New York S 5252: Establishes a loan forgiveness program for licensed mental health professionals in jails and prisons

Bill Text

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S05252 Summary:

BILL NOS05252 

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SAME ASSAME AS A10791

&nbsp

SPONSORCANZONERI-FITZPATRICK

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COSPNSR

&nbsp

MLTSPNSR

&nbsp

Add §679-k, Ed L

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Establishes a loan forgiveness program for licensed mental health professionals in jails and prisons for the purpose of increasing the number of mental health professionals rendering mental health services in correctional institutions; provides for eligibility and priority; provides for awards in the amount of $2,000; makes related provisions.

Go to top S05252 Actions:

BILL NOS05252 

&nbsp

02/20/2025REFERRED TO HIGHER EDUCATION

01/07/2026REFERRED TO HIGHER EDUCATION

Go to topS05252 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topS05252 Floor&nbspVotes:

There are no Assembly votes for this bill in this legislative session.

Go to topS05252 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 5252

 2025-2026 Regular Sessions

 IN SENATE

 February 20, 2025
 ___________

 Introduced by Sen. CANZONERI-FITZPATRICK -- read twice and ordered
 printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Higher
 Education

 AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to a loan forgiveness
 program for licensed mental health professionals in jails and prisons

 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 679-k
 2 to read as follows:
 3 § 679-k. New York state licensed mental health professionals in jails
 4 and prisons loan forgiveness program. 1. Purpose. (a) The president
 5 shall grant student loan forgiveness awards for the purpose of increas-
 6 ing the number of mental health professionals rendering mental health
 7 services in correctional institutions in New York state.
 8 (b) For the purposes of this section, the term "correctional insti-
 9 tutions" shall mean any place operated by the department of corrections
 10 and community supervision as a place for the confinement of persons
 11 under sentence of imprisonment or persons committed for failure to pay a
 12 fine, including any place owned and operated by county or municipal
 13 governments within New York as a place for the confinement of persons
 14 under sentence of detention, imprisonment or persons committed for fail-
 15 ure to pay a fine.
 16 2. Eligibility. To be eligible for an award pursuant to this section,
 17 applicants shall: (a) be licensed as a mental health professional pursu-
 18 ant to article one hundred sixty-three of this chapter; (b) comply with
 19 subdivisions three and five of section six hundred sixty-one of this
 20 part; and (c) have an outstanding student loan debt.
 21 3. Priority. Such awards shall be made annually to applicants in the
 22 following priority:
 23 (a) First priority shall be given to an applicant who has received
 24 payment of an award pursuant to this section in a prior year and who, in

 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD01817-01-5

 S. 5252 2

 1 the year prior to application, has provided mental health services to
 2 incarcerated individuals and/or correction staff in a correctional
 3 institution;
 4 (b) Second priority shall be given to applicants who have not received
 5 payment of an award pursuant to this section in a prior year and who
 6 have provided mental health services to incarcerated individuals and/or
 7 correction staff in a correctional institution; and
 8 (c) Third priority shall be given to applicants who are currently
 9 providing mental health services to incarcerated individuals and/or
 10 correction staff in a correctional institution for less than one year.
 11 4. Awards. The corporation shall grant awards in the value of two
 12 thousand dollars to individuals who have provided full-time mental
 13 health services to incarcerated individuals and/or correction staff in a
 14 correctional institution, provided that no recipient shall receive an
 15 award that exceeds the total remaining balance of the student loan debt
 16 and that no recipient shall receive cumulative awards, pursuant to this
 17 section, in excess of twenty thousand dollars. Awards shall be within
 18 the amount appropriated for such purpose and based on availability of
 19