Senate
Study
Bill
1030
-
Introduced
SENATE
FILE
_____
BY
(PROPOSED
COMMITTEE
ON
EDUCATION
BILL
BY
CHAIRPERSON
SINCLAIR)
A
BILL
FOR
An
Act
relating
to
eligibility
for
the
health
care
loan
1
repayment
program.
2
BE
IT
ENACTED
BY
THE
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY
OF
THE
STATE
OF
IOWA:
3
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Section
1.
Section
261.116,
subsection
1,
Code
2019,
is
1
amended
by
adding
the
following
new
paragraph:
2
NEW
PARAGRAPH
.
0b.
“Mental
health
professional”
means
the
3
same
as
defined
in
section
228.1.
4
Sec.
2.
Section
261.116,
subsection
2,
Code
2019,
is
amended
5
to
read
as
follows:
6
2.
Program
established.
A
health
care
loan
repayment
7
program
is
established
to
be
administered
by
the
commission
for
8
purposes
of
repaying
the
qualified
student
loans
of
registered
9
nurses,
advanced
registered
nurse
practitioners,
mental
health
10
professionals,
physician
assistants,
and
nurse
educators
who
11
practice
full-time
in
a
service
commitment
area
or
teach
in
12
this
state,
as
appropriate,
and
who
are
selected
for
the
13
program
in
accordance
with
this
section
.
An
applicant
who
is
a
14
member
of
the
Iowa
national
guard
is
exempt
from
the
service
15
commitment
area
requirement,
but
shall
submit
an
affidavit
16
verifying
the
applicant
is
practicing
full-time
in
this
state.
17
Sec.
3.
Section
261.116,
subsection
3,
paragraph
c,
Code
18
2019,
is
amended
to
read
as
follows:
19
c.
Complete
and
return,
on
a
form
approved
by
the
20
commission,
an
affidavit
of
practice
verifying
that
the
21
applicant
is
a
registered
nurse,
an
advanced
registered
nurse
22
practitioner,
a
mental
health
professional,
or
a
physician
23
assistant
who
is
practicing
full-time
in
a
service
commitment
24
area
in
this
state
or
is
a
nurse
educator
who
teaches
full-time
25
in
this
state.
If
practice
in
a
service
commitment
area
is
26
required
as
a
condition
of
receiving
loan
repayment,
the
27
affidavit
shall
specify
the
service
commitment
area
in
which
28
the
applicant
is
practicing
full-time.
29
EXPLANATION
30
The
inclusion
of
this
explanation
does
not
constitute
agreement
with
31
the
explanation’s
substance
by
the
members
of
the
general
assembly.
32
This
bill
adds
mental
health
professionals
to
the
list
of
33
individuals
who
are
eligible
for
loan
repayment
of
qualified
34
student
loans
under
the
health
care
loan
repayment
program
35
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administered
by
the
college
student
aid
commission.
1
Under
the
definition
of
“mental
health
professional”
used
2
for
purposes
of
the
program,
a
mental
health
professional
is
3
a
person
who
either
1)
holds
at
least
a
master’s
degree
in
4
a
mental
health
field,
or
is
an
advanced
registered
nurse
5
practitioner,
a
physician
assistant,
or
a
physician
and
6
surgeon
or
an
osteopathic
physician
and
surgeon;
holds
a
7
current
Iowa
license
if
practicing
in
a
field
covered
by
an
8
Iowa
licensure
law;
and
has
at
least
two
years
of
post-degree
9
clinical
experience
in
assessing
mental
health
needs
and
10
problems
and
in
providing
appropriate
mental
health
services;
11
or
2)
holds
a
current
Iowa
license
if
practicing
in
a
field
12
covered
by
an
Iowa
licensure
law
and
is
a
psychiatrist,
an
13
advanced
registered
nurse
practitioner
who
holds
a
national
14
certification
in
psychiatric
mental
health
care
and
is
licensed
15
by
the
board
of
nursing,
a
physician
assistant
practicing
under
16
the
supervision
of
a
psychiatrist,
or
an
individual
who
holds
a
17
doctorate
degree
in
psychology
and
is
licensed
by
the
board
of
18
psychology.
19
To
qualify
for
the
program,
applicants
must
complete
and
20
return
to
the
commission
an
affidavit
of
practice
verifying
21
that
the
applicant
is
or
will
be
practicing
full-time
in
a
22
service
commitment
area
in
this
state.
The
Act
defines
a
23
service
commitment
area
as
a
city
in
Iowa
with
a
population
of
24
less
than
26,000
that
is
located
more
than
20
miles
from
a
city
25
with
a
population
of
50,000
or
more.
26
The
annual
amount
of
loan
repayment
to
a
program
applicant
is
27
$6,000
or
20
percent
of
the
recipient’s
total
qualified
student
28
loan,
whichever
amount
is
less.
29
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