A 3276: Relates to student financial aid programs; allows absence because of uniformed service, maternity/paternity, FMLA, or due to compensable injury to be creditable time.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 3276 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN ASSEMBLY January 27, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. BRONSON, LUNSFORD -- read once and referred to the Committee on Higher Education AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to student financial aid programs The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Subdivision 9 of section 605 of the education law is 2 amended by adding a new paragraph g to read as follows: 3 g. A period of leave without pay, or other periods which an eligible 4 applicant is not in a pay status shall not count toward the completion 5 of the required service period reemployment. The service completion date 6 shall be extended by the total time spent in non-pay status. However, 7 absence because of uniformed service with a recognized branch of the 8 United States military, authorized maternity/paternity, FMLA, or due to 9 compensable injury shall be considered creditable, within the sole 10 discretion of the president, toward the required service period of reem- 11 ployment. 12 § 2. Subpart 4 of part 2 of article 14 of the education law is amended 13 by adding a new section 679-k to read as follows: 14 § 679-k. Loan forgiveness eligibility. For all loan forgiveness 15 programs referenced in this subpart, a period of leave without pay, or 16 other periods which an eligible applicant is not in a pay status shall 17 not count toward the completion of the required service period reemploy- 18 ment. The service completion date shall be extended by the total time 19 spent in non-pay status. However, absence because of uniformed service 20 with a recognized branch of the United States military, authorized 21 maternity/paternity, FMLA, or due to compensable injury shall be consid- 22 ered creditable, within the sole discretion of the president, toward the 23 required service period of reemployment. 24 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately and shall be deemed to 25 have been in full force and effect on and after January 1, 2010. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD05906-01-5