RESOLUTION
BY COUNCIL PRESIDENT COLLINS-BELLAMY, MAJORITY LEADER RUBBO, MAJORITY WHIP NORMAN, MINORITY LEADER BREEN, COUNCILMEMBERS, PINEDA-ISAAC, DIAZ AND MERANTE:
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RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL URGING THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO FOREGO PROPOSED CHANGES TO FEDERAL REGULATIONS THAT WOULD NO LONGER RECOGNIZE NURSING AND OTHER HEALTH-RELATED OCCUPATIONS AS “PROFESSIONAL” AND, AMONG OTHER THINGS, LIMIT THE AVAILABILITY OF, AND ACCESS TO, CRITICAL STUDENT LOAN FUNDS TO THOSE SEEKING EMPLOYMENT IN THOSE ESSENTIAL OCCUPATIONS.
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WHEREAS, the number of persons employed in the Health Care & Social Assistance sector who are residents of the City of Yonkers is approximately 19,581 people, based on data from 2023; and
WHEREAS, Health Care & Social Assistance is among the most common employment sector for Yonkers residents; and
WHEREAS, Yonkers is home to two hospitals, St. John's Riverside Hospital and St. Joseph's Medical Center; and
WHEREAS, the vast majority of Yonkers’ residents have health coverage and access to medical care, with Data USA reporting that 93.5% of the Yonkers population has some form of health coverage (and the city federally designated as a Medically Underserved Area, indicating a high need for accessible healthcare services); and
WHEREAS, as part of the implementation of provisions of the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill” passed by the United States Congress and signed into law by President Donald J. Trump, the United States Department of Education is expected to issue a notice of proposed rulemaking in the Code of Federal Regulations that would redefine which programs qualify as “professional”; and
WHEREAS, programs anticipated to be redefined include, among others, nursing, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, physical therapists, and audiologists; and
WHEREAS, other professions reportedly excluded by the proposed new definition include, among others, social work, counseling or therapy, and speech pathology; and
WHEREAS, under the proposed policy changes, the “Repayment Assistance Plan” would replace existing loan programs, including the elimination of “Grad PLUS” loans and limitations to Parent PLUS loans (available for parents of dependent undergraduate students), with the introduction of new borrowing caps, namely $20,000 per year for graduate students and $50,000 for students in programs defined as “professional”; and
WHEREAS, the proposed change ignores decades of precedent recognizing these programs as providing professional credentials essential to protecting community health and advancing health equity; and
WHEREAS, as a consequence of the proposed change, what programs count as “professional” (versus non-professional) would serve as a determining factor in how much financial support students can receive, with, as a result of this new finance cap, the proposed change in definition of “professional” causing major consequences for student loan access that, coupled with tuition costs that have doubled over the last three decades, will impose greater financial strain on students and, thus, increase the likelihood that fewer of them will choose to pursue careers in critical sectors such as healthcare; and
WHEREAS, this proposed change would therefore likely cause a significant and detrimental impact to schools and programs of public health by making public health education less financially accessible and thereby potentially weakening the future workforce pipeline; and
WHEREAS, both the American Nurses Association (the “ANA”) and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (the “AACN”) have expressed alarm over the Department of Education’s proposed limitation of student loan access; and
WHEREAS, Jennifer Mensik Kennedy, President of the ANA, has stated that limiting graduate education funding “threatens the very foundation of patient care”; and
WHEREAS, the AACN has stated that, should the proposed definition, which effectively excludes “the nation’s largest healthcare profession”, be finalized, “the impact on our already challenged nursing work force would be devastating”; and
WHEREAS, as pointed out by the AACN, inclusion of post-baccalaureate nursing education as “professional” is “essential for strengthening the nation’s healthcare workforce, supporting the next generation of nurses, and ultimately supporting the healthcare of patients in communities across the country”, including the resident of Yonkers; and
WHEREAS, several of America’s prominent institutions of higher education have expressed deep concern over the proposed change in the definition of “professional”; and
WHEREAS, Patricia Pittman of George Washington University characterized the proposed definition as a “gut punch”, saying that it undermines retention efforts, particularly in rural areas, and Antonia Villarruel of the University of Pennsylvania stated that the exclusion of nursing would constitute “a serious blow to the health of our nation”; and
WHEREAS, the proposed change would also disproportionally affect women working in healthcare fields as they comprise the vast majority of persons working in the professions being considered for exclusion, from approximately 65 percent to more than 95 percent, depending on the profession.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that, given the importance of an effective, responsive and professional healthcare industry to the residents of Yonkers, both those receiving health-related services and those charged with the delivery of those services, the City Council hereby urges the United States Department of Education to forego the finalization of the proposed rule establishing a new definition of “professional” as being too restrictive and acting to the detriment of the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of our nation, including, in particular, the residents of the City of Yonkers; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City Council further urges the United States Department of Education to adopt a definition of “professional” that would appropriately encompass those preparing to serve in a wide variety of critical roles in the nation’s healthcare industry, including nurses, nurse practitioners, certified nurse-midwives, clinical nurse specialists, certified registered nurse anesthetists, physician assistants, physical therapists, audiologists, social workers, counselors or therapist, and speech pathologists; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Council hereby directs the City Clerk to send a certified copy of this resolution to Hon. Donald J. Trump (President), Hon. Linda McMahon (United States Secretary of Education), Hon. Chuck Grassley (President Pro Tempore),), Hon. Charles E. Schumer (Democratic Leader), Hon. Kirsten Gillibrand (United States Senator), Hon, Michael Johnson (Speaker of the House), Hon. Hakeem Jeffries (Democratic Leader), and Hon. George Latimer (United States Congressman), for review and consideration; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this resolution shall take effect immediately.