House File 2300 - Introduced
HOUSE FILE
BY MASCHER
Passed House, Date Passed Senate, Date
Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays
Approved
A BILL FOR
1 An Act relating to dental health, by establishing a dentist
2 recruitment program, establishing a revolving fund, and making
3 an appropriation.
4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
5 TLSB 6238HH 81
6 rn/cf/24
PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 261.23A DENTIST RECRUITMENT
1 2 PROGRAM == REVOLVING FUND.
1 3 1. A dentist recruitment program is established to be
1 4 administered by the college student aid commission for the
1 5 university of Iowa college of dentistry. The program shall
1 6 consist of a forgivable loan program and a rural community
1 7 loan repayment program for dentists. The commission shall
1 8 regularly adjust the dentist service requirement under each
1 9 aspect of the program to provide, to the extent possible, an
1 10 equal financial benefit for each period of service required.
1 11 From funds appropriated for purposes of the program by the
1 12 general assembly, the commission shall pay a fee to the
1 13 university of Iowa college of dentistry for administration of
1 14 the program. A portion of the fee shall be paid by the
1 15 commission to the university based upon the number of dental
1 16 students and dentists recruited under subsections 2 and 3.
1 17 2. a. The university of Iowa college of dentistry shall
1 18 provide recommendations to the commission for students who
1 19 meet the eligibility requirements of the forgivable loan
1 20 program under this subsection. A forgivable loan may be
1 21 awarded to a resident of Iowa who meets both of the following
1 22 conditions:
1 23 (1) Is enrolled on a full=time basis at the university of
1 24 Iowa college of dentistry.
1 25 (2) Agrees to practice dentistry in an area in this state
1 26 underserved by dentists for a period of time to be determined
1 27 by the commission at the time the loan is awarded.
1 28 b. The loan shall be for a term set by the commission.
1 29 Interest on the loan shall begin to accrue the day following
1 30 the date on which the student graduates from the university,
1 31 or on the date the student graduates from a residency program,
1 32 whichever date is later. If the student completes the period
1 33 of practice in the underserved area established by the
1 34 commission and agreed to by the student, the loan amount shall
1 35 be forgiven. Neither the loan amount nor the interest on the
2 1 loan amount shall be forgiven if the dentist fails to complete
2 2 the required time period of practice in the underserved area
2 3 of this state.
2 4 3. A dentist who graduated from the university of Iowa
2 5 college of dentistry shall be eligible for the rural community
2 6 loan repayment program if the dentist agrees to practice in an
2 7 eligible rural community in this state. The university of
2 8 Iowa college of dentistry shall recruit and place dentists in
2 9 rural communities that have agreed to provide additional funds
2 10 for the dentist's loan repayment. The contract for the loan
2 11 repayment shall stipulate the time period the dentist shall
2 12 practice in an eligible rural community in this state and
2 13 shall also stipulate that the dentist repay any funds paid on
2 14 the dentist's loan by the commission if the dentist fails to
2 15 practice in an eligible rural community in this state for the
2 16 required period of time. For purposes of this subsection,
2 17 "eligible rural community" means a rural community in this
2 18 state underserved by dentists that agrees to match state funds
2 19 provided on at least a dollar=for=dollar basis for the loan
2 20 repayment of a dentist who practices in the eligible rural
2 21 community.
2 22 4. The commission shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter
2 23 17A to administer this section.
2 24 5. A dentist recruitment revolving fund is created in the
2 25 state treasury as a separate fund under the control of the
2 26 commission. The commission shall deposit payments made by
2 27 dentist recruitment program recipients and the proceeds from
2 28 the sale of loans made pursuant to subsection 2 into the
2 29 dentist recruitment revolving fund. Moneys credited to the
2 30 fund shall be used to supplement moneys appropriated for the
2 31 dentist recruitment program, for loan forgiveness to eligible
2 32 dentists, and to pay for loan or interest repayment defaults
2 33 by eligible dentists. Notwithstanding section 8.33, any
2 34 balance in the fund on June 30 of any fiscal year shall not
2 35 revert to the general fund of the state. Notwithstanding
3 1 section 12C.7, subsection 2, interest or earnings on moneys in
3 2 the dentist recruitment revolving fund shall be credited to
3 3 the fund.
3 4 Sec. 2. DENTIST RECRUITMENT PROGRAM. There is
3 5 appropriated from the general fund of the state to the college
3 6 student aid commission for the fiscal year beginning July 1,
3 7 2006, and ending June 30, 2007, the following amount, or so
3 8 much thereof as is necessary, to be used for the purpose
3 9 designated:
3 10 For deposit in the dentist recruitment revolving fund
3 11 established pursuant to section 261.23A:
3 12 .................................................. $ 250,000
3 13 EXPLANATION
3 14 This bill establishes a dentist recruitment program.
3 15 The bill provides that the dentist recruitment program
3 16 shall be administered by the college student aid commission
3 17 for the university of Iowa college of dentistry. The program
3 18 consists of a loan forgiveness program for students who agree
3 19 to practice in underserved areas upon graduation and a rural
3 20 community loan repayment program for dentists who agree to
3 21 serve in eligible rural communities. The bill appropriates
3 22 $250,000 to the college student aid commission for the 2006=
3 23 2007 fiscal year for the program. An eligible rural community
3 24 is a rural community underserved by dentists that agrees to
3 25 match state funds provided for the dentist's loans on at least
3 26 a $1=for=$1 basis.
3 27 From funds appropriated for the program by the general
3 28 assembly, the commission must pay a fee to the university of
3 29 Iowa college of dentistry for administration of the program
3 30 based upon the number of dental students and dentists
3 31 recruited.
3 32 Students are eligible for the loan forgiveness program if
3 33 they are residents of Iowa, are enrolled on a full=time basis
3 34 at the university of Iowa college of dentistry, and agree to
3 35 practice dentistry in an area underserved by dentists for a
4 1 period of time to be determined by the commission at the time
4 2 the loan is awarded.
4 3 A dentist who graduated from the university of Iowa college
4 4 of dentistry is eligible for the rural community loan
4 5 repayment program if the dentist agrees to practice in an
4 6 eligible rural community in this state for a time agreed to by
4 7 the dentist and the commission.
4 8 The dentist recruitment revolving fund is created in the
4 9 state treasury as a separate fund under the control of the
4 10 commission. Moneys in the fund derive from payments made by
4 11 dentist recruitment program recipients and the proceeds from
4 12 the sale of loans. Moneys in the fund must be used to
4 13 supplement moneys appropriated for the dentist recruitment
4 14 program, for loan forgiveness to eligible dentists, and to pay
4 15 for loan or interest repayment defaults by eligible dentists.
4 16 Moneys in the fund do not revert to the general fund, and
4 17 interest or earnings on moneys in the fund are credited to the
4 18 fund.
4 19 LSB 6238HH 81
4 20 rn:nh/cf/24