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Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Print number 1491a
- Amend and recommit to health
- Referred to health
- Referred to health
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Establishes the nurse loan repayment program
In Assembly Committee · Health · Sponsor Aileen Gunther
Full text
The text isn't available here yet. Check nysenate.gov.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the public health law, in relation to establishing the nurse loan repayment program
Purpose
Nursing homes face a shortage of Registered nurses per patient ratio. This bill will add nursing homes to the list of work locations to participate in the loan forgiveness program to help address this disparity.
Summary of provisions
This bill adds nurses working in nursing homes to expand the loan repayment program and authorizes the commissioner to make loan repayment awards beginning January 1, 2016.
Justification
According to the New York State Department of Health, approximately one in four New Yorkers - over five million people - live in health professional shortage areas, defined by the federal government as areas with less than one physician for every 3,500 residents. Of New York's 62 counties, 49 have areas with physician shortages. The shortages are seen in rural and inner city areas.
To help address these shortages, in 2008 the Legislature enacted the Doctors Across New York initiative as part of the budget. This program included the Physician Loan Repayment Program which provides up to $150,000 for physicians to use in repayment of educational debt in exchange for a five-year service obligation in an underserved area. This bill is designed to be an expansion of that program to include nurse practitioners working in underserved areas.
Due to pay differential, nursing homes throughout the State are faced with nursing shortages. Nursing homes are staffed with an inadequate ratio of registered nurses, putting patient safety at risk due to the disparity in pay that nursing homes can offer. This bill is meant to give assistance to those that would be willing to work in geriatric facilities, by adding them to the list of those eligible for the loan repayment program.
Legislative history
2014: S.1468A - Health 2013: S.1468 - Health 2011-12: S.6353/A.8386A - Died in Health
Fiscal implications
To be determined.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.