Bill Text: FL S1324 | 2014 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Medical Education Reimbursement and Loan Repayment Program

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Failed) 2014-05-02 - Died in Education [S1324 Detail]

Download: Florida-2014-S1324-Introduced.html

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       Florida Senate - 2014                                    SB 1324
       
       
        
       By Senator Montford
       
       
       
       
       
       3-00675A-14                                           20141324__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the Medical Education Reimbursement
    3         and Loan Repayment Program; amending s. 1009.65, F.S.;
    4         requiring the Department of Health to conduct a pilot
    5         project for implementation of the program in specified
    6         counties; providing purpose of the pilot project;
    7         providing applicability of the Medical Education
    8         Reimbursement and Loan Repayment Program to the pilot
    9         project; requiring the department to submit a report
   10         to the Governor and Legislature; providing for
   11         expiration; authorizing the department to adopt rules;
   12         requiring the department to request sufficient funding
   13         for the pilot project; providing an effective date.
   14          
   15  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   16  
   17         Section 1. Subsection (3) of section 1009.65, Florida
   18  Statutes, is renumbered as subsection (4) and amended, and a new
   19  subsection (3) is added to that section, to read:
   20         1009.65 Medical Education Reimbursement and Loan Repayment
   21  Program.—
   22         (3) The Department of Health shall conduct a pilot project
   23  for implementation of the Medical Education Reimbursement and
   24  Loan Repayment Program in Calhoun, DeSoto, Glades, Gulf,
   25  Flagler, Franklin, Gadsden, Hamilton, Jefferson, Madison,
   26  Putnam, and Taylor Counties. The purpose of the pilot project is
   27  to determine:
   28         (a) The effectiveness of the program in combination with
   29  similar federal programs, such as the National Health Service
   30  Corps State Loan Repayment Program, at encouraging medical
   31  doctors and doctors of osteopathic medicine to practice in the
   32  underserved locations of the pilot counties with primary care
   33  specialties in general and family practice; and
   34         (b) The long-term retention rate in the underserved
   35  locations of the pilot counties of the medical doctors and
   36  doctors of osteopathic medicine who participate in the program.
   37  
   38  The provisions of this section relating to eligibility, amounts
   39  of payments, and other requirements of the program apply to the
   40  pilot project. Before the 2021 Regular Session of the
   41  Legislature, the Department of Health shall submit a report of
   42  its findings and recommendations, based on implementation of the
   43  pilot project, to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and
   44  the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The subsection
   45  expires June 30, 2021.
   46         (4)(3) The Department of Health may adopt any rules
   47  necessary for the administration of this section the Medical
   48  Education Reimbursement and Loan Repayment Program. The
   49  department may also solicit technical advice regarding conduct
   50  of the program from the Department of Education and Florida
   51  universities and Florida College System institutions. The
   52  Department of Health shall submit a budget request for an amount
   53  sufficient to fund medical education reimbursement, loan
   54  repayments, and program administration, and implementation of
   55  the pilot project.
   56         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2014.