Bill Text: NY A03481 | 2009-2010 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: An act to amend the education law, in relation to establishing the police officer and firefighter loan forgiveness program
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-06-04 - reference changed to higher education [A03481 Detail]
Download: New_York-2009-A03481-Introduced.html
S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
S. 1192 A. 3481
2009-2010 Regular Sessions
S E N A T E - A S S E M B L Y
January 27, 2009
___________
IN SENATE -- Introduced by Sens. THOMPSON, DUANE, C. JOHNSON, ONORATO,
PARKER, STACHOWSKI -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed
to be committed to the Committee on Higher Education
IN ASSEMBLY -- Introduced by M. of A. PEOPLES -- read once and referred
to the Committee on Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to establishing the
police officer and firefighter loan forgiveness 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 677-b
2 to read as follows:
3 S 677-B. POLICE OFFICER AND FIREFIGHTER LOAN FORGIVENESS PROGRAM. 1.
4 CERTIFICATION. POLICE OFFICER AND FIREFIGHTER LOAN FORGIVENESS AWARDS
5 SHALL BE AWARDED EACH YEAR. SUCH AWARDS SHALL BE ALLOCATED AS PROVIDED
6 IN THIS SECTION TO ELIGIBLE POLICE OFFICERS AND ELIGIBLE FIREFIGHTERS AS
7 CERTIFIED TO THE COMMISSIONER BY THE PRESIDENT.
8 2. ELIGIBILITY. A POLICE OFFICER OR FIREFIGHTER SHALL BE ELIGIBLE FOR
9 AN AWARD UNDER THIS SECTION PROVIDED THAT: (I) SUCH PERSON RESIDES IN A
10 CITY WITH A POPULATION BETWEEN TWO HUNDRED FIFTY THOUSAND AND ONE
11 MILLION WHICH HAS ENACTED A LOCAL LAW PROVIDING FOR SUCH POLICE OFFICER
12 AND FIREFIGHTER LOAN FORGIVENESS PROGRAM, (II) SUCH POLICE OFFICER OR
13 FIREFIGHTER IS EMPLOYED IN SUCH CITY AS A POLICE OFFICER OR FIREFIGHTER,
14 AND (III) SUCH POLICE OFFICER OR FIREFIGHTER INCURRED STUDENT LOAN
15 EXPENSE WHILE ATTENDING BUFFALO STATE COLLEGE, UNIVERSITY OF BUFFALO OR
16 ERIE COMMUNITY COLLEGE.
17 3. DURATION. EACH AWARD SHALL ENTITLE THE RECIPIENT TO AN ANNUAL AWARD
18 AND A RECIPIENT SHALL BE ELIGIBLE FOR NO MORE THAN A TOTAL OF TWO THOU-
19 SAND DOLLARS A YEAR FOR A MAXIMUM OF SIX YEARS.
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04681-01-9
S. 1192 2 A. 3481
1 4. CALCULATION OF AWARD AMOUNTS. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL BE RESPONSIBLE
2 FOR CALCULATING THE DOLLAR AMOUNT OF EACH AWARD THAT ELIGIBLE CANDIDATES
3 MAY RECEIVE FROM THIS PROGRAM.
4 5. STUDENT LOAN EXPENSE. STUDENT LOAN EXPENSE SHALL MEAN THE CUMULA-
5 TIVE TOTAL OF THE ANNUAL STUDENT LOANS COVERING THE COST OF ATTENDANCE
6 AT BUFFALO STATE COLLEGE, UNIVERSITY OF BUFFALO OR ERIE COMMUNITY
7 COLLEGE WHICH ARE OUTSTANDING WHEN APPLICATION FOR SUCH PROGRAM IS MADE
8 PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION SIX OF THIS SECTION. INTEREST PAID OR DUE ON
9 SUCH STUDENT LOANS THAT AN APPLICANT HAS TAKEN OUT FOR USE IN PAYING FOR
10 SUCH EDUCATION SHALL BE CONSIDERED ELIGIBLE FOR REIMBURSEMENT UNDER THIS
11 PROGRAM.
12 6. APPLICATION AND SELECTION. APPLICATION SHALL BE MADE TO THE COMMIS-
13 SIONER IN A MANNER PRESCRIBED BY THE COMMISSIONER.
14 7. AWARD DISBURSEMENT. ANNUAL AWARD DISBURSEMENTS SHALL BE THE RESPON-
15 SIBILITY OF THE COMMISSIONER. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL FORWARD APPROVED
16 APPLICATIONS TO THE PRESIDENT NO LATER THAN NINETY DAYS AFTER RECEIPT OF
17 SUCH APPLICATIONS. WITHIN FORTY-FIVE DAYS, THE PRESIDENT SHALL VERIFY
18 THE APPROVED APPLICANTS' ELIGIBILITY AND TOTAL STUDENT LOAN EXPENSE.
19 8. NOTIFICATION. THE PRESIDENT SHALL NOTIFY THE COMMISSIONER OF THE
20 AWARD ENTITLEMENT FOR EACH APPROVED APPLICANT PURSUANT TO THE VERIFICA-
21 TION PERFORMED IN SUBDIVISION SEVEN OF THIS SECTION.
22 S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
