See other bills
under the
same topic
PRINTER'S NO. 1288
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No.
974
Session of
2021
INTRODUCED BY BROOKS, COLLETT, KANE, SANTARSIERO, MUTH, STEFANO,
CAPPELLETTI, YUDICHAK, STREET, HUTCHINSON, COSTA, BAKER AND
SCHWANK, DECEMBER 17, 2021
REFERRED TO EDUCATION, DECEMBER 17, 2021
AN ACT
Providing for the Student Loan Forgiveness Program for Nurses
and Nurse Faculty; and imposing duties on the Pennsylvania
Higher Education Assistance Agency.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Short title.
This act shall be known and may be cited as the Student Loan
Forgiveness Program for Nurses and Nurse Faculty Act.
Section 2. Declaration of purpose.
The General Assembly declares that the purpose of this act is
to provide an incentive for individuals to pursue training in
nursing or training to become nurse faculty and remain in this
Commonwealth to live and work in nursing.
Section 3. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Agency." The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
Agency.
"Nurse faculty." A registered nurse with at least one year
of clinical experience in nursing who possesses an advanced
degree in nursing from an accredited college or university
located in this Commonwealth and is employed as full-time or
part-time faculty teaching in a field of nursing education in
this Commonwealth.
"Program." The Student Loan Forgiveness Program for Nurses
and Nurse Faculty established under section 4(a).
"Qualified health care facility." Any of the following
facilities:
(1) An assisted living residence.
(2) A home care agency.
(3) A home health care agency.
(4) A hospice agency.
(5) A hospital.
(6) A Living Independence for the Elderly (LIFE)
program.
(7) A long-term care facility.
(8) A personal care home.
"Recipient." An individual who receives student loan
forgiveness under the program.
Section 4. Student Loan Forgiveness Program for Nurses and
Nurse Faculty.
(a) Establishment.--The Student Loan Forgiveness Program for
Nurses and Nurse Faculty is established in the agency.
(b) Administration.--The agency shall administer the program
for the purpose of providing student loan forgiveness for
eligible individuals who enter into an agreement with the agency
as provided under subsection (d).
20210SB0974PN1288 - 2 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
(c) Qualifications.--To qualify for the program, an
applicant must meet all of the following criteria:
(1) Be employed as a registered nurse, certified
registered nurse practitioner or clinical nurse specialist.
(2) Be a resident of this Commonwealth.
(3) Hold an undergraduate academic degree, graduate
level academic degree or doctoral academic degree from an
accredited college or university located in this
Commonwealth.
(4) Have been hired as a full-time employee of a
qualified health care facility in this Commonwealth.
(5) Have successfully completed at least the first year
of full-time employment as an employee of a qualified health
care facility in this Commonwealth.
(d) Loan forgiveness.--The agency shall forgive up to
$1,000,000 annually in student loans for recipients. Recipients
who are not nurse faculty must enter into an agreement with the
agency to be employed at a qualified health care facility in
this Commonwealth for a period of five years. Recipients who are
nurse faculty must enter into an agreement with the agency to be
employed full time or part time at an accredited college or
university located in this Commonwealth for a period of five
years. Annual recipients shall include at least one individual
from each of the following regions of the Commonwealth:
(1) Northwest Region composed of Cameron, Clarion,
Clearfield, Crawford, Elk, Erie, Forest, Jefferson, Lawrence,
McKean, Mercer, Venango and Warren Counties.
(2) Southwest Region composed of Allegheny, Armstrong,
Beaver, Butler, Cambria, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Somerset,
Washington and Westmoreland Counties.
20210SB0974PN1288 - 3 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
(3) Northcentral Region composed of Bradford, Centre,
Clinton, Columbia, Lycoming, Montour, Northumberland, Potter,
Snyder, Sullivan, Tioga and Union Counties.
(4) Southcentral Region composed of Adams, Bedford,
Blair, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Fulton, Huntingdon,
Juniata, Lebanon, Mifflin, Perry and York Counties.
(5) Northeast Region composed of Carbon, Lackawanna,
Lehigh, Luzerne, Monroe, Northampton, Pike, Susquehanna,
Wayne and Wyoming Counties.
(6) Southeast Region composed of Bucks, Berks, Chester,
Delaware, Lancaster, Montgomery, Philadelphia and Schuylkill
Counties.
(e) Agreement provisions.--The agreement under subsection
(d) shall include the following terms:
(1) A recipient who is not nurse faculty shall agree to
be employed at a qualified health care facility in this
Commonwealth for a combined total of no less than five years.
(2) A recipient who is nurse faculty shall agree to be
employed at an accredited college or university located in
this Commonwealth for a combined total of no less than five
years.
(3) The recipient shall permit the agency to determine
compliance with the work requirement and all other terms of
the contract.
(4) Upon the recipient's death or permanent disability,
the agency shall not be required to provide student loan
forgiveness under the program.
(5) The agency may terminate student loan forgiveness
and demand repayment of the amount of student loans forgiven
if:
20210SB0974PN1288 - 4 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
(i) the recipient is convicted of or pleads guilty
or no contest to a felony; or
(ii) the State Board of Nursing has determined that
the recipient has committed an act of gross negligence in
the practice of nursing or has suspended or revoked the
recipient's license to practice.
(6) A recipient who fails to begin or complete the
obligations contracted for shall pay to the agency the amount
of the loan received under the terms of the contract.
Providing false information or misrepresentation on an
application or verification of service shall be deemed a
default. Determination as to the time of the default shall be
made by the agency. The recipient and the agency shall make
every effort to resolve conflicts to prevent a breach of the
agreement.
(f) Agreement enforcement.--Notwithstanding 42 Pa.C.S. ยง
8127 (relating to personal earnings exempt from process), the
agency may seek garnishment of wages of a recipient who fails to
comply with the agreement under subsection (d) for the amount of
student loan forgiveness provided to the recipient.
Section 5. Tax applicability.
Student loan forgiveness received under this act shall not be
considered taxable income for purposes of Article III of the act
of March 4, 1971 (P.L.6, No.2), known as the Tax Reform Code of
1971.
Section 6. Funding.
Student loan forgiveness payments under this act shall be
made only to the extent that funds are appropriated for the
program and are sufficient to cover administration of the
program. Student loan forgiveness under this act shall not
20210SB0974PN1288 - 5 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
constitute an entitlement derived from the Commonwealth or a
claim on any funds of the Commonwealth.
Section 7. Regulations.
The agency shall promulgate regulations necessary to
administer this act.
Section 8. Effective date.
This act shall take effect in 60 days.
20210SB0974PN1288 - 6 -
1
2
3
4
5
6
7