House File 61 



                                       HOUSE FILE       
                                       BY  JOCHUM


    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 mobile dental
  2    health delivery program and a dentist recruitment program,
  3    establishing revolving funds, and making appropriations.
  4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
  5 TLSB 1672HH 82
  6 pf/cf/24

PAG LIN



  1  1    Section 1.  NEW SECTION.  135.27A  MOBILE DENTAL HEALTH
  1  2 DELIVERY PROGRAM == ESTABLISHED == REVOLVING FUND.
  1  3    1.  A mobile dental health delivery program shall be
  1  4 established by the department, involving the transportation of
  1  5 portable dental equipment for on=site comprehensive dental
  1  6 care.  The objective of the program shall be to improve the
  1  7 dental health and provide preventative dental screening and
  1  8 care for targeted at=risk and special care populations,
  1  9 including but not limited to rural, underserved, elderly,
  1 10 youth, and racial or ethnic minority populations.  The program
  1 11 shall involve transportation of the dental equipment to long=
  1 12 term care facilities, group homes, head start centers,
  1 13 schools, women in crisis clinics, and other satellite sites
  1 14 for delivery of dental services to at=risk and special care
  1 15 populations to be determined by the department by rule.
  1 16    2.  To be eligible for participation in the program, an
  1 17 applicant must be a community empowerment area board as
  1 18 provided in section 28.6 which commits a local match
  1 19 contribution to the program in an amount or form, and
  1 20 according to criteria, to be established by the department by
  1 21 rule.  Local contributions may include providing space for
  1 22 setting up a mobile dental clinic for utilization of the
  1 23 portable dental equipment, providing dental health
  1 24 professionals to staff a mobile dental clinic, and possible
  1 25 minimum financial contributions.
  1 26    3.  The department shall, either directly or by contract
  1 27 with an entity selected by the department, collect and analyze
  1 28 data regarding the operation of the program.  The data to be
  1 29 collected and analyzed shall be determined by the department
  1 30 by rule.  The analysis of the data shall include an assessment
  1 31 of whether the program has resulted in a financial savings,
  1 32 whether it appears to improve dental health outcomes, and
  1 33 whether it assists local health institutions in developing
  1 34 wellness activities that promote better community health and
  1 35 economic vitality.  A report of the data collected and
  2  1 analyzed, and conclusions reached, shall be submitted to the
  2  2 department and the general assembly by January 15 annually.
  2  3    4.  A mobile dental health delivery revolving fund is
  2  4 created in the state treasury as a separate fund under the
  2  5 control of the department.  The department shall deposit
  2  6 amounts appropriated for the establishment of the program, and
  2  7 funds received from any other source for purposes of the
  2  8 program, into the revolving fund for use in establishing,
  2  9 maintaining, and administering the program, and for purposes
  2 10 of data collection and analysis.  Notwithstanding section
  2 11 8.33, any balance in the fund on June 30 of any fiscal year
  2 12 shall not revert to the general fund of the state.
  2 13 Notwithstanding section 12C.7, subsection 2, interest or
  2 14 earnings on moneys in the revolving fund shall be credited to
  2 15 the fund.
  2 16    Sec. 2.  NEW SECTION.  261.23A  DENTIST RECRUITMENT PROGRAM
  2 17 == REVOLVING FUND.
  2 18    1.  A dentist recruitment program is established to be
  2 19 administered by the college student aid commission for the
  2 20 university of Iowa college of dentistry.  The program shall
  2 21 consist of a forgivable loan program and a rural community
  2 22 loan repayment program for dentists.  The commission shall
  2 23 regularly adjust the dentist service requirement under each
  2 24 aspect of the program to provide, to the extent possible, an
  2 25 equal financial benefit for each period of service required.
  2 26 From funds appropriated for purposes of the program by the
  2 27 general assembly, the commission shall pay a fee to the
  2 28 university of Iowa college of dentistry for administration of
  2 29 the program.  A portion of the fee shall be paid by the
  2 30 commission to the university based upon the number of dental
  2 31 students and dentists recruited under subsections 2 and 3.
  2 32    2.  a.  The university of Iowa college of dentistry shall
  2 33 provide recommendations to the commission for students who
  2 34 meet the eligibility requirements of the forgivable loan
  2 35 program under this subsection.  A forgivable loan may be
  3  1 awarded to a resident of Iowa who meets both of the following
  3  2 conditions:
  3  3    (1)  Is enrolled on a full=time basis at the university of
  3  4 Iowa college of dentistry.
  3  5    (2)  Agrees to practice dentistry in an area in this state
  3  6 underserved by dentists for a period of time to be determined
  3  7 by the commission at the time the loan is awarded.
  3  8    b.  The loan shall be for a term set by the commission.
  3  9 Interest on the loan shall begin to accrue the day following
  3 10 the date on which the student graduates from the university,
  3 11 or on the date the student graduates from a residency program,
  3 12 whichever date is later.  If the student completes the period
  3 13 of practice in the underserved area established by the
  3 14 commission and agreed to by the student, the loan amount shall
  3 15 be forgiven.  Neither the loan amount nor the interest on the
  3 16 loan amount shall be forgiven if the dentist fails to complete
  3 17 the required time period of practice in the underserved area
  3 18 of this state.
  3 19    3.  A dentist who graduated from the university of Iowa
  3 20 college of dentistry shall be eligible for the rural community
  3 21 loan repayment program if the dentist agrees to practice in an
  3 22 eligible rural community in this state.  The university of
  3 23 Iowa college of dentistry shall recruit and place dentists in
  3 24 rural communities that have agreed to provide additional funds
  3 25 for the dentist's loan repayment.  The contract for the loan
  3 26 repayment shall stipulate the time period the dentist shall
  3 27 practice in an eligible rural community in this state and
  3 28 shall also stipulate that the dentist repay any funds paid on
  3 29 the dentist's loan by the commission if the dentist fails to
  3 30 practice in an eligible rural community in this state for the
  3 31 required period of time.  For purposes of this subsection,
  3 32 "eligible rural community" means a rural community in this
  3 33 state underserved by dentists that agrees to match state funds
  3 34 provided on at least a dollar=for=dollar basis for the loan
  3 35 repayment of a dentist who practices in the eligible rural
  4  1 community.
  4  2    4.  The commission shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter
  4  3 17A to administer this section.
  4  4    5.  A dentist recruitment revolving fund is created in the
  4  5 state treasury as a separate fund under the control of the
  4  6 commission.  The commission shall deposit payments made by
  4  7 dentist recruitment program recipients and the proceeds from
  4  8 the sale of loans made pursuant to subsection 2 into the
  4  9 dentist recruitment revolving fund.  Moneys credited to the
  4 10 fund shall be used to supplement moneys appropriated for the
  4 11 dentist recruitment program, for loan forgiveness to eligible
  4 12 dentists, and to pay for loan or interest repayment defaults
  4 13 by eligible dentists.  Notwithstanding section 8.33, any
  4 14 balance in the fund on June 30 of any fiscal year shall not
  4 15 revert to the general fund of the state.  Notwithstanding
  4 16 section 12C.7, subsection 2, interest or earnings on moneys in
  4 17 the dentist recruitment revolving fund shall be credited to
  4 18 the fund.
  4 19    Sec. 3.  DENTIST RECRUITMENT PROGRAM.  There is
  4 20 appropriated from the general fund of the state to the college
  4 21 student aid commission for the fiscal year beginning July 1,
  4 22 2007, and ending June 30, 2008, the following amount, or so
  4 23 much thereof as is necessary, to be used for the purpose
  4 24 designated:
  4 25    For deposit in the dentist recruitment revolving fund
  4 26 established pursuant to section 261.23A:
  4 27 .................................................. $    250,000
  4 28    Sec. 4.  MOBILE DENTAL HEALTH DELIVERY PROGRAM.  There is
  4 29 appropriated from the general fund of the state to the Iowa
  4 30 department of public health for the fiscal year beginning July
  4 31 1, 2007, and ending June 30, 2008, the following amount, or so
  4 32 much thereof as is necessary, to be used for the purpose
  4 33 designated:
  4 34    For deposit in the mobile dental health delivery revolving
  4 35 fund established pursuant to section 135.27A:
  5  1 .................................................. $    876,000
  5  2    Of the amount appropriated pursuant to this section,
  5  3 $40,000 shall be allocated to the department for the costs of
  5  4 administering the program.
  5  5                           EXPLANATION
  5  6    This bill relates to dental health and the practice of
  5  7 dentistry by establishing a mobile dental health delivery
  5  8 program and a dentist recruitment program.
  5  9    The bill provides that a mobile dental health delivery
  5 10 program shall be established by the Iowa department of public
  5 11 health.  The program will involve transporting portable dental
  5 12 equipment for on=site comprehensive dental care to improve the
  5 13 dental health and care for targeted at=risk and special care
  5 14 populations specified in the bill.  The bill states that the
  5 15 dental equipment will be transported to long=term care
  5 16 facilities, group homes, head start centers, schools, women in
  5 17 crisis clinics, and other satellite sites for delivery of
  5 18 dental services to at=risk and special care populations to be
  5 19 determined by the department by rule.  The bill appropriates
  5 20 $876,000 to the department for the 2007=2008 fiscal year for
  5 21 the program, with $40,000 to be retained by the department to
  5 22 cover administrative costs.
  5 23    The bill provides that an applicant for the program must be
  5 24 a community empowerment area board as provided in Code section
  5 25 28.6 which commits a local match contribution to the program,
  5 26 to be determined by rule.  The bill provides examples of local
  5 27 contributions, and provides that the department shall, either
  5 28 directly or by contract with an entity selected by the
  5 29 department, collect and analyze data to be determined by the
  5 30 department by rule regarding the operation of the program.
  5 31 The data to be collected and analyzed shall be determined by
  5 32 the department by rule, and the analysis shall include an
  5 33 assessment of whether the program has resulted in a financial
  5 34 savings, whether it appears to improve dental health outcomes,
  5 35 and whether it assists local health institutions in developing
  6  1 wellness activities that promote better community health and
  6  2 economic vitality.  The bill states that a report of the data
  6  3 collected and analyzed, and conclusions reached, shall be
  6  4 submitted to the department and the general assembly by
  6  5 January 15 annually.
  6  6    The bill creates a mobile dental health delivery revolving
  6  7 fund in the state treasury as a separate fund under the
  6  8 control of the department, into which amounts appropriated for
  6  9 the program, and funds received from any other source, shall
  6 10 be deposited for use in establishing, maintaining, and
  6 11 administering the program, and for purposes of data collection
  6 12 and analysis.  Moneys in the fund do not revert to the general
  6 13 fund and the interest or earnings on moneys in the fund are
  6 14 credited to the fund.
  6 15    The bill also establishes a dentist recruitment program to
  6 16 be administered by the college student aid commission for the
  6 17 university of Iowa college of dentistry.  The program consists
  6 18 of a loan forgiveness program for students who agree to
  6 19 practice in underserved areas upon graduation and a rural
  6 20 community loan repayment program for dentists who agree to
  6 21 serve in eligible rural communities.  The bill appropriates
  6 22 $250,000 to the college student aid commission for the 2007=
  6 23 2008 fiscal year for the program.  An eligible rural community
  6 24 is a rural community underserved by dentists that agrees to
  6 25 match state funds provided for the dentist's loans on at least
  6 26 a $1=for=$1 basis.
  6 27    From funds appropriated for the program by the general
  6 28 assembly, the commission must pay a fee to the university of
  6 29 Iowa college of dentistry for administration of the program
  6 30 based upon the number of dental students and dentists
  6 31 recruited.
  6 32    Students are eligible for the loan forgiveness program if
  6 33 they are residents of Iowa, are enrolled on a full=time basis
  6 34 at the university of Iowa college of dentistry, and agree to
  6 35 practice dentistry in an area underserved by dentists for a
  7  1 period of time to be determined by the commission at the time
  7  2 the loan is awarded.
  7  3    A dentist who graduated from the university of Iowa college
  7  4 of dentistry is eligible for the rural community loan
  7  5 repayment program if the dentist agrees to practice in an
  7  6 eligible rural community in this state for a time agreed to by
  7  7 the dentist and the commission.
  7  8    The dentist recruitment revolving fund is created in the
  7  9 state treasury as a separate fund under the control of the
  7 10 commission.  Moneys in the fund derive from payments made by
  7 11 dentist recruitment program recipients and the proceeds from
  7 12 the sale of loans.  Moneys in the fund must be used to
  7 13 supplement moneys appropriated for the dentist recruitment
  7 14 program, for loan forgiveness to eligible dentists, and to pay
  7 15 for loan or interest repayment defaults by eligible dentists.
  7 16 Moneys in the fund do not revert to the general fund and
  7 17 interest or earnings on moneys in the fund are credited to the
  7 18 fund.
  7 19 LSB 1672HH 82
  7 20 pf:nh/cf/24