New Jersey-2020-A1033-Introduced

An Act concerning tuition reimbursement for certain psychiatrists and amending P.L.2017, c.126.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. Section 1 of P.L.2017, c.126 (C.18A:71C-59) is amended to read as follows:

1. As used in [this act] P.L.2017, c.126 (C.18A:71C-59 et seq.):

"Authority" means the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority.

"Contracting psychiatrist" means a psychiatrist who has entered into a contract with the Department of Children and Families to provide mental health care services to a child or adolescent in connection with Department of Children and Families programming.

"Eligible tuition expenses" means tuition expenses that were incurred by a program participant in attending an accredited medical school and which were not covered by any grants or scholarships.

"Program" means the tuition reimbursement program for psychiatrists established pursuant to [this act] P.L.2017, c.126 (C.18A:71C-59 et seq.).

"Program participant" means a psychiatrist who contracts with the authority to provide mental health care services in a State underserved area [or] , in a State psychiatric hospital , or as a contracting psychiatrist in return for tuition reimbursement provided under the program.

"State psychiatric hospital" means a State psychiatric hospital operated by the Department of Human Services and listed in R.S.30:1-7.

"State underserved area" means a geographic area in this State which the Commissioner of Health, in consultation with the Commissioner of Human Services, determines on the basis of health status and economic indicators as having a physician shortage in the specialty of psychiatry.

(cf: P.L.2017, c.126, s.1)

2. Section 2 of P.L.2017, c.126 (C.18A:71C-60) is amended to read as follows:

2. a. There is established in the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority a tuition reimbursement program for psychiatrists who provide mental health care services in a State underserved area [or] , in a State psychiatric hospital , or as a contracting psychiatrist. The program shall provide reimbursement to program participants for a portion of the eligible tuition expenses incurred by the participant in attending medical school.

b. A program participant shall enter into a contract with the authority for a specified number of one-year periods of service, up to four years, in which the participant agrees to engage in the full-time practice of psychiatry in a State underserved area [or] , in a State psychiatric hospital , or as a contracting psychiatrist. The agreement shall specify the program participant's dates of required service and the total amount of reimbursement of eligible tuition expenses to be received by the participant in return for service.

c. The tuition reimbursement for a participant under the program shall equal 25 percent of the participant's eligible tuition expenses for the one academic year of medical school attendance in which tuition was the lowest, in return for each full year of service satisfactorily completed by the participant under the program. The total tuition reimbursement amount for a program participant, for four full years of service, shall not exceed 100 percent of the participant's eligible tuition expenses for the one academic year of medical school attendance in which tuition was the lowest.

(cf: P.L.2017, c.126, s.2)

3. Section 3 of P.L.2017, c.126 (C.18A:71C-61) is amended to read as follows:

3. To be eligible to participate in the program, an applicant shall:

a. be a resident of New Jersey;

b. be a State-licensed physician who has successfully completed all educational and residency training requirements for the practice of psychiatry;

c. apply for the program within one year of completing an accredited residency training program in psychiatry, or within one year of completing an accredited fellowship in child and adolescent psychiatry; and

d. agree to practice full-time as a psychiatrist in a State underserved area [or] , in a State psychiatric hospital , or as a contracting psychiatrist for a period of one to four years in return for the tuition reimbursement provided under the program.

(cf: P.L.2017, c.126, s.3)

4. Section 4 of P.L.2017, c.126 (C.18A:71C-62) is amended to read as follows:

4. a. The Commissioner of Health, in consultation with the Commissioner of Human Services, shall designate State underserved areas which have a shortage of psychiatrists. In designating State underserved areas, the commissioner shall consider health status criteria and economic indicators including, but not limited to, the financial resources of the population who resides in the area under consideration, and the population's access to mental health care services.

b. The Commissioner of Health shall transmit to the authority a list of the State underserved areas and the projected number of psychiatrists needed in each area.

c. The Commissioner of Human Services shall transmit to the authority a list of the State psychiatric hospitals and the projected number of psychiatrists needed in each hospital.

d. The Commissioner of Children and Families shall transmit to the authority a list of the projected number of psychiatrists needed by the Department of Children and Families.

(cf: P.L.2017, c.126, s.4)

5. Section 6 of P.L.2017, c.126 (C.18A:71C-64) is amended to read as follows:

6. A program participant, as a condition of participation, shall be required to adhere to performance standards established by the authority. The standards shall include, but not be limited to, requirements that a program participant:

a. maintain residency in the State;

b. maintain a license to practice medicine in the State;

c. remain current with payments on any student loans;

d. maintain satisfactory performance of services rendered in a State underserved area [or] , in a State psychiatric hospital , or as a contracting psychiatrist; and

e. report to the authority, on a form and in a manner prescribed by the authority, on the program participant's performance of services rendered prior to reimbursement of tuition under the program.

(cf: P.L.2017, c.126, s.6)

6. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

Under current law, tuition reimbursement is available to a psychiatrist who agrees to provide mental health care services in a State underserved area or in a State psychiatric hospital. In return for one full year of service, the tuition reimbursement for participating psychiatrists under the program equals 25 percent of the total cost of eligible tuition expenses for the one academic year of medical school attendance in which tuition was the lowest. A psychiatrist is eligible to participate in this tuition reimbursement program for up to four years. Total reimbursement provided under the program is not permitted to exceed 100 percent of the participant's eligible tuition expenses for the one academic year of medical school in which tuition was the lowest.

This bill would allow a psychiatrist who contracts with the Department of Children and Families to provide mental health care services in connection with department programming to participate in the existing tuition reimbursement program.

This bill would require the Commissioner of Children and Families to transmit a list of the projected number of psychiatrists needed by the department to the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority, which is responsible for the administration of the tuition reimbursement program.