Bill Text: NY A09980 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes the advanced initiative in mental health careers program to increase access by underrepresented or disadvantaged students to certain post-baccalaureate academic programs that prepare students for licensure in mental health professions and employment in mental health fields.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-05-01 - referred to higher education [A09980 Detail]
Download: New_York-2023-A09980-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 9980 IN ASSEMBLY May 1, 2024 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. KELLES -- read once and referred to the Committee on Higher Education AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to establishing the advanced initiative in mental health careers program The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 6457 2 to read as follows: 3 § 6457. Advanced initiative in mental health careers program. 1. 4 General requirements. The commissioner shall award grants to degree- 5 granting institutions in New York state or to consortia of such insti- 6 tutions to be used for the purpose of increasing access by underrepre- 7 sented or disadvantaged students to post-baccalaureate academic programs 8 that have been registered by the commissioner and that prepare students 9 for licensure in mental health professions and employment in mental 10 health fields. 11 2. Graduate programs. (a) (i) Advanced initiative in mental health 12 careers program moneys may be used for recruitment, academic enrichment, 13 career planning, supplemental financial assistance, review for licensing 14 examinations, program administration, and other activities which the 15 commissioner may deem appropriate. To be eligible for advanced initi- 16 ative in mental health careers program support, a student must be a 17 resident of New York state, or meet the requirements of subparagraph 18 (ii) of this paragraph, and must be either economically disadvantaged or 19 from a currently underrepresented group in the licensed mental health 20 professions. The department shall review workforce data periodically to 21 determine current levels of representation in the licensed mental health 22 professions. Eligible students must be in good academic standing, 23 enrolled full time in an approved graduate or doctoral level program, as 24 defined by the regents. 25 (ii) An applicant who is not a legal resident of New York state, but 26 who is a United States citizen, a permanent lawful resident, an individ- 27 ual who is granted U or T non-immigrant status pursuant to the Victims 28 of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000, a person granted EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD14038-01-4A. 9980 2 1 temporary protected status pursuant to the Federal Immigration Act of 2 1990, an individual of a class of refugees paroled by the attorney 3 general of the United States under his or her parole authority pertain- 4 ing to the admission of noncitizens to the United States, or an appli- 5 cant without lawful immigration status shall be eligible for an award at 6 the graduate level of study provided that the student: 7 (1) attended a registered approved New York state high school for two 8 or more years, graduated from a registered New York state high school 9 and applied for attendance at the institution of higher education for 10 graduate study for which an award is sought within ten years of receiv- 11 ing a New York state high school diploma; or 12 (2) attended an approved New York state program for a state high 13 school equivalency diploma, received a state high school equivalency 14 diploma and applied for attendance at the institution of higher educa- 15 tion for graduate study for which an award is sought within ten years of 16 receiving a state high school equivalency diploma; or 17 (3) is otherwise eligible for the payment of tuition and fees at a 18 rate no greater than that imposed for resident students of the state 19 university of New York, the city university of New York or community 20 colleges as prescribed in subparagraph eight of paragraph h of subdivi- 21 sion two of section three hundred fifty-five or paragraph (a) of subdi- 22 vision seven of section sixty-two hundred six of this chapter. 23 Provided, further, that a student without lawful immigration status 24 shall also be required to file an affidavit with such institution of 25 higher education stating that the student has filed an application to 26 legalize his or her immigration status, or will file such an application 27 as soon as he or she is eligible to do so. 28 (b) Applications for funding shall be made by eligible institutions in 29 accordance with requirements established by the commissioner. Grants 30 shall be awarded based on criteria established by the commissioner. 31 Priority consideration shall be given to institutions with demonstrated 32 success in operating other programs authorized by this article. 33 (c) Preference in admission to this program shall be given to students 34 who graduated from a baccalaureate program located in New York state. 35 3. Reporting requirements. Institutions participating in the advanced 36 initiative in mental health careers program shall submit to the commis- 37 sioner such reports or other information as he or she shall require. The 38 commissioner shall prepare for the regents an annual report of the 39 activities of institutions which receive state funds pursuant to this 40 section concerning, but not limited to, the effectiveness of the 41 programs, the number of students served, and future plans. 42 § 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall 43 have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment, 44 and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation 45 of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and 46 completed on or before such effective date.
