A 7203: 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.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 7203 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN ASSEMBLY March 21, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. BICHOTTE HERMELYN, SIMON, LEVENBERG, DAVILA, LUCAS, WILLIAMS, GONZALEZ-ROJAS, ZACCARO, FORREST -- 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 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD11047-01-5 
 A. 7203 2 1 a licensed medical care or other state-operated agency or facility 2 during any state disaster emergency declared pursuant to article 3 two-B of the executive law to provide for the health, safety and welfare 4 of the public shall be awarded a hazardous duty differential. 5 (b) A hazardous duty differential under this subdivision shall be 6 twenty-five hundred dollars. The hazard pay differential provided in 7 this subdivision shall be in addition to and shall not be part of an 8 employee's basic annual salary, and shall not affect or impair any 9 performance advancement payments, performance awards, longevity payments 10 or other rights or benefits to which an employee may be entitled under 11 the provisions of this chapter, provided, however, that any differential 12 payable pursuant to this subdivision shall be included as compensation 13 for retirement purposes. Employees eligible for the hazard duty 14 payments authorized by this subdivision shall also receive thirty-five 15 hours of additional vacation time accrual. The director of the budget 16 shall adopt regulations to carry out the provisions of this subdivision. 17 § 4. Section 606 of the tax law is amended by adding a new 18 subsection (qqq) to read as follows: 19 (qqq) Nurse exemption. (1) Allowance of credit. A taxpayer that is a 20 professional or practical nurse, nurse practitioner, or clinical 21 nurse specialist in the state recognized in accordance with sections 22 six thousand nine hundred five, six thousand nine hundred six, six 23 thousand nine hundred ten and six thousand nine hundred eleven of the 24 education law and who provides services in a licensed medical care or 25 other state-operated agency or facility in this state shall be allowed 26 an annual credit of five hundred dollars against the tax imposed by this 27 article. 28 (2) Overpayment. If the amount of the credit allowed under this 29 subsection for any taxable year exceeds the taxpayer's tax for the taxa- 30 ble year, the excess shall be treated as an overpayment of tax to be 31 credited or refunded in accordance with the provisions of section six 32 hundred eighty-six of this article, provided, however, no interest will 33 be paid thereon. 34 § 5. The education law is amended by adding a new section 679-k to 35 read as follows: 36 § 679-k. New York state nursing loan forgiveness incentive program. 1. 37 Purpose. The president shall grant student loan forgiveness awards for 38 the purpose of alleviating the burden of student loan debt for nurses 39 in the state. Such awards shall be made on a competitive basis as 40 promulgated by the corporation for such purposes, to applicants who 41 meet the eligibility criteria. Such rules and regulations shall include 42 provisions for the consideration of applicants who are economically 43 disadvantaged. 44 2. Eligibility. To be eligible for an award pursuant to this 45 section, applicants shall: 46 (a) have graduated and obtained a degree from an approved New York 47 state college or university; 48 (b) have an outstanding student loan debt from obtaining such degree; 49 (c) be employed as a professional or practical nurse, nurse practi- 50 tioner, or clinical nurse specialist in the state in accordance with 51 sections six thousand nine hundred five, six thousand nine hundred six, 52 six thousand nine hundred ten and six thousand nine hundred eleven of 53 this chapter; 54 (d) apply for this program within five years of college graduation; 55 (e) comply with subdivision five of section six hundred sixty-one 56 of this part; 
 A. 7203 3 1 (f) make a commitment to practice in a licensed medical care or 2 other state-operated agency or facility in this state for a minimum 3 period of ten years or for the duration of the award whichever is long- 4 er. 5 3. Awards. The corporation shall grant such awards not to exceed 6 one thousand dollars per recipient per year and the total cost of any 7 awards made shall fall within amounts appropriated for such purposes 8 and based on the availability of funds. 9 § 6. Paragraph (h) of subdivision 2 of section 355 of the education 10 law is amended by adding a new subparagraph 4-c to read as follows: 11 (4-c) Notwithstanding the provisions of any other general or special 12 law, rule or regulation to the contrary, such regulations shall require 13 admission of any professional or practical nurse, nurse practitioner, 14 or clinical nurse specialist recognized in accordance with sections 15 six thousand nine hundred five, six thousand nine hundred six, six 16 thousand nine hundred ten and six thousand nine hundred eleven of this 17 chapter and who is employed by the state and who provides services in a 18 licensed medical care or other state-operated agency or facility for 19 purposes of attaining the baccalaureate degree requirements prescribed 20 by section six thousand nine hundred five of this chapter. 21 § 7. Subdivision 7 of section 6206 of the education law is amended by 22 adding a new paragraph (g) to read as follows: 23 (g) Notwithstanding the provisions of any other general or special 24 law, rule or regulation to the contrary, the board of trustees shall 25 adopt regulations requiring admission of any professional or practical 26 nurse, nurse practitioner, or clinical nurse specialist recognized 27 in accordance with sections six thousand nine hundred five, six thou- 28 sand nine hundred six, six thousand nine hundred ten and six thousand 29 nine hundred eleven of this chapter and who is employed by the state and 30 who provides services in a licensed medical care or other state-operated 31 agency or facility for purposes of attaining the baccalaureate degree 32 requirements prescribed by section six thousand nine hundred five of 33 this chapter. 34 § 8. This act shall take effect immediately and shall be deemed to 35 have been in full force and effect on and after April 1, 2025.