A 6016: Provides for loan forgiveness for social workers who commit to work in counties with less than two hundred thousand population, or towns which have a population of less than one hundred fifty persons per square mile for the duration of the award.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 6016 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN ASSEMBLY February 25, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. SIMON, CLARK, SANTABARBARA, DE LOS SANTOS, KELLES, BRONSON -- read once and referred to the Committee on Higher Education AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to providing loan forgiveness for social workers 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 679-k 2 to read as follows: 3 § 679-k. New York state social worker loan forgiveness incentive 4 program. 1. Purpose. The president shall grant student loan forgiveness 5 awards for the purpose of alleviating the burden of student loan debt 6 for social workers in New York state. Such awards shall be made on a 7 competitive basis as promulgated by the corporation for such purposes, 8 to applicants who meet the eligibility criteria. Such rules and regu- 9 lations shall include provisions for the consideration of applicants who 10 are economically disadvantaged. 11 2. Eligibility. To be eligible for an award pursuant to this section, 12 applicants shall: 13 (a) have graduated and obtained a degree from an approved New York 14 state college or university; 15 (b) have an outstanding student loan debt from obtaining such degree; 16 (c) be employed as a licensed master social worker or licensed clin- 17 ical social worker in New York state in accordance with article one 18 hundred fifty-four of this chapter; 19 (d) apply for this program within two years of college graduation; 20 (e) comply with subdivisions three and five of section six hundred 21 sixty-one of this part; and 22 (f) make a commitment to practice in a county with less than two 23 hundred thousand population, or any town which has a population of less EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD03637-01-5 
 A. 6016 2 1 than one hundred fifty persons per square mile for the duration of the 2 award. 3 3. Awards. The corporation shall grant such awards within amounts 4 appropriated for such purposes and based on the availability of funds. 5 § 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall 6 have become a law.