Provides loan forgiveness to credentialed alcoholism and substance abuse counselors (CASACs) who reside in the state and work in a facility licensed by the state.
Summary
This bill creates a new student loan forgiveness program for credentialed alcoholism and substance abuse counselors (CASACs) in New York. The program would be administered by the state’s higher education financing authority/corporation and would provide annual loan forgiveness awards to eligible counselors to help increase the number of professionals serving in substance abuse counseling roles. To qualify, a recipient must be a New York resident for at least one year and be employed as a CASAC in a facility licensed by the state.
Awards would be available each year, but an individual could receive assistance for no more than three years. The amount of each award would depend on available funding and could not exceed the recipient’s total student loan debt. The bill also authorizes the agency to adopt rules and emergency regulations to implement the program, and it would take effect on April 1, 2027.
Impact
The bill would amend the Education Law by adding a new section establishing a targeted loan forgiveness program for CASACs. It would create a new state-administered financial incentive for substance abuse counselors working in licensed facilities, potentially affecting workforce recruitment and retention in addiction treatment services. The measure would also require the responsible state authority to certify eligibility, set program rules, and distribute awards subject to available funds.
Sentiment
There is no recorded committee transcript or vote history in the provided materials, so no direct public debate or formal legislative sentiment is available. Based on the bill’s purpose and structure, it appears to be a supportive workforce-development measure aimed at addressing staffing needs in substance abuse counseling. The absence of opposition or recorded controversy in the available context suggests the bill was presented as a targeted professional incentive rather than a broadly contentious policy change.
Contention
The main potential points of contention are fiscal and administrative rather than ideological. Because awards are contingent on available funds and capped at the recipient’s total loan debt, lawmakers may question the program’s cost, funding source, and whether it will be large enough to meaningfully improve recruitment. Another possible issue is eligibility design: the bill limits benefits to New York residents employed in state-licensed facilities, which could exclude otherwise qualified counselors working in other settings or newly arrived workers. No specific objections are documented in the provided record.
Provides loan forgiveness to credentialed alcoholism and substance abuse counselors (CASACs) who reside in the state and work in a facility licensed by the state.
Providing for Commonwealth support for a Mental Health and Intellectual Disability Staff Member Loan Forgiveness Program and an Alcohol and Drug Addiction Counselor Loan Forgiveness Program; and imposing duties on the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency.
Mental health; repealer; behavioral health certification or license applicants and renewals, required information; definition; Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselors Act; Oklahoma Board of Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselors with the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services; Licensed Professional Counselors Act; State Board of Behavioral Health Licensure with the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services; Marital and Family Therapist Licensure Act; Licensed Behavioral Practitioner Act; authority of first responders to administer emergency opiate antagonists; statutory references; repealers; effective date.
Clarifies DHS authority to regulate sober living homes and halfway houses as residential substance abuse aftercare facilities; requires background checks and other protections for residents of residential substance abuse facilities.