for the period April  first,  two  thousand
 twenty-three  through March thirty-first, two thousand twenty-six, shall
 be set aside and reserved by the commissioner from  the  regional  pools
 established  pursuant  to  subdivision  two of this section and shall be
 available for  purposes  of  physician  AND  DENTIST  practice  support.
 Notwithstanding  any  contrary  provision  of this section, sections one
 hundred twelve and one hundred sixty-three of the state finance law,  or
 any  other  contrary  provision  of law, such funding shall be allocated
 regionally with one-third of available funds going to New York city  and
 two-thirds  of  available funds going to the rest of the state and shall
 be distributed in a manner to be determined by the commissioner  without
 a competitive bid or request for proposal process as follows:
   (i)  Preference in funding shall first be accorded to teaching general
 hospitals for up to twenty-five awards, to  support  costs  incurred  by
 physicians OR DENTISTS trained in primary or specialty tracks who there-
 after  establish or join practices in underserved communities, as deter-
 mined by the commissioner.
   (ii) After distributions in accordance with subparagraph (i)  of  this
 paragraph,  all  remaining  funds  shall  be  awarded  to  physicians OR
 DENTISTS to support the cost of establishing  or  joining  practices  in
 underserved  communities,  as  determined  by  the  commissioner, and to
 hospitals and other health care providers to recruit new  physicians  OR
 DENTISTS  to  provide services in underserved communities, as determined
 by the commissioner.
   (iii) In no case shall less than fifty percent of the funds  available
 pursuant  to  this  paragraph  be  distributed  to  general hospitals in
 accordance with subparagraphs (i) and (ii) of this paragraph.
   § 3. Subdivision 10 of section 2807-m of the public health  law,    as
 added by section 75-e of part C of chapter 58 of the laws of 2008, para-
 graphs  (a)  and (c) as amended by section 13 of part B of chapter 58 of
 the laws of 2010, is amended to read as follows:
   10. Physician AND DENTIST loan repayment program.  (a) Beginning Janu-
 ary first, two thousand eight, the commissioner  is  authorized,  within
 amounts  available  pursuant  to  subdivision five-a of this section, to
 make loan repayment awards to primary care physicians  AND  DENTISTS  or
 other  physician  AND DENTIST specialties determined by the commissioner
 to be in short supply, licensed to practice medicine OR DENTISTRY in New
 York state, who agree to practice for at least five years in  an  under-
 served  area,  as  determined  by  the  commissioner.  Such physician OR
 DENTIST shall be eligible for a  loan  repayment  award  of  up  to  one
 hundred  fifty  thousand  dollars over a five year period distributed as
 follows: fifteen percent of total loan debt not to exceed  twenty  thou-
 sand  dollars for the first year; fifteen percent of total loan debt not
 to exceed twenty-five thousand  dollars  for  the  second  year;  twenty
 percent  of  total  loan debt not to exceed thirty-five thousand dollars
 for the third year; and twenty-five percent of total loan  debt  not  to
 exceed  thirty-five  thousand  dollars per year for the fourth year; and
 any unpaid balance of the total loan debt  not  to  exceed  the  maximum
 award amount for the fifth year of practice in such area.
   (b)  Loan  repayment awards made to a physician OR DENTIST pursuant to
 paragraph (a) of this subdivision shall not exceed the total  qualifying
 outstanding debt of the physician OR DENTIST from student loans to cover
 S. 5091                             4
 
 tuition and other related educational expenses, made by or guaranteed by
 the  federal  or  state  government, or made by a lending or educational
 institution approved under title IV of the federal higher education act.
 Loan  repayment  awards  shall  be used solely to repay such outstanding
 debt.
   (c) In the event that a five-year commitment pursuant to the agreement
 referenced in paragraph (a) of this subdivision is  not  fulfilled,  the
 recipient  shall  be responsible for repayment in amounts which shall be
 calculated in accordance with the formula set forth in  subdivision  (b)
 of  section  two  hundred  fifty-four-o of title forty-two of the United
 States Code, as amended.
   (d) The commissioner is authorized to apply any  funds  available  for
 purposes  of paragraph (a) of this subdivision for use as matching funds
 for federal grants for the purpose of assisting states in operating loan
 repayment programs pursuant to section three hundred thirty-eight  I  of
 the public health service act.
   (e)  The  commissioner may postpone, change or waive the service obli-
 gation and repayment amounts  set  forth  in  paragraphs  (a)  and  (c),
 respectively of this subdivision in individual circumstances where there
 is compelling need or hardship.
   (f)(i)  When  a  physician OR DENTIST is not actually practicing in an
 underserved area, [he or she] SUCH PHYSICIAN OR DENTIST shall be  deemed
 to  be  practicing  in an underserved area if [he or she practices] THEY
 PRACTICE in a facility or physician's OR DENTIST'S office that primarily
 serves an underserved population  as  determined  by  the  commissioner,
 without  regard to whether the population or the facility or physician's
 OR DENTIST'S office is located in an underserved area.
   (ii) In making criteria and determinations as to whether an area is an
 underserved area or whether  a  facility  or  physician's  OR  DENTIST'S
 office  primarily serves an underserved population, the commissioner may
 make separate criteria and determinations for different specialties.
   § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.