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S.B. 111

             1     

HEALTH CARE WORKFORCE FINANCIAL

             2     
ASSISTANCE PROGRAM AMENDMENTS

             3     
2009 GENERAL SESSION

             4     
STATE OF UTAH

             5     
Chief Sponsor: Gene Davis

             6     
House Sponsor: Lynn N. Hemingway

             7     
             8      LONG TITLE
             9      General Description:
             10          This bill amends the Utah Health Care Workforce Financial Assistance chapter of the
             11      Utah Health Code to include loan repayment assistance to geriatric professionals.
             12      Highlighted Provisions:
             13          This bill:
             14          .    defines the term, "geriatric professional";
             15          .    provides that the professional education scholarships and loan repayment assistance
             16      provided by the Health Care Workforce Financial Assistance Program are to be
             17      provided within the funds appropriated by the Legislature for that purpose;
             18          .    provides for loan repayment assistance, within funds appropriated by the Legislature
             19      for this purpose, to geriatric professionals;
             20          .    adds two members to the Utah Health Care Workforce Financial Assistance
             21      Program Advisory Committee; and
             22          .    makes technical changes.
             23      Monies Appropriated in this Bill:
             24          None
             25      Other Special Clauses:
             26          None
             27      Utah Code Sections Affected:


             28      AMENDS:
             29          26-46-101, as enacted by Laws of Utah 2002, Chapter 307
             30          26-46-102, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2008, Chapter 382
             31          26-46-103, as enacted by Laws of Utah 2002, Chapter 307
             32     
             33      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             34          Section 1. Section 26-46-101 is amended to read:
             35           26-46-101. Definitions.
             36          (1) "Geriatric professional" means a person who:
             37          (a) is a licensed:
             38          (i) health care professional;
             39          (ii) social worker;
             40          (iii) occupational therapist;
             41          (iv) pharmacist;
             42          (v) physical therapist; or
             43          (vi) psychologist; and
             44          (b) is determined by the department to have adequate advanced training in geriatrics to
             45      prepare the person to provide specialized geriatric care within the scope of the person's
             46      profession.
             47          [(1)] (2) "Health care professional" means [a]:
             48          (a) a licensed:
             49          (i) physician[,];
             50          (ii) physician assistant[,];
             51          (iii) nurse[,];
             52          (iv) dentist[,]; or
             53          (v) mental health therapist[,]; or [other]
             54          (b) another licensed health care professional designated by the department by rule.
             55          [(2)] (3) "Underserved area" means an area designated by the department as
             56      underserved by health care professionals, based upon the results of a needs assessment
             57      developed by the department in consultation with the Utah Health Care Workforce Financial
             58      Assistance Program Advisory Committee created under Section 26-46-103 .


             59          Section 2. Section 26-46-102 is amended to read:
             60           26-46-102. Creation of program -- Duties of department.
             61          (1) There is created within the department the Utah Health Care Workforce Financial
             62      Assistance Program to provide, within funding appropriated by the Legislature for this purpose:
             63          (a) professional education scholarships and loan repayment assistance to health care
             64      professionals who locate or continue to practice in underserved areas[.]; and
             65          (b) loan repayment assistance to geriatric professionals, regardless of whether the
             66      geriatric professionals provide services in underserved areas.
             67          (2) In accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, the
             68      department shall make rules governing the administration of the program, including rules that
             69      address:
             70          (a) application procedures;
             71          (b) eligibility criteria;
             72          (c) selection criteria;
             73          (d) service conditions, which at a minimum shall include:
             74          (i) except for a geriatric professional, professional service in an underserved area for a
             75      minimum period of time by any person receiving a scholarship or loan repayment assistance; or
             76          (ii) for a geriatric professional, service in geriatrics for a minimum period of time by
             77      any person receiving a scholarship or loan repayment assistance;
             78          (e) penalties for failure to comply with service conditions or other terms of a
             79      scholarship or loan repayment contract;
             80          (f) criteria for modifying or waiving service conditions or penalties in case of extreme
             81      hardship or other good cause; and
             82          (g) administration of contracts entered into before the effective date of this act,
             83      between the department and scholarship or loan repayment recipients [under Title 26, Chapter
             84      9, Part 2, Physicians and Physician Assistants Grant and Scholarship Program, Title 26,
             85      Chapter 9d, Nurse Education Financial Assistance, or Title 26, Chapter 9e, Special Population
             86      Health Care Provider Financial Assistance and Retention Act], as authorized by law.
             87          (3) The department shall seek and consider the recommendations of the Utah Health
             88      Care Workforce Financial Assistance Program Advisory Committee created under Section
             89      26-46-103 as it develops and modifies rules to administer the program.


             90          (4) Funding for the program:
             91          (a) shall be a line item within the appropriations act[,];
             92          (b) shall be nonlapsing unless designated otherwise[,] by the Legislature; and
             93          (c) may be used to cover administrative costs of the program, including reimbursement
             94      expenses of the Utah Health Care Workforce Financial Assistance Program Advisory
             95      Committee created under Section 26-46-103 .
             96          (5) Loan repayments and payments resulting from breach of contract are dedicated
             97      credits to the program.
             98          (6) The department shall prepare an annual report on the revenues, expenditures, and
             99      outcomes of the program.
             100          Section 3. Section 26-46-103 is amended to read:
             101           26-46-103. Advisory committee -- Membership -- Compensation -- Duties.
             102          (1) There is created the Utah Health Care Workforce Financial Assistance Program
             103      Advisory Committee consisting of the following [11] 13 members appointed by the executive
             104      director, seven of whom shall be residents of rural communities:
             105          (a) one rural representative of Utah Hospitals and Health Systems, nominated by the
             106      association;
             107          (b) one rural representative of the Utah Medical Association, nominated by the
             108      association;
             109          (c) one representative of the Utah Academy of Physician Assistants, nominated by the
             110      association;
             111          (d) one representative of the Association for Utah Community Health, nominated by
             112      the association;
             113          (e) one representative of the Utah Dental Association, nominated by the association;
             114          (f) one representative of mental health therapists, selected from nominees submitted by
             115      mental health therapist professional associations;
             116          (g) one representative of the Association of Local Health Officers, nominated by the
             117      association;
             118          (h) one representative of the low-income advocacy community, nominated by the Utah
             119      Human Services Coalition;
             120          (i) one nursing program faculty member, nominated by the Statewide Deans and


             121      Directors Committee;
             122          (j) one administrator of a long-term care facility, nominated by the Utah Health Care
             123      Association; [and]
             124          (k) one nursing administrator, nominated by the Utah Nurses Association[.];
             125          (l) one geriatrician, nominated by the association; and
             126          (m) one person, described in Subsection 26-46-101 (1)(a)(ii), (iii), (iv), (v), or (vi) who
             127      is:
             128          (i) determined by the department to have adequate advanced training in geriatrics to
             129      prepare the person to provide specialized geriatric care within the scope of the person's
             130      profession; and
             131          (ii) nominated by a professional association for the profession of which the person is a
             132      member.
             133          (2) An appointment to the committee shall be for a four-year term unless the member is
             134      appointed to complete an unexpired term. The executive director may also adjust the length of
             135      term at the time of appointment or reappointment so that approximately 1/2 the committee is
             136      appointed every two years. The executive director shall annually appoint a committee chair
             137      from among the members of the committee.
             138          (3) The committee shall meet at the call of the chair, at least three members of the
             139      committee, or the executive director, but no less frequently than once each calendar year.
             140          (4) A majority of the members of the committee constitutes a quorum. The action of a
             141      majority of a quorum constitutes the action of the committee.
             142          (5) Members of the committee may not receive compensation for their work associated
             143      with the committee, but may receive from the department reimbursement for travel expenses
             144      incurred as a member of the committee, as funds are available, at the rates established by the
             145      Division of Finance under Section 63A-3-107 . Members of the committee may decline
             146      reimbursement.
             147          (6) The committee shall:
             148          (a) make recommendations to the department for the development and modification of
             149      rules to administer the Utah Health Care Workforce Financial Assistance Program; and
             150          (b) advise the department on the development of a needs assessment tool for
             151      identifying underserved areas.


             152          (7) As funding permits, the department shall provide staff and other administrative
             153      support to the committee.




Legislative Review Note
    as of 1-12-09 7:02 AM


Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel


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