N.Y. Public Health Law § 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.