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...
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