2023 New York Laws › PBH - Public Health › Article 28 - Hospitals › 2807-AA - Nurse Loan Repayment Program.

§  2807-aa.  Nurse  loan repayment program. 1.(a) Monies shall be made
available, subject to appropriations, for  purposes  of  loan  repayment
awards  in accordance with the provisions of this section for registered
professional  nurses  licensed  to  practice  under  section  sixty-nine
hundred five of the education law and licensed practical nurses licensed
under   section   sixty-nine   hundred   six   of   the  education  law.
Notwithstanding sections one hundred twelve and one hundred  sixty-three
of  the  state  finance  law  and sections one hundred forty-two and one
hundred forty-three of  the  economic  development  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 proposals.
(i)  Loan repayment awards made under this section shall be awarded to
repay student loans of  nurses  who  work  in  areas  determined  to  be
underserved  areas in New York state and who agree to work in such areas
for a period of three consecutive years. A nurse may  be  deemed  to  be
practicing  in  an  underserved  area  if  they  practice in a facility,
physician's  office,   nurse   practitioner's   office,   or   physician
assistant's  office  that  primarily  serves  an underserved population,
without regard to whether the population or the facility  or  office  is
located   in   an  underserved  area.  For  purposes  of  this  section,
"underserved areas" shall  be  located  in  New  York  state  and  shall
include,  but  not  be  limited  to,  areas  designated  by  the federal
government  as  a  health  professional  shortage  area,   a   medically
underserved   area,  or  medically  underserved  population,  non-profit
diagnostic and treatment centers which primarily serve Medicaid eligible
or uninsured patients, and other areas and populations as determined  by
the commissioner.
(ii)  Loan  repayment  awards made under this section shall not exceed
the total qualifying outstanding debt of the nurse from student loans to
cover 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.
(iii) Nurses shall be eligible  for  a  loan  repayment  award  to  be
determined  by  the commissioner over a three-year period distributed as
follows: thirty percent of  total  award  for  the  first  year;  thirty
percent  of  total  award for the second year; and any unpaid balance of
the total award not to exceed the maximum award  amount  for  the  third
year.
(iv)  In  the event that a three-year commitment under this section is
not fulfilled, the recipient  shall  be  responsible  for  repayment  of
amounts  paid  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,  or  any
regulations made thereunder.
(b) The  commissioner  may  postpone,  change  or  waive  the  service
obligation and repayment amounts set forth in subparagraphs (i) and (iv)
of  paragraph  (a) of this subdivision in individual circumstances where
there is compelling need or hardship.
2. To develop a streamlined application process  for  the  nurse  loan
repayment  program  set  forth  under this section, the department shall
appoint  a  stakeholder  work  group  from   recommendations   made   by
associations  representing  nurses,  general  hospitals and other health

care  facilities.  Such  recommendations  shall  be  made  by  September
thirtieth, two thousand twenty-two.
3.  In  the  event  there  are undistributed funds within amounts made
available for distributions under this  section,  such  funds  shall  be
reallocated  and  distributed  in  current  or  subsequent  distribution
periods in a manner determined by the commissioner for the  purpose  set
forth in this section.