Bill Text: NY A08996 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Enacts the "New York state nurse employment, enhancement and dignity act" to provide hazard pay to nurses during a state disaster emergency, an annual tax credit for nurses, a student loan forgiveness program for nurses, and preferential school admission for nurses.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 13-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-02-01 - referred to higher education [A08996 Detail]
Download: New_York-2023-A08996-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 8996 IN ASSEMBLY February 1, 2024 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. BICHOTTE HERMELYN, SIMON -- read once and referred to the Committee on Higher Education AN ACT to amend the civil service law, the tax law and the education law, in relation to enacting the "New York state nurse employment, enhancement and dignity act" The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as 2 the "New York state nurse employment, enhancement and dignity act". 3 § 2. Legislative Findings. The profession of nursing is critical to 4 the general health and safety of the residents of the state of New York 5 and the need for nurses has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. 6 The nursing shortage and high attrition rates for nursing titles nega- 7 tively impacts patients and staff and serves to undermine the quality of 8 care in this state. The educational requirements for licensure into 9 certain nursing titles has served as a practical and financial barrier 10 to too many aspiring health care professionals. As an employer and the 11 entity charged with the care of the state's most vulnerable, New York 12 state must lead the way in making this profession more accessible and 13 attractive so as to ensure the quality and continuity of care for New 14 York's most at-risk citizens. 15 § 3. Subdivision 14 of section 130 of the civil service law is renum- 16 bered subdivision 15 and a new subdivision 14 is added to read as 17 follows: 18 14. Hazard duty payments to nurses during a state emergency disaster 19 declaration. (a) Any professional or practical nurse, nurse practi- 20 tioner, or clinical nurse specialist recognized in accordance with 21 sections six thousand nine hundred five, six thousand nine hundred six, 22 six thousand nine hundred ten and six thousand nine hundred eleven of 23 the education law who is employed by the state and provides services in 24 a licensed medical care or other state-operated agency or facility 25 during any state disaster emergency declared pursuant to article 26 two-B of the executive law to provide for the health, safety and welfare 27 of the public shall be awarded a hazardous duty differential. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD06850-02-4A. 8996 2 1 (b) A hazardous duty differential under this subdivision shall be 2 twenty-five hundred dollars. The hazard pay differential provided in 3 this subdivision shall be in addition to and shall not be part of an 4 employee's basic annual salary, and shall not affect or impair any 5 performance advancement payments, performance awards, longevity payments 6 or other rights or benefits to which an employee may be entitled under 7 the provisions of this chapter, provided, however, that any differential 8 payable pursuant to this subdivision shall be included as compensation 9 for retirement purposes. Employees eligible for the hazard duty 10 payments authorized by this subdivision shall also receive thirty-five 11 hours of additional vacation time accrual. The director of the budget 12 shall adopt regulations to carry out the provisions of this subdivision. 13 § 4. Section 606 of the tax law is amended by adding a new 14 subsection (ppp) to read as follows: 15 (ppp) Nurse exemption. (1) Allowance of credit. A taxpayer that is a 16 professional or practical nurse, nurse practitioner, or clinical 17 nurse specialist in the state recognized in accordance with sections 18 six thousand nine hundred five, six thousand nine hundred six, six 19 thousand nine hundred ten and six thousand nine hundred eleven of the 20 education law and who provides services in a licensed medical care or 21 other state-operated agency or facility in this state shall be allowed 22 an annual credit of five hundred dollars against the tax imposed by this 23 article. 24 (2) Overpayment. If the amount of the credit allowed under this 25 subsection for any taxable year exceeds the taxpayer's tax for the taxa- 26 ble year, the excess shall be treated as an overpayment of tax to be 27 credited or refunded in accordance with the provisions of section six 28 hundred eighty-six of this article, provided, however, no interest will 29 be paid thereon. 30 § 5. The education law is amended by adding a new section 679-k to 31 read as follows: 32 § 679-k. New York state nursing loan forgiveness incentive program. 1. 33 Purpose. The president shall grant student loan forgiveness awards for 34 the purpose of alleviating the burden of student loan debt for nurses 35 in the state. Such awards shall be made on a competitive basis as 36 promulgated by the corporation for such purposes, to applicants who 37 meet the eligibility criteria. Such rules and regulations shall include 38 provisions for the consideration of applicants who are economically 39 disadvantaged. 40 2. Eligibility. To be eligible for an award pursuant to this 41 section, applicants shall: 42 (a) have graduated and obtained a degree from an approved New York 43 state college or university; 44 (b) have an outstanding student loan debt from obtaining such degree; 45 (c) be employed as a professional or practical nurse, nurse practi- 46 tioner, or clinical nurse specialist in the state in accordance with 47 sections six thousand nine hundred five, six thousand nine hundred six, 48 six thousand nine hundred ten and six thousand nine hundred eleven of 49 this chapter; 50 (d) apply for this program within five years of college graduation; 51 (e) comply with subdivision five of section six hundred sixty-one 52 of this part; 53 (f) make a commitment to practice in a licensed medical care or 54 other state-operated agency or facility in this state for a minimum 55 period of ten years or for the duration of the award whichever is long- 56 er.A. 8996 3 1 3. Awards. The corporation shall grant such awards not to exceed 2 one thousand dollars per recipient per year and the total cost of any 3 awards made shall fall within amounts appropriated for such purposes 4 and based on the availability of funds. 5 § 6. Paragraph (h) of subdivision 2 of section 355 of the education 6 law is amended by adding a new subparagraph 4-c to read as follows: 7 (4-c) Notwithstanding the provisions of any other general or special 8 law, rule or regulation to the contrary, such regulations shall require 9 admission of any professional or practical nurse, nurse practitioner, 10 or clinical nurse specialist recognized in accordance with sections 11 six thousand nine hundred five, six thousand nine hundred six, six 12 thousand nine hundred ten and six thousand nine hundred eleven of this 13 chapter and who is employed by the state and who provides services in a 14 licensed medical care or other state-operated agency or facility for 15 purposes of attaining the baccalaureate degree requirements prescribed 16 by section six thousand nine hundred five of this chapter. 17 § 7. Subdivision 7 of section 6206 of the education law is amended by 18 adding a new paragraph (g) to read as follows: 19 (g) Notwithstanding the provisions of any other general or special 20 law, rule or regulation to the contrary, the board of trustees shall 21 adopt regulations requiring admission of any professional or practical 22 nurse, nurse practitioner, or clinical nurse specialist recognized 23 in accordance with sections six thousand nine hundred five, six thou- 24 sand nine hundred six, six thousand nine hundred ten and six thousand 25 nine hundred eleven of this chapter and who is employed by the state and 26 who provides services in a licensed medical care or other state-operated 27 agency or facility for purposes of attaining the baccalaureate degree 28 requirements prescribed by section six thousand nine hundred five of 29 this chapter. 30 § 8. This act shall take effect immediately and shall be deemed to 31 have been in full force and effect on and after April 1, 2024.
