What's happening
This bill creates a student loan forgiveness program for credentialed alcoholism and substance abuse counselors working in New York State.
Why it matters
Addresses workforce shortages. by incentivizing more individuals to enter and remain in the field of substance abuse counseling, a sector with high turnover and critical need, particularly amid ongoing addiction and opioid crises.
Directly benefits credentialed professionals. (CASACs) who have completed rigorous state certification, offering them meaningful financial relief and potentially making the profession more accessible to those from diverse backgrounds.
Targets New York State residents and facilities. , ensuring that the investment returns directly to communities within the state and bolsters local treatment infrastructure.
Caps loan forgiveness to actual debt and limits duration to three years. , which helps manage program costs and encourages sustained service without creating an open-ended financial obligation for the state.
Albany, before your first meeting.
Every bill that moved yesterday, summarized in a sentence and ranked by impact. The Albany Scorecard follows on Sundays.
Free. Unsubscribe in one click. Want alerts on specific bills? Create an account.
Who cares
Headline styles
Forgive Loans for CASACs
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
Assembly Member · Assembly District 127
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to higher education
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
8890
IN ASSEMBLY
January 5, 2018
Introduced by M. of A. STIRPE -- read once and referred to the Committee on Higher Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to providing loan forgiveness to credentialed alcoholism and substance abuse counselors
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The education law is amended by adding a new section 679-j to read as follows:
§ 679-j. Credentialed alcoholism and substance abuse counselor loan forgiveness program. 1. Purpose. The president shall grant student loan forgiveness awards to credentialed alcoholism and substance abuse counselors for the purpose of increasing the number of individuals serving in the service area of substance abuse counseling.
2. Certification. Credentialed alcoholism and substance abuse counselor loan forgiveness awards shall be awarded each year. Such awards shall be allocated as provided in this section to eligible credentialed alcoholism and substance abuse counselors, hereinafter referred to as CASACS, as certified to the commissioner by the president.
3. Definition. For the purposes of this section, a CASAC shall mean an individual who is currently credentialed by the New York state office of alcoholism and substance abuse services in accordance with the New York Codes, Rules and Regulations Title 14 Section 853.5.
4. Eligibility. A CASAC shall be eligible for an award under this section provided that: (i) such person has been a resident of the state of New York for a minimum of one year and (ii) such person is employed as a CASAC in a facility licensed by the state of New York.
5. Duration. Each award shall entitle the recipient to an annual award and a recipient shall be eligible for no more than three years.
6. Amount. The corporation shall grant such awards and based on availability of funds in an amount not to exceed the total cost of the student loan debt.
7. Rules and regulations. The corporation is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations, and may promulgate emergency regulations necessary for the implementation of the provisions of this section.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD13599-03-7
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.