SF 167 (LSB 1737SV (1) 88)

SENATE FILE 167

BY  COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

(SUCCESSOR TO SSB 1030)

A BILL FOR

An Act relating to eligibility for the health care loan repayment program.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  Section 261.116, subsection 1, Code 2019, is amended by adding the following new paragraph:
   NEW PARAGRAPH.  0b.  “Mental health professional” means the same as defined in section 228.1.
    Sec. 2.  Section 261.116, subsection 2, Code 2019, is amended to read as follows:
   2.  Program established.  A health care loan repayment program is established to be administered by the commission for purposes of repaying the qualified student loans of registered nurses, advanced registered nurse practitioners, mental health professionals, physician assistants, and nurse educators who practice full-time in a service commitment area or teach in this state, as appropriate, and who are selected for the program in accordance with this section. An applicant who is a member of the Iowa national guard is exempt from the service commitment area requirement, but shall submit an affidavit verifying the applicant is practicing full-time in this state.
    Sec. 3.  Section 261.116, subsection 3, paragraph c, Code 2019, is amended to read as follows:
   c.  Complete and return, on a form approved by the commission, an affidavit of practice verifying that the applicant is a registered nurse, an advanced registered nurse practitioner, a mental health professional, or a physician assistant who is practicing full-time in a service commitment area in this state or is a nurse educator who teaches full-time in this state. If practice in a service commitment area is required as a condition of receiving loan repayment, the affidavit shall specify the service commitment area in which the applicant is practicing full-time.
EXPLANATION
The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
   This bill adds mental health professionals to the list of individuals who are eligible for loan repayment of qualified student loans under the health care loan repayment program administered by the college student aid commission.
   Under the definition of “mental health professional” used for purposes of the program, a mental health professional is a person who either 1) holds at least a master’s degree in a mental health field, or is an advanced registered nurse practitioner, a physician assistant, or a physician and surgeon or an osteopathic physician and surgeon; holds a current Iowa license if practicing in a field covered by an Iowa licensure law; and has at least two years of post-degree clinical experience in assessing mental health needs and problems and in providing appropriate mental health services; or 2) holds a current Iowa license if practicing in a field covered by an Iowa licensure law and is a psychiatrist, an advanced registered nurse practitioner who holds a national certification in psychiatric mental health care and is licensed by the board of nursing, a physician assistant practicing under the supervision of a psychiatrist, or an individual who holds a doctorate degree in psychology and is licensed by the board of psychology.
   To qualify for the program, applicants must complete and return to the commission an affidavit of practice verifying that the applicant is or will be practicing full-time in a service commitment area in this state. The Act defines a service commitment area as a city in Iowa with a population of less than 26,000 that is located more than 20 miles from a city with a population of 50,000 or more.
   The annual amount of loan repayment to a program applicant is $6,000 or 20 percent of the recipient’s total qualified student loan, whichever amount is less.