Int. No. 2130-A
By Council Members Rosenthal, Kallos, Adams, Chin, Cornegy, Yeger, Powers, Brooks-Powers and Cabán
A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to providing notice regarding student loan forgiveness programs to certain employees and applicants for employment
Be it enacted by the Council as follows:
Section 1. Chapter 2 of title 12 of the administrative code of the city of New York, is amended by adding a new section 12-211 to read as follows:
§12-211 Notice regarding student loan forgiveness programs. a. For purposes of this section, the term “city agency” means an agency established by the charter and any other agency designated by the mayor for purposes of this section.
b. Requirement to prepare notice. The commissioner of citywide administrative services shall prepare, in consultation with the commissioner of the department of consumer and worker protection, a notice for employees of city agencies regarding the availability of federal and state student loan forgiveness programs. The commissioner shall make the notice available on the website of the department of citywide administrative services in a downloadable format.
c. Required information. The notice required pursuant to subdivision b shall:
1. Include, but need not be limited to, notice that an employee of a city agency may be eligible for loan forgiveness under a federal or state student loan forgiveness program;
2. Provide the official website address for each program; and
3. Encourage each employee or applicant for employment to review carefully the information provided on the websites to determine eligibility for such programs and the procedures for application.
d. Provision of notice to agency heads. The commissioner shall make the notice prepared pursuant to subdivision b of this section available to the heads of city agencies to share with employees and applicants for employment at such agencies.
e. Provision of notice to employees and applicants for employment. The head of each city agency shall provide the notice prepared pursuant to subdivision b:
1. To an individual who begins employment at the applicable city agency after the effective date of this section, within five days of beginning such employment;
2. To an individual already employed at the city agency on the effective date of this section, within fifteen days of such effective date; and
3. In advertisements for employment with the city agency, where appropriate.
§ 2. Title 20 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new chapter 11 to read as follows:
CHAPTER 11
INFORMATION ON STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESS PROGRAMS
§ 20-1101 Information on student loan forgiveness for employees and applicants for employment. a. For purposes of this section, the term "employer" means any person or entity covered by the definition of "employer" set forth in subdivision 6 of section 651 of the labor law, except that such term does not include (i) the United States government; (ii) the state of New York, including any office, department, independent agency, authority, institution, association, society or other body of the state including the legislature and the judiciary; or (iii) the city or any local government, municipality or county or any entity governed by section 92 of the general municipal law or section 207 of the county law.
b. Provision of notice. 1. The department shall make available the notice prepared under section 12-211 to employers in the city, as appropriate, in order that such employers may provide the notice to employees and applicants for employment.
2. The department shall make such notice available on its website in a downloadable format.
c. The department shall provide outreach and education about the availability of federal and state student loan forgiveness programs to employers in the city likely to be impacted by this section.
§ 3. This local law takes effect 90 days after it becomes law.
JB/SJ
LS # 13814
12/1/21 5:41PM