S.F. 285 Section 1. NEW SECTION . 135.191 Psychiatric practitioner 1 loan repayment program and fund. 2 1. For the purposes of this section: 3 a. “Psychiatric practitioner” means a psychiatrist, advanced 4 registered nurse practitioner, or a physician assistant. 5 b. “Qualified provider” means a community mental health 6 center designated in accordance with chapter 230A, a provider 7 designated to serve as the community mental health center by 8 the county in which the provider is located, or a health care 9 provider that is a nonprofit organization which is exempt 10 from federal income taxation pursuant to section 501(c)(3) of 11 the Internal Revenue Code serving patients of whom at least 12 sixty-five percent are Medicaid program recipients that is 13 located in an area that is not a federally designated health 14 professional shortage area. 15 2. The department shall establish a psychiatric 16 practitioner loan repayment program to provide loan repayment 17 to psychiatric practitioners who comply with the requirements 18 of the program and are employed by qualified providers. 19 3. An applicant for loan repayment under this section shall, 20 in accordance with the rules of the department, do all of the 21 following: 22 a. Complete and file an application, including any 23 information required by the department. The applicant shall 24 be responsible for the prompt submission of any information 25 required by the department. 26 b. Complete and return, on a form approved by the 27 department, an affidavit of practice verifying that the 28 applicant is a psychiatric practitioner employed by a qualified 29 provider. 30 4. A program agreement shall provide that in order to 31 receive loan repayment under this section, the individual shall 32 agree to engage in practice as a psychiatric practitioner with 33 a qualified provider for a period of at least four consecutive 34 years. 35 -1- LSB 2234XS (6) 87 pf/nh 1/ 4

S.F. 285 5. a. A psychiatric practitioner who meets the requirements 1 of this section is eligible for loan repayments for not more 2 than four consecutive years. 3 b. The annual amount of loan repayment awarded to a 4 psychiatric practitioner under this section shall be based on 5 the amount of the psychiatric practitioner’s outstanding loans 6 and shall not exceed twenty-five thousand dollars for each 7 completed full-time work year which commences upon employment 8 with a qualified provider. For psychiatric practitioners who 9 work less than full-time, the loan repayment shall not exceed 10 an amount that is prorated according to the number of hours 11 worked. 12 c. A psychiatric practitioner receiving loan repayment 13 under this section shall file an application annually and shall 14 submit information as required by the department on the basis 15 of which the applicant’s continued eligibility for the loan 16 repayment program will be evaluated and determined. 17 6. A psychiatric practitioner loan repayment fund is 18 created as a separate fund in the state treasury under the 19 control of the department for deposit of moneys appropriated 20 to or received by the department for use under the program. 21 Moneys credited to the fund are appropriated to the department 22 for purposes of the psychiatric practitioner loan repayment 23 program. Notwithstanding section 8.33, moneys deposited in 24 the fund shall not revert to any fund of the state at the end 25 of any fiscal year but shall remain in the loan repayment fund 26 and be continuously available for loan repayment under the 27 program. Notwithstanding section 12C.7, subsection 2, interest 28 or earnings on moneys deposited in the fund shall be credited 29 to the fund. 30 7. The department shall submit in a report to the general 31 assembly by January 1, annually, the number of psychiatric 32 practitioners who received loan repayments pursuant to this 33 section, the amount paid to each psychiatric practitioner under 34 this section, the amount of moneys remaining in the fund, and 35 -2- LSB 2234XS (6) 87 pf/nh 2/ 4

S.F. 285 any other information the department deems appropriate. 1 8. The department shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A 2 to administer this section. 3 EXPLANATION 4 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 5 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 6 This bill directs the department of public health (DPH) to 7 establish a psychiatric practitioner loan repayment program to 8 be administered by the department to provide repayment of loans 9 to psychiatric practitioners who comply with the requirements 10 of the program and are employed by a qualified provider. 11 The bill defines “psychiatric practitioner” as a 12 psychiatrist, advanced registered nurse practitioner, or a 13 physician assistant; and “qualified provider” as a community 14 mental health center, a provider designated to serve as the 15 community mental health center by the county in which the 16 provider is located, or a 501(c)(3) nonprofit mental health 17 provider that serves patients, of whom at least 65 percent are 18 Medicaid program recipients that is located in an area that is 19 not a federally designated health professional shortage area. 20 The bill requires an applicant to complete and file an 21 application, including any information required by the 22 department, and complete and return on a form approved by 23 the department, an affidavit of practice verifying that the 24 applicant is a psychiatric practitioner employed by a qualified 25 provider. 26 The program agreement is to provide that in order to 27 receive loan repayment, the individual shall agree to engage 28 in practice as a psychiatric practitioner with a qualified 29 provider for a period of at least four consecutive years. 30 A psychiatric practitioner is eligible for loan repayments 31 for not more than four consecutive years. The annual amount 32 of the loan repayment awarded shall be based on the amount of 33 the psychiatric practitioner’s outstanding loans and shall not 34 exceed $25,000 for each completed full-time work year which 35 -3- LSB 2234XS (6) 87 pf/nh 3/ 4

S.F. 285 commences upon employment with a qualified provider. For 1 psychiatric practitioners who work less than full-time, the 2 loan repayment shall not exceed an amount that is prorated 3 according to the number of hours worked. 4 A psychiatric practitioner receiving loan repayment shall 5 file an application annually and shall submit information 6 as required by the department on the basis of which the 7 applicant’s continued eligibility for the loan repayment 8 program will be evaluated and determined. 9 The bill establishes a psychiatric practitioner loan 10 repayment fund as a separate fund in the state treasury under 11 the control of the department of public health for deposit 12 of moneys appropriated to or received by the department 13 for use under the program. Moneys credited to the fund are 14 appropriated to the department for purposes of the program. 15 The moneys in the fund do not revert to any fund at the end of 16 any fiscal year but remain in the loan repayment fund and are 17 continuously available for loan repayment under the program. 18 Interest or earnings on moneys deposited in the fund shall be 19 credited to the fund. 20 The bill requires the department to submit in a report to 21 the general assembly by January 1, annually, the number of 22 psychiatric practitioners who received loan repayments, the 23 amount paid to each psychiatric practitioner, the amount of 24 moneys remaining in the fund, and any other information the 25 department deems appropriate. 26 The department is required to adopt rules to administer the 27 bill. 28 -4- LSB 2234XS (6) 87 pf/nh 4/ 4