HF 196 (LSB 1412HV (1) 89)

HOUSE FILE 196

BY  COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

(SUCCESSOR TO HF 5)

A BILL FOR

An Act expanding the health care professional recruitment program.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  Section 261.115, subsections 1 and 2, Code 2021, are amended to read as follows:
   1.  A health care professional recruitment program is established to be administered by the college student aid commission for Des Moines university —— osteopathic medical center students who graduate from an academic program at an eligible institution that leads to licensure as a health care professional. The program shall consist of a loan repayment program for health care professionals. The commission shall regularly adjust the service requirement under each aspect of the program to provide, to the extent possible, an equal financial benefit for each period of service required.
   2.  A health care professional shall be eligible for the loan repayment program if the health care professional agrees to practice in an eligible rural community in this state. Des Moines university —— osteopathic medical center Eligible institutions offering academic programs that lead to licensure as a health care professional shall recruit and place health care professionals in rural communities which have agreed to provide additional funds for the recipient’s loan repayment. The contract for the loan repayment shall stipulate the time period the recipient shall practice in an eligible rural community in this state. In addition, the contract shall stipulate that the recipient repay any funds paid on the recipient’s loan by the commission if the recipient fails to practice in an eligible rural community in this state for the required period of time.
    Sec. 2.  Section 261.115, subsection 5, Code 2021, is amended by adding the following new paragraph:
   NEW PARAGRAPH.  0a.  “Eligible institution” means an institution of higher learning governed by the state board of regents or an accredited private institution as defined in section 261.9.
EXPLANATION
The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with

the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
   This bill expands the health care professional recruitment program to include health professionals who graduate from and are recruited by eligible institutions to practice in an eligible rural community in this state that matches state funds for educational loan repayment for the health care professional. 
   Currently, only health care professionals who graduate from Des Moines university —— osteopathic medical center are eligible for the program. The bill adds that the health care professionals must have graduated from an academic program that leads to licensure. “Eligible institution” is defined in the bill as a regents university or accredited private institution. “Health care professional” is defined in statute to mean a physician, physician assistant, podiatrist, or physical therapist.