New York A 3509: Provides for the award of scholarships and loan forgiveness for dentists and podiatrists on the same terms as physicians

Bill Text

STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
3509
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 3, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. PRETLOW -- read once and referred to the Commit-
tee on Higher Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to regents professional
education scholarships, health care professional opportunity scholar-
ships and loan forgiveness for podiatrists and dentists
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subdivision 3 of section 605 of the education law, as
2 amended by chapter 31 of the laws of 1985, is amended to read as
3 follows:
4 3. Regents professional education in medicine [ ] dentistryor , , or
5 scholarships. Regents professional education in medicine [ ]podiatry or ,
6 dentistry scholarships shall be awarded annually, on a, or podiatry
7 competitive basis, to students beginning professional study in medicine
8 [ ] dentistry . One hundred such scholarships shall beor , , or podiatry
9 awarded annually, and shall be classified and allocated in accordance
10 with regents rules. The provisions of this subdivision shall only apply
11 to any recipient who receives his or her first award payment prior to
12 the nineteen hundred eighty-five--nineteen hundred eighty-six academic
13 year.
14 § 2. Subdivision 9 of section 605 of the education law, as amended by
15 chapter 523 of the laws of 1992, subparagraph 3 of paragraph a as
16 amended by section 89 of subpart B of part C of chapter 62 of the laws
17 of 2011, is amended to read as follows:
18 9. Regents physician loan forgiveness program., dentist and podiatrist
19 Regents physician loan forgiveness awards shall, dentist and podiatrist
20 be awarded annually to physicians who agree to, dentists and podiatrists
21 practice medicine in an area of New York state, dentistry or podiatry
22 designated by the regents as having a shortage of physicians, dentists
23 . Such awards shall be classified and allocated inor podiatrists
24 accordance with regents rules.
EXPLANATION--Matter in (underscored) is new; matter in bracketsitalics
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD08223-01-3

A. 3509 2
1 a. Eligibility. (1) The applicant must be a resident of New York state
2 and licensed to practice medicine ., dentistry or podiatry
3 (2) The applicant must have completed a professional residency program
4 within the five years immediately preceding the period for which the
5 first award would be granted, or be within two years of completion of an
6 accredited residency program in a primary care specialty designated in
7 short supply by the board of regents.
8 (3) The applicant must agree to practice medicine, dentistry or podia-
9 in an area in New York state designated as having a shortage oftry
10 physicians . The regents, after consultation, dentists or podiatrists
11 with the commissioners of health, corrections and community supervision,
12 mental health and developmental disabilities, shall designate those
13 regions and facilities of New York state which have a shortage of physi-
14 cians for the purposes of this section and, dentists or podiatrists
15 establish relative rankings thereof.
16 b. Selection. The commissioner, in consultation with the commissioner
17 of health, shall establish criteria for the selection of participants in
18 the program. An applicant must satisfy at least one of the criteria
19 established. A priority shall be accorded to any applicant who is
20 completing the second year of the service requirement and is reapplying
21 for a new award. The criteria shall include but not be limited to the
22 following:
23 (i) reapplication for a new award by a person who is completing the
24 second year of a service requirement;
25 (ii) receipt of specific training in a primary care specialty or
26 obstetrics, determined by the regents to be in short supply;
27 (iii) receipt of specific training or experience in serving a shortage
28 area;
29 (iv) receipt of specific training or experience matching a specific
30 medical need existing in a shortage area; and, dental or podiatric
31 (v) agreement pursuant to [ ] of thissubdivision (d) paragraph d
32 [ ] to practice in an area determined by the regentssection subdivision
33 to have a severe shortage of primary care physician, dentist or podia-
34 services.trist
35 c. Notification. (1) The commissioner shall then forward approved
36 applications to the president and shall notify unsuccessful applicants;
37 (2) The president shall verify the approved applicants':
38 (i) eligibility; and
39 (ii) total undergraduate and medical school, dental or podiatric
40 student expense;
41 (3) The president shall notify applicants of their award entitlement.
42 d. Service requirement. Within such time as the commissioner shall by
43 regulation provide, a recipient of an award shall have agreed to prac-
44 tice medicine in a specific area designated as, dentistry or podia