Bill Text: IA SF293 | 2015-2016 | 86th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: A bill for an act establishing a mental health professional loan forgiveness program and fund. (Formerly SSB 1098.)
Spectrum: Committee Bill
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-04-02 - Referred to Education. S.J. 769. [SF293 Detail]
Download: Iowa-2015-SF293-Introduced.html
Senate File 293 - Introduced SENATE FILE BY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION (SUCCESSOR TO SSB 1098) A BILL FOR 1 An Act establishing a mental health professional loan 2 forgiveness program and fund. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: TLSB 1473SV (2) 86 kh/sc PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. NEW SECTION. 261.117 Mental health professional 1 2 loan forgiveness program. 1 3 1. As used in this section, "underserved area" means a 1 4 geographical area designated as a mental health care health 1 5 professional shortage area by the department of public health. 1 6 2. A mental health professional loan forgiveness program 1 7 is established to be administered by the commission. A mental 1 8 health professional, as defined in section 228.1, is eligible 1 9 for the program if the mental health professional is a resident 1 10 of Iowa who is practicing in an underserved area. 1 11 3. Each applicant for loan forgiveness under this section 1 12 shall, in accordance with the rules of the commission, do the 1 13 following: 1 14 a. Complete and file an application for mental health 1 15 professional loan forgiveness. The applicant shall be 1 16 responsible for the prompt submission of any information 1 17 required by the commission. 1 18 b. Complete and return on a form approved by the commission 1 19 an affidavit of practice verifying that the applicant is a 1 20 mental health professional practicing in an underserved area. 1 21 3A. Notwithstanding subsection 3, paragraph "b", an 1 22 individual who is a resident of Iowa, who has a degree from 1 23 an accredited postsecondary institution in a degree program 1 24 that will qualify the person to be licensed as a mental health 1 25 professional, as defined in section 228.1, upon completion 1 26 of a residency program, and who is accepted in an Iowa=based 1 27 residency program, is eligible to enter into a program 1 28 agreement with the commission. The program agreement shall 1 29 provide that in order to receive loan forgiveness under this 1 30 section, the individual shall agree to engage in full=time 1 31 practice as a mental health professional, within nine months of 1 32 completing the Iowa=based residency program, for a period of 1 33 five consecutive years in an underserved area. 1 34 4. a. A mental health professional is eligible for loan 1 35 forgiveness payments under this section for not more than five 2 1 consecutive years. 2 2 b. The annual amount of loan forgiveness awarded under 2 3 this section to a mental health professional who practices 2 4 in an underserved area in this state shall not exceed the 2 5 resident tuition rate established for institutions of higher 2 6 learning governed by the state board of regents for the first 2 7 year following the mental health professional's graduation 2 8 from a graduate school, or twenty percent of the mental 2 9 health professional's total federally guaranteed Stafford loan 2 10 amount under the federal family education loan program or the 2 11 federal direct loan program, including principal and interest, 2 12 whichever amount is less. 2 13 c. A mental health professional receiving loan forgiveness 2 14 payments under this section is required to file an application 2 15 annually and submit information as required by the commission 2 16 on the basis of which the applicant's continued eligibility for 2 17 the loan forgiveness program will be evaluated and determined. 2 18 5. A mental health professional loan forgiveness fund is 2 19 created as a separate fund in the state treasury under the 2 20 control of the commission for deposit of moneys appropriated 2 21 to or received by the commission for use under the program. 2 22 Moneys credited to the fund are appropriated to the commission 2 23 for purposes of the mental health professional loan forgiveness 2 24 program. Notwithstanding section 8.33, moneys deposited in the 2 25 fund shall not revert to any fund of the state at the end of 2 26 any fiscal year but shall remain in the loan forgiveness fund 2 27 and be continuously available for loan forgiveness under the 2 28 program. Notwithstanding section 12C.7, subsection 2, interest 2 29 or earnings on moneys deposited in the fund shall be credited 2 30 to the fund. 2 31 6. The commission shall submit in a report to the general 2 32 assembly by January 1, annually, the number of mental health 2 33 professionals who received loan forgiveness payments pursuant 2 34 to this section, the underserved areas in which those mental 2 35 health professionals practice or practiced, the amount paid 3 1 to each mental health professional under this section, and 3 2 other information identified by the commission as indicators 3 3 of outcomes from the program. 3 4 7. The commission shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A 3 5 to administer this section. 3 6 EXPLANATION 3 7 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 3 8 the explanation's substance by the members of the general assembly. 3 9 This bill establishes a mental health professional loan 3 10 forgiveness program under the administration of the college 3 11 student aid commission. Under the program, mental health 3 12 professionals who practice in underserved areas are eligible 3 13 for loan forgiveness payments for up to five years. 3 14 The bill defines "mental health professional" and 3 15 "underserved area" for purposes of the program. A mental 3 16 health professional either holds at least a master's degree in 3 17 a mental health field, holds a current Iowa license, and has 3 18 at least two years of post=degree clinical experience or is a 3 19 licensed psychiatrist or psychologist, an advanced registered 3 20 nurse practitioner who holds a national certification in 3 21 psychiatric mental health care registered by the board 3 22 of nursing, or a physician assistant practicing under the 3 23 supervision of a psychiatrist. An underserved area is a 3 24 geographical area designated as a mental health professional 3 25 shortage area by the Iowa department of public health. 3 26 Applicants for loan forgiveness payments are required 3 27 to submit an application and an affidavit of practice to 3 28 the commission. A person who is not yet a mental health 3 29 professional, but who is a resident of Iowa, who has a degree 3 30 from an accredited postsecondary institution in a degree 3 31 program that will qualify the person to be licensed as a mental 3 32 health professional upon completion of a residency program, 3 33 and who is accepted in an Iowa=based residency program, is 3 34 also eligible for the program, but must enter into a program 3 35 agreement with the commission. Under the program agreement, 4 1 the individual agrees to engage in full=time practice as a 4 2 mental health professional, within nine months of completing 4 3 the Iowa=based residency program, for a period of five 4 4 consecutive years in an underserved area. 4 5 The annual amount of loan forgiveness awarded to an 4 6 individual under the program shall not exceed the resident 4 7 tuition rate established for regents universities for the first 4 8 year following the mental health professional's graduation 4 9 from a graduate school, or 20 percent of the mental health 4 10 professional's total federally guaranteed Stafford loan 4 11 amount under the federal family education loan program or the 4 12 federal direct loan program, including principal and interest, 4 13 whichever amount is less. 4 14 The bill creates a mental health professional loan 4 15 forgiveness fund in the state treasury under the control of the 4 16 commission for deposit of moneys appropriated to or received by 4 17 the commission for use under the program. Moneys credited to 4 18 the fund are appropriated to the commission for purposes of the 4 19 program and do not revert to any fund of the state at the end of 4 20 any fiscal year, and interest or earnings on moneys deposited 4 21 in the fund shall be credited to the fund. 4 22 The commission shall submit a report to the general assembly 4 23 by January 1, annually, detailing the number of mental health 4 24 professionals who received loan forgiveness payments and the 4 25 amount paid to each recipient, the underserved areas in which 4 26 they practice or practiced, and other information identified by 4 27 the commission as indicators of outcomes from the program. LSB 1473SV (2) 86 kh/sc
