Bill Text: NY A04376 | 2021-2022 | General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: Relates to creating the medical professionals across rural New York state student loan repayment fund pilot program for certain participating professionals that make a two year commitment to practice in a tract or county defined by the health resources and services administration as being rural or eligible for a rural health grant.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 3-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-05-10 - held for consideration in health [A04376 Detail]

Download: New_York-2021-A04376-Introduced.html



                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          4376

                               2021-2022 Regular Sessions

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                    February 4, 2021
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by M. of A. WALCZYK -- read once and referred to the Commit-
          tee on Health

        AN ACT to amend the public health  law,  in  relation  to  creating  the
          medical  professionals across rural New York state student loan repay-
          ment fund pilot program

          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section  1.  The  public health law is amended by adding a new article
     2  29-J to read as follows:

     3                                ARTICLE 29-J
     4       MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS ACROSS RURAL NEW YORK STATE STUDENT LOAN
     5                               REPAYMENT FUND
     6  Section 2999-jj. Creation of fund and cooperating agencies.
     7          2999-kk. Administration of funds.
     8          2999-ll. Administration agreement.
     9          2999-mm. Responsibilities upon effective date of agreement.
    10          2999-nn. Documentation.
    11          2999-oo. Commitment.
    12          2999-pp. Participating professionals.
    13          2999-qq. Compensation.
    14          2999-rr. Continued qualification.
    15          2999-ss. Conditions barring participation.
    16          2999-tt. Minimum qualifications for participation.
    17          2999-uu. Application criteria.
    18          2999-vv. Healthcare provider scoring and cohort size.
    19          2999-ww. Announcement of results.
    20          2999-xx. Payments and default.
    21    § 2999-jj. Creation of fund and cooperating agencies. The  department,
    22  within  amounts  appropriated, shall establish the medical professionals
    23  across rural New York state student loan repayment fund  pilot  program,

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD04471-01-1

        A. 4376                             2

     1  in  association  with  the  empire  state  development  corporation. The
     2  department is also directed to  consult  with  the  Fort  Drum  regional
     3  health  planning organization and the Iroquois healthcare association as
     4  it  deems appropriate. Funds shall be transferred by the commissioner of
     5  taxation and finance to the department for use as described herein.
     6    § 2999-kk. Administration of funds. Monies in the fund shall be:
     7    1. held by the department pursuant to this section as custodian pursu-
     8  ant to an agreement with the commissioner of taxation and  finance,  and
     9  the  empire state development corporation, until transferred pursuant to
    10  this section; and
    11    2. invested by the department in accordance with the investment guide-
    12  lines of the comptroller during said custodial  period.  All  investment
    13  income shall be credited to, and shall be deposited in, the fund.
    14    §  2999-ll. Administration agreement. The commissioner of taxation and
    15  finance, the empire state development corporation,  and  the  department
    16  shall  enter  into an agreement, subject to the approval of the director
    17  of the budget, for the purpose of administering the fund. A copy of such
    18  agreement, and any amendments thereto, shall be provided to the chair of
    19  the senate finance committee, the director of the  division  of  budget,
    20  and  the  chair  of the assembly ways and means committee. The agreement
    21  shall specify that the department shall administer the fund in a  manner
    22  that  will benefit the public by encouraging the availability of profes-
    23  sional service providers, in compliance with all applicable laws, rules,
    24  regulations and other requirements.
    25    § 2999-mm. Responsibilities upon effective date of agreement. Upon the
    26  effective date of the agreement, custody of, and responsibility for, the
    27  fund shall be taken up by the department, subject to the requirements of
    28  its agreement with the commissioner of  taxation  and  finance  and  the
    29  empire  state development corporation. Such agreement shall include, but
    30  not be limited to, the following provisions:
    31    1. the department shall be responsible for the receipt, management and
    32  expenditure of monies held in the fund;
    33    2. the department shall maintain books and records pertaining  to  all
    34  monies  received  and  disbursed pursuant to this section and the agree-
    35  ment;
    36    3. monies in such fund shall be utilized for the purpose of  providing
    37  student loan repayment funding to qualifying professionals;
    38    4.  participating  professionals  shall  be  chosen  by the department
    39  through an application process approved by the  department,  the  empire
    40  state development corporation, and the comptroller;
    41    5. the department shall report quarterly on transactions pertaining to
    42  the  fund in a form and manner specified by the comptroller in consulta-
    43  tion with the commissioner of taxation and finance, and the empire state
    44  development corporation, including but not  limited  to:    receipts  or
    45  deposits  to  the  fund, disbursements, loans or credit enhancement made
    46  from the fund, investment income, and the balance on hand as of the  end
    47  of the month for each such quarter;
    48    6. the department shall be required to invest monies on deposit in the
    49  fund  in  accordance with investment guidelines meeting the requirements
    50  of the comptroller, and all investment income shall be credited  to  the
    51  fund,  and  spent  therefrom  only  for  the  purposes set forth in this
    52  section;
    53    7. fund monies shall be held in trust and  used  for  the  benefit  of
    54  participating professionals;

        A. 4376                             3

     1    8. after two years, the department shall submit a report to the gover-
     2  nor  and  legislature detailing the performance participation and impact
     3  of the pilot program; and
     4    9.  any  other  term  or condition as determined by the department, in
     5  consultation with the commissioner  of  taxation  and  finance  and  the
     6  empire state development corporation.
     7    §  2999-nn. Documentation. Payments from the fund shall be made pursu-
     8  ant to a written agreement between the department and the  participating
     9  professional,  specifying the terms of the payments. The agreement shall
    10  be in such form and content as shall be acceptable  to  the  comptroller
    11  and  department,  and  may  include  such  further written documentation
    12  and/or agreements as shall be required in  the  judgment  of  the  comp-
    13  troller  and  department.  Terms may include rescission of payments if a
    14  participating professional does not comply  with  this  section  or  the
    15  terms of the participating professional's agreement with the department.
    16    §  2999-oo. Commitment. Professionals shall be eligible to participate
    17  in this program provided that in addition to any other requirements  set
    18  forth in this article they:
    19    1. make a two year commitment to practice in a tract or county defined
    20  by  the health resources and services administration as being "rural" or
    21  eligible for a rural health grant; and
    22    2. such tract is situated, in whole or in part,  in  the  counties  of
    23  Madison, Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Hamilton, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis,
    24  Oswego, or St. Lawrence.
    25    §  2999-pp.  Participating  professionals. The following professionals
    26  shall be eligible to receive the benefits of this fund:
    27    1. home care service workers, clinical laboratory practitioners, clin-
    28  ical laboratory technologists,  clinical  laboratory  cytotechnologists,
    29  clinical laboratory technicians, or histological technicians;
    30    2. licensed psychologists, licensed master social workers, or licensed
    31  clinical social workers;
    32    3.  midlevel  practitioners such as a physical therapist, physiothera-
    33  pist, mechanotherapist, dentist,  dental  hygienist,  dental  assistant,
    34  nurse practitioner, psychiatric nurse practitioner, physician assistant,
    35  or  psychiatrist  who is a diplomate of the American board of psychiatry
    36  and neurology or is eligible to be certified by that board or is  certi-
    37  fied by the American osteopathic board of neurology and psychiatry or is
    38  eligible to be certified by that board;
    39    4.  speech-language  pathologists or audiologists, occupational thera-
    40  pists, or respiratory therapists;
    41    5. licensed pharmacists;
    42    6. nurses in nursing homes, such as  registered  professional  nurses,
    43  licensed  practical nurses, or clinical nurse specialists, provided that
    44  their service commitment, in addition to any other  criteria  listed  in
    45  this article, will also be in a licensed nursing home, intermediate care
    46  facility  for  the  developmentally  disabled, or hospital if it owns or
    47  operates a licensed nursing home, and the  professional  will  spend  at
    48  least half of their working hours in the nursing home; and
    49    7.  optometrists, as defined in section seventy-one hundred one of the
    50  education law.
    51    § 2999-qq. Compensation. Participating professionals shall be  compen-
    52  sated  in  the  form of payments against their student loans made in the
    53  following amounts:
    54    1. fifty percent of total qualifying debt annually, up  to  a  maximum
    55  annual  amount  of  five  thousand  dollars  for professionals listed in

        A. 4376                             4

     1  subdivision one of section twenty-nine hundred  ninety-nine-pp  of  this
     2  article;
     3    2.  fifty  percent  of total qualifying debt annually, up to a maximum
     4  annual amount of ten thousand dollars for professionals listed in subdi-
     5  vision two of section twenty-nine hundred ninety-nine-pp of  this  arti-
     6  cle;
     7    3.  fifty  percent  of total qualifying debt annually, up to a maximum
     8  annual amount of twenty thousand dollars  for  professionals  listed  in
     9  subdivision  three of section twenty-nine hundred ninety-nine-pp of this
    10  article;
    11    4. fifty percent of total qualifying debt annually, up  to  a  maximum
    12  annual  amount  of  twelve  thousand dollars for professionals listed in
    13  subdivision four of section twenty-nine hundred ninety-nine-pp  of  this
    14  article;
    15    5.  fifty  percent  of total qualifying debt annually, up to a maximum
    16  annual amount of fifteen thousand dollars for  professionals  listed  in
    17  subdivision  five  of section twenty-nine hundred ninety-nine-pp of this
    18  article;
    19    6. fifty percent of total qualifying debt annually, up  to  a  maximum
    20  annual  amount  of  five  thousand  dollars  for professionals listed in
    21  subdivision six of section twenty-nine hundred  ninety-nine-pp  of  this
    22  article; and
    23    7.  fifty  percent  of total qualifying debt annually, up to a maximum
    24  annual amount of twelve thousand dollars  for  professionals  listed  in
    25  subdivision  seven of section twenty-nine hundred ninety-nine-pp of this
    26  article.
    27    § 2999-rr.  Continued  qualification.  Provided  that  a  professional
    28  continues  to  qualify  for  this program after two years and such pilot
    29  program is still in operation, then loan payment  amounts  will  be  the
    30  balance  of  any  qualifying  debt  up  to the maximum amounts listed in
    31  section two thousand nine hundred ninety-nine-qq of this article.
    32    § 2999-ss. Conditions  barring  participation.  Participating  profes-
    33  sionals shall not:
    34    1. have any outstanding service obligations to the federal government,
    35  state, or other entity; or
    36    2.  have  any  judgment  liens arising from federal or state debt, and
    37  must not be delinquent in child support payments.
    38    § 2999-tt. Minimum  qualifications  for  participation.  Participating
    39  professionals must possess a fully-executed employment contract, or must
    40  be  able  to submit sufficient evidence of intent to establish a private
    41  practice and subsequently do so, and must possess all licenses  required
    42  to  practice  their  chosen profession in the state of New York. Partic-
    43  ipating professionals must also be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident,
    44  and become a legal resident of New York  state  within  ninety  days  of
    45  beginning employment.
    46    § 2999-uu. Application criteria. The entities involved in this program
    47  may  establish  additional  application  criteria  at  their discretion,
    48  provided that such criteria does not narrow the availability of funds or
    49  conflict with the intent of this article.
    50    § 2999-vv. Healthcare provider scoring and cohort size.  Regardless of
    51  funding levels, no more than thirty-two participating professionals  may
    52  enter  the  program  in any fiscal year. Applications shall be collected
    53  throughout the year, with a new cohort of no more than eight participat-
    54  ing professionals approved each quarter. Each application received shall
    55  receive a score which will be calculated as described herein:

        A. 4376                             5

     1    1. the maximum score an applicant may receive is fifty. Two  independ-
     2  ent  reviewers, blind to each other's evaluation, will score each appli-
     3  cant. The average of the scores given  by  each  reviewer  will  be  the
     4  applicant's  final  score.  In the event any two applicants for the same
     5  cohort  receive  the  same  score,  each  of  their applications will be
     6  reviewed a third time and a new average score computed  from  all  three
     7  scores received;
     8    2.  scores will be calculated by taking the discipline specific health
     9  professional shortage areas score for the applicant's practice location,
    10  and adding a maximum of ten points based on  the  diversity  of  medical
    11  cases  or  issues treated at the practice location, and adding a maximum
    12  of fifteen points based on the diversity of the  patient  population  in
    13  the tract or county where the applicant intends to practice; and
    14    3.  if a health professional shortage areas score is not available for
    15  the applicant's intended practice location  then  the  department  shall
    16  attempt  to  estimate one based on the same discipline specific criteria
    17  used by the health resources and services administration to  generate  a
    18  health professional shortage areas score.
    19    §  2999-ww.  Announcement of results. All applicants granted admission
    20  to the program will be notified by email and United States  mail  within
    21  twenty-one  business days following the conclusion of the quarter during
    22  which their application was  received.  Following  the  announcement  of
    23  awards, applicants may request a debriefing from the department no later
    24  than  ten calendar days from the date of the announcement. This debrief-
    25  ing will be limited to the positive and negative aspects of the specific
    26  applicant's application. In the event unsuccessful  applicants  wish  to
    27  protest  their  results  they  must follow the protest procedures estab-
    28  lished by the office of the state comptroller  in  effect  at  the  time
    29  their protest is entered.
    30    §  2999-xx.  Payments  and  default.  Total  annual  payments shall be
    31  disbursed in equal amounts on a monthly basis.
    32    1. In the event of default by a participating professional, within one
    33  year of defaulting the participating professional shall repay the  state
    34  of  New  York  the greater of either thirty-one thousand dollars, or the
    35  value of the past seven months of loan payments made  by  the  state  on
    36  behalf  of the participating professional. The outstanding balance after
    37  one year shall accrue interest at a rate equal to that owed on underpay-
    38  ments of New York  state  income  tax.  Uncollectable  amounts  will  be
    39  referred  to  the  New York state attorney general's office for possible
    40  legal action.
    41    2. Where default results from an action made  by  the  department  the
    42  participating professional will not be penalized.
    43    §  2.  This  act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
    44  have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or
    45  repeal of any rule or regulation necessary  for  the  implementation  of
    46  this  act  on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed
    47  on or before such effective date.
feedback