House File 63HOUSE FILE BY QUIRK Passed House, Date Passed Senate, Date Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays Approved A BILL FOR 1 An Act establishing a dentist recruitment program and revolving 2 fund and making an appropriation. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 1725HH 82 5 kh/gg/14 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 2007, and ending June 30, 2008, the following amount, or so 3 8 much thereof as is necessary, to be used for the purpose 3 9 designated: 3 10 For the dentist recruiting program established pursuant to 3 11 section 261.23A: 3 12 .................................................. $ 250,000 3 13 EXPLANATION 3 14 This bill establishes a dentist recruitment program to be 3 15 administered by the college student aid commission for the 3 16 university of Iowa college of dentistry. The program consists 3 17 of a loan forgiveness program for students who agree to 3 18 practice in underserved areas upon graduation and a rural 3 19 community loan repayment program for dentists who agree to 3 20 serve in eligible rural communities. The bill appropriates 3 21 $250,000 to the college student aid commission for the 2007= 3 22 2008 fiscal year for the program. An eligible rural community 3 23 is a rural community underserved by dentists that agrees to 3 24 match state funds provided for the dentist's loans on at least 3 25 a $1=for=$1 basis. 3 26 From funds appropriated for the program by the general 3 27 assembly, the commission must pay a fee to the university of 3 28 Iowa college of dentistry for administration of the program 3 29 based upon the number of dental students and dentists 3 30 recruited. 3 31 Students are eligible for the loan forgiveness program if 3 32 they are residents of Iowa, are enrolled on a full=time basis 3 33 at the university of Iowa college of dentistry, and agree to 3 34 practice dentistry in an area underserved by dentists for a 3 35 period of time to be determined by the commission at the time 4 1 the loan is awarded. 4 2 A dentist who graduated from the university of Iowa college 4 3 of dentistry is eligible for the rural community loan 4 4 repayment program if the dentist agrees to practice in an 4 5 eligible rural community in this state for a time agreed to by 4 6 the dentist and the commission. 4 7 The dentist recruitment revolving fund is created in the 4 8 state treasury as a separate fund under the control of the 4 9 commission. Moneys in the fund derive from payments made by 4 10 dentist recruitment program recipients and the proceeds from 4 11 the sale of loans. Moneys in the fund must be used to 4 12 supplement moneys appropriated for the dentist recruitment 4 13 program, for loan forgiveness to eligible dentists, and to pay 4 14 for loan or interest repayment defaults by eligible dentists. 4 15 Moneys in the fund do not revert to the general fund and 4 16 interest or earnings on moneys in the fund are credited to the 4 17 fund. 4 18 LSB 1725HH 82 4 19 kh:nh/gg/14