Bill Text: NJ A6077 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: "Public-Private Alliance to Retain Talent and Expand Regional Health Program Act"; creates grant program within DOH for student-loan and tuition relief and appropriates $5 million.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2025-11-24 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Health Committee [A6077 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-A6077-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman CAROL A. MURPHY
District 7 (Burlington)
SYNOPSIS
"Public-Private Alliance to Retain Talent and Expand Regional Health Program Act"; creates grant program within DOH for student-loan and tuition relief and appropriates $5 million.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act establishing the "Public-Private Alliance to Retain Talent and Expand Regional Health Program," supplementing Title 26 of the Revised Statutes, and making an appropriation.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Public Private Alliance to Retain Talent and Expand Regional Health Program Act."
2. As used in this act:
"Applicant" means an entity that applies for a grant under section 3 of this act.
"Department" means the New Jersey State Department of Health.
"Educational institution" means an entity licensed by the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education, pursuant to N.J.S.18A:68-3, to award a degree that prepares students to become a health care professional.
"Health care professional" means persons defined as a health care professional in section 9 of P.L.2005, c.83 (C.45:1-34) except persons licensed or otherwise authorized by the following boards: the State Board of Chiropractic Examiners, the Orthotics and Prosthetics Board of Examiners, the Acupuncture Examining Board, the State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners, and the State Board of Marriage and Family Therapy Examiners.
"Partner hospital" means a health care facility licensed pursuant to P.L.1971, c.136 (C.26:2H-1 et seq.) that has entered into a contractual relationship with a qualified recruitment and retention servicer and: (1) provides loan repayment or tuition reimbursement assistance to health care professionals employed by the partner hospital; and (2) agrees to provide non-State-sourced matching funds for loan repayment or tuition reimbursement assistance equal to at least 200 percent of the grant amount made available by the qualified recruitment and retention servicer. University Hospital, as established in section 14 of P.L.2012, c.45 (C.18A:64G-6.1a), may be a partner hospital but shall not be subject to paragraph (2) of this definition.
"Program" means the public-private alliance established within the department under section 3 of this act.
"Qualified recruitment and retention servicer" means an entity that: (1) contracts with multiple educational institutions and hospitals in a manner that promotes greater access to education and career opportunities for prospective health care professional students; (2) has contracted with a minimum of 10 hospitals, including at least one located within the State, to coordinate agreements between prospective health care professional students and hospitals in a manner that facilitates the repayment of student loan or tuition expenses incurred by prospective health care professional students; (3) has contracted with a minimum of 10 educational institutions, including at least one located within the State, to create new educational opportunities within the health sciences field; (4) has experience arranging clinical placements with multiple hospitals; and (5) is not a student loan provider. A "qualified recruitment and retention servicer" may not engage in the origination of loans, including, but not limited to, serving as a loan originator or underwriter, and, shall not, directly or indirectly, hold, purchase, or securitize any student loan instrument.
"Recipient" means an applicant that has been awarded a grant under section 3 of this act.
3. a. The Public-Private Alliance to Retain Talent and Expand Regional Health Program is established within the department. The program shall provide grants to qualified recruitment and retention servicers to assist health care professional students with securing post-graduation employment and the repayment of student loan or tuition expenses incurred while obtaining a degree in a health care profession.
b. A qualified recruitment and retention servicer may apply to the department for a grant under this section. The application shall be in a form and manner determined by the department, which, at minimum, shall include the:
(1) name and address of the applicant;
(2) name and address of the partner hospital that is providing employment opportunities to prospective health care professionals; and
(3) number and type of prospective health care professionals that will receive loan repayments or tuition reimbursement from the grant if the grant is awarded to the qualified recruitment and retention servicer.
c. (1) All applications received during an application period shall be reviewed and evaluated by the department. In awarding a grant under this section, the department shall consider the: (i) number of timely and complete applications received by the department during the application period; (ii) anticipated number of students that would receive loan repayments or tuition reimbursement under the grant application; (iii) anticipated number of students of each degree type that would receive loan repayments or tuition reimbursement under the grant application; (iv) anticipated geographic distribution of students receiving loan repayments or tuition reimbursement under the grant application; (v) plans for ongoing support to maximize the chances of professional success for the health care professionals receiving loan repayments or tuition reimbursement pursuant to this section, once employed; and (vi) ability of the qualified recruitment and retention center to provide marketing, recruitment, student support, clinical placement, and technology to support participating educational institutions.
(2) Upon determining that the applicant has met all program requirements, the department may approve a grant application subject to the availability of appropriations.
d. If the department approves an application under subsection c. of this section, the department and the recipient shall enter into a grant agreement, which, at a minimum shall include:
(1) the name and address of the partner hospital that is partnering with the recipient to administer the program funded under the grant;
(2) the number and type of prospective health care professionals that will receive loan repayments or tuition reimbursement under the grant; and
(3) a commitment by the partner hospital to use all non-State sourced matching funds for loan repayments or tuition reimbursement for health care professionals who become employees of the partner hospital.
e. Upon execution of the grant agreement required by subsection d. of this section, the department shall award the applicant a grant.
4. a. A recipient may not award an individual health care professional student or a health care professional employed by a partner hospital more than $10,000 per year, or $30,000 in the aggregate, of grant money for loan repayment or tuition reimbursement assistance provided pursuant to this act.
b. The recipient shall return to the department any grant funds that remain unencumbered after three years.
c. An employment agreement entered into by a health care professional with a partner hospital or with a qualified recruitment and retention servicer, or an agreement entered into by a qualified recruitment and retention servicer, on behalf of the health care professional, with a partner hospital shall include a stipulation that the health care professional will be required to work a minimum of three years at the partner hospital.
5. In any fiscal year in which the Legislature appropriates funding for the grant program established pursuant to subsection a. of section 3 of this act, and within 60 days of the funds appropriated for the program, the department shall open an application period of not more than 30 days to receive applications under section 3 of this act. The department shall make grant awards under section 3 of this act within 30 days of the close of the application period for that fiscal year.
6. No later than December 31, 2026, and each year thereafter, the Commissioner of Health shall submit a report to the Governor and, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1), to the Legislature summarizing the effectiveness of the grants provided by this act in improving the recruitment and retention of health care professionals in the State. The report shall include the names of all partner hospitals involved in the program as of the date of the report and the number and type of health care professionals that would receive loan repayment or tuition reimbursement under the program.
7. The Commissioner of Health, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), and within 60 days following the date of enactment of this act, shall adopt rules and regulations to effectuate the purposes of this act.
8. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Health $5,000,000 to effectuate the purposes of this act.
9. This act shall take effect immediately but shall remain inoperative for 60 days from the date of enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill creates a new program, the "Public-Private Alliance to Retain Talent and Expand Regional Health Program," within the State Department of Health. The program would be a public-private partnership intended to recruit and retain health care professionals in the State by providing the health care professionals with student loan or tuition relief. Under this bill, the Department of Health would contract with a qualified recruitment and retention servicer to provide student-debt or tuition relief to students who have entered into a postgraduate employment agreement with a partner hospital located within the State.
In addition to application requirements, the bill requires that the qualified recruitment and retention servicer secure agreements of a 200 percent match from partner hospitals to secure State funds, unless the partner hospital is University Hospital.
Lastly, the bill appropriates $5 million from the General Fund to effectuate the purposes of the program.
