Bill Text: IA SF285 | 2017-2018 | 87th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: A bill for an act relating to the establishment of a psychiatric practitioner loan repayment program and fund. (See SF 458.)
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-02-28 - Subcommittee recommends amendment and passage. [SF285 Detail]
Download: Iowa-2017-SF285-Introduced.html
Senate File 285 - Introduced SENATE FILE BY SEGEBART A BILL FOR 1 An Act relating to the establishment of a psychiatric 2 practitioner loan repayment program and fund. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: TLSB 2234XS (6) 87 pf/nh PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 135.191 Psychiatric practitioner 1 2 loan repayment program and fund. 1 3 1. For the purposes of this section: 1 4 a. "Psychiatric practitioner" means a psychiatrist, advanced 1 5 registered nurse practitioner, or a physician assistant. 1 6 b. "Qualified provider" means a community mental health 1 7 center designated in accordance with chapter 230A, a provider 1 8 designated to serve as the community mental health center by 1 9 the county in which the provider is located, or a health care 1 10 provider that is a nonprofit organization which is exempt 1 11 from federal income taxation pursuant to section 501(c)(3) of 1 12 the Internal Revenue Code serving patients of whom at least 1 13 sixty=five percent are Medicaid program recipients that is 1 14 located in an area that is not a federally designated health 1 15 professional shortage area. 1 16 2. The department shall establish a psychiatric 1 17 practitioner loan repayment program to provide loan repayment 1 18 to psychiatric practitioners who comply with the requirements 1 19 of the program and are employed by qualified providers. 1 20 3. An applicant for loan repayment under this section shall, 1 21 in accordance with the rules of the department, do all of the 1 22 following: 1 23 a. Complete and file an application, including any 1 24 information required by the department. The applicant shall 1 25 be responsible for the prompt submission of any information 1 26 required by the department. 1 27 b. Complete and return, on a form approved by the 1 28 department, an affidavit of practice verifying that the 1 29 applicant is a psychiatric practitioner employed by a qualified 1 30 provider. 1 31 4. A program agreement shall provide that in order to 1 32 receive loan repayment under this section, the individual shall 1 33 agree to engage in practice as a psychiatric practitioner with 1 34 a qualified provider for a period of at least four consecutive 1 35 years. 2 1 5. a. A psychiatric practitioner who meets the requirements 2 2 of this section is eligible for loan repayments for not more 2 3 than four consecutive years. 2 4 b. The annual amount of loan repayment awarded to a 2 5 psychiatric practitioner under this section shall be based on 2 6 the amount of the psychiatric practitioner's outstanding loans 2 7 and shall not exceed twenty=five thousand dollars for each 2 8 completed full=time work year which commences upon employment 2 9 with a qualified provider. For psychiatric practitioners who 2 10 work less than full=time, the loan repayment shall not exceed 2 11 an amount that is prorated according to the number of hours 2 12 worked. 2 13 c. A psychiatric practitioner receiving loan repayment 2 14 under this section shall file an application annually and shall 2 15 submit information as required by the department on the basis 2 16 of which the applicant's continued eligibility for the loan 2 17 repayment program will be evaluated and determined. 2 18 6. A psychiatric practitioner loan repayment fund is 2 19 created as a separate fund in the state treasury under the 2 20 control of the department for deposit of moneys appropriated 2 21 to or received by the department for use under the program. 2 22 Moneys credited to the fund are appropriated to the department 2 23 for purposes of the psychiatric practitioner loan repayment 2 24 program. Notwithstanding section 8.33, moneys deposited in 2 25 the fund shall not revert to any fund of the state at the end 2 26 of any fiscal year but shall remain in the loan repayment fund 2 27 and be continuously available for loan repayment under the 2 28 program. Notwithstanding section 12C.7, subsection 2, interest 2 29 or earnings on moneys deposited in the fund shall be credited 2 30 to the fund. 2 31 7. The department shall submit in a report to the general 2 32 assembly by January 1, annually, the number of psychiatric 2 33 practitioners who received loan repayments pursuant to this 2 34 section, the amount paid to each psychiatric practitioner under 2 35 this section, the amount of moneys remaining in the fund, and 3 1 any other information the department deems appropriate. 3 2 8. The department shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A 3 3 to administer this section. 3 4 EXPLANATION 3 5 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 3 6 the explanation's substance by the members of the general assembly. 3 7 This bill directs the department of public health (DPH) to 3 8 establish a psychiatric practitioner loan repayment program to 3 9 be administered by the department to provide repayment of loans 3 10 to psychiatric practitioners who comply with the requirements 3 11 of the program and are employed by a qualified provider. 3 12 The bill defines "psychiatric practitioner" as a 3 13 psychiatrist, advanced registered nurse practitioner, or a 3 14 physician assistant; and "qualified provider" as a community 3 15 mental health center, a provider designated to serve as the 3 16 community mental health center by the county in which the 3 17 provider is located, or a 501(c)(3) nonprofit mental health 3 18 provider that serves patients, of whom at least 65 percent are 3 19 Medicaid program recipients that is located in an area that is 3 20 not a federally designated health professional shortage area. 3 21 The bill requires an applicant to complete and file an 3 22 application, including any information required by the 3 23 department, and complete and return on a form approved by 3 24 the department, an affidavit of practice verifying that the 3 25 applicant is a psychiatric practitioner employed by a qualified 3 26 provider. 3 27 The program agreement is to provide that in order to 3 28 receive loan repayment, the individual shall agree to engage 3 29 in practice as a psychiatric practitioner with a qualified 3 30 provider for a period of at least four consecutive years. 3 31 A psychiatric practitioner is eligible for loan repayments 3 32 for not more than four consecutive years. The annual amount 3 33 of the loan repayment awarded shall be based on the amount of 3 34 the psychiatric practitioner's outstanding loans and shall not 3 35 exceed $25,000 for each completed full=time work year which 4 1 commences upon employment with a qualified provider. For 4 2 psychiatric practitioners who work less than full=time, the 4 3 loan repayment shall not exceed an amount that is prorated 4 4 according to the number of hours worked. 4 5 A psychiatric practitioner receiving loan repayment shall 4 6 file an application annually and shall submit information 4 7 as required by the department on the basis of which the 4 8 applicant's continued eligibility for the loan repayment 4 9 program will be evaluated and determined. 4 10 The bill establishes a psychiatric practitioner loan 4 11 repayment fund as a separate fund in the state treasury under 4 12 the control of the department of public health for deposit 4 13 of moneys appropriated to or received by the department 4 14 for use under the program. Moneys credited to the fund are 4 15 appropriated to the department for purposes of the program. 4 16 The moneys in the fund do not revert to any fund at the end of 4 17 any fiscal year but remain in the loan repayment fund and are 4 18 continuously available for loan repayment under the program. 4 19 Interest or earnings on moneys deposited in the fund shall be 4 20 credited to the fund. 4 21 The bill requires the department to submit in a report to 4 22 the general assembly by January 1, annually, the number of 4 23 psychiatric practitioners who received loan repayments, the 4 24 amount paid to each psychiatric practitioner, the amount of 4 25 moneys remaining in the fund, and any other information the 4 26 department deems appropriate. 4 27 The department is required to adopt rules to administer the 4 28 bill. LSB 2234XS (6) 87 pf/nh
