HF 19 (LSB 1557YH (1) 90)

HOUSE FILE 19

BY  KRESSIG

A BILL FOR

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

    Section 1.  Section 261.117, subsection 1, paragraph d, Code 2023, is amended to read as follows:
   d.  “Eligible practice area site” means a city in Iowa that is within a federal mental health shortage area, as designated by the health resources and services administration of the United States department of health and human services community-based mental health provider location including a community mental health center.
    Sec. 2.  Section 261.117, subsection 2, Code 2023, is amended to read as follows:
   2.  Program established.  A mental health professional loan repayment program is established to be administered by the commission for purposes of providing loan repayments for mental health professionals who agree to practice in an eligible practice area site and meet the requirements of this section.
    Sec. 3.  Section 261.117, subsection 3, paragraphs a and b, Code 2023, are amended to read as follows:
   a.  The mental health professional and the commission shall enter into a program agreement. Under the agreement, to receive loan repayments pursuant to subsection 5, a mental health professional shall agree to and shall engage in either of the following:
   (1)  Full-time practice as a mental health professional in an eligible practice area site for a period of five consecutive years after entering into the agreement.
   (2)  Part-time practice as a mental health professional in an eligible practice area site for a period of seven consecutive years after entering into the agreement.
   b.  A mental health professional who entered into a program agreement pursuant to paragraph “a” may apply to the commission to amend the agreement to allow the mental health professional to switch to part-time practice or full-time practice, as applicable. The commission and the mental health professional may consent to amend the agreement under which the mental health professional shall engage in part-time practice in an eligible practice area site for an extended period of part-time practice determined by the commission to be proportional to the amount of full-time practice remaining under the original agreement.
EXPLANATION
The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
   This bill relates to eligibility for the mental health loan repayment program. Under current law, loan repayment is available to mental health professionals who agree, in part, to practice in an “eligible practice area” which is defined as a city in Iowa that is within a federal mental health shortage area, as designated by the health resources and services administration of the United States department of health and human services. The bill instead provides that loan repayment is available to mental health professionals who agree, in part, to practice in an “eligible practice site” which is defined as a community-based mental health provider location including a community mental health center.