Bill Text: HI SB870 | 2019 | Regular Session | Introduced


Bill Title: Relating To Loan Repayment For Health Care Professionals.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-02-05 - The committee on HRE deferred the measure. [SB870 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2019-SB870-Introduced.html

THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

870

THIRTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2019

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

RELATING TO LOAN REPAYMENT FOR HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS.

 

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 


     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that many residents of Hawaii are increasingly unable to obtain timely and appropriate health care due to shortages of primary health care providers in the State.  These shortages threaten the health of Hawaii's residents and affect state health care costs.  These shortages have also pushed the federal government to designate a number of areas in the State, particularly rural areas, as medically underserved areas, health professional shortage areas, or as having medically underserved populations.

     The legislature further finds that the increasingly high cost of health care professional education requires individuals to seek out the higher incomes that allow them to repay their student loans.  However, these higher incomes are usually in specialty care in urban areas, not in the areas of greatest need in Hawaii.  Since September 1, 2012, at least twenty-five health care providers have received loan repayment to work in health professional shortage areas in Hawaii and are still serving these communities through a loan repayment program started by the John A. Burns school of medicine of the University of Hawaii.  The program was started with private donations and matching federal funding.

     The purpose of this Act is to fund the Hawaii rural health care provider loan repayment program administered through the John A. Burns school of medicine of the University of Hawaii to provide loan repayment for physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners who agree to work in a federally designated health professional shortage area or an area of Hawaii found to be underserved.

     SECTION 2.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $500,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2019-2020 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2020-2021 for the Hawaii rural health care provider loan repayment program.

     The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of health in coordination with the John A. Burns school of medicine of the University of Hawaii for the purposes of this Act.

     SECTION 3.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2019.

 

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

 

 


 


 

Report Title:

Hawaii Rural Health Care Provider Loan Repayment Program; University of Hawaii; John A. Burns School of Medicine; Appropriation

 

Description:

Makes an appropriation for the Hawaii rural health care provider loan repayment program administered through the John A. Burns School of Medicine.

 

 

 

The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.

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