1     
HEALTH CARE WORKFORCE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

2     
PROGRAM AMENDMENTS

3     
2020 GENERAL SESSION

4     
STATE OF UTAH

5     
Chief Sponsor: Raymond P. Ward

6     
Senate Sponsor: Daniel Hemmert

7     

8     LONG TITLE
9     General Description:
10          This bill amends provisions relating to the Health Care Workforce Financial Assistance
11     Program.
12     Highlighted Provisions:
13          This bill:
14          ▸     defines terms;
15          ▸     permits the department to provide education loan repayment assistance to geriatric
16     or health care professionals under certain circumstances; and
17          ▸     makes technical changes.
18     Money Appropriated in this Bill:
19          None
20     Other Special Clauses:
21          None
22     Utah Code Sections Affected:
23     AMENDS:
24          26-46-101, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2009, Chapter 97
25          26-46-102, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2009, Chapter 97
26     

27     Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
28          Section 1. Section 26-46-101 is amended to read:
29          26-46-101. Definitions.
30          (1) "Eligible professional" means a geriatric professional or a health care professional
31     who is eligible to participate in the program.
32          [(1)] (2) "Geriatric professional" means a person who:
33          (a) is a licensed:
34          (i) health care professional;
35          (ii) social worker;
36          (iii) occupational therapist;
37          (iv) pharmacist;
38          (v) physical therapist; or
39          (vi) psychologist; and
40          (b) is determined by the department to have adequate advanced training in geriatrics to
41     prepare the person to provide specialized geriatric care within the scope of the person's
42     profession.
43          [(2)] (3) "Health care professional" means:
44          (a) a licensed:
45          (i) physician;
46          (ii) physician assistant;
47          (iii) nurse;
48          (iv) dentist; or
49          (v) mental health therapist; or
50          (b) another licensed health care professional designated by the department by rule.
51          (4) "Program" means the Utah Health Care Workforce Financial Assistance Program
52     created in Section 26-46-102.
53          [(3)] (5) "Underserved area" means an area designated by the department as
54     underserved by health care professionals, based upon the results of a needs assessment
55     developed by the department in consultation with the Utah Health Care Workforce Financial
56     Assistance Program Advisory Committee created under Section 26-46-103.
57          Section 2. Section 26-46-102 is amended to read:
58          26-46-102. Creation of program -- Duties of department.
59          (1) There is created within the department the Utah Health Care Workforce Financial
60     Assistance Program to provide, within funding appropriated by the Legislature for [this
61     purpose] the following purposes:
62          (a) professional education scholarships and loan repayment assistance to health care
63     professionals who locate or continue to practice in underserved areas; and
64          (b) loan repayment assistance to geriatric professionals who locate or continue to
65     practice in underserved areas.
66          (2) In accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, the
67     department shall make rules governing the administration of the program, including rules that
68     address:
69          (a) application procedures;
70          (b) eligibility criteria;
71          (c) selection criteria;
72          (d) service conditions, which at a minimum shall include professional service in an
73     underserved area for a minimum period of time by any person receiving a scholarship or loan
74     repayment assistance;
75          (e) penalties for failure to comply with service conditions or other terms of a
76     scholarship or loan repayment contract;
77          (f) criteria for modifying or waiving service conditions or penalties in case of extreme
78     hardship or other good cause; and
79          (g) administration of contracts entered into before the effective date of this act,
80     between the department and scholarship or loan repayment recipients, as authorized by law.
81          (3) The department may provide education loan repayment assistance to an eligible
82     professional if the eligible professional:
83          (a) agrees to practice in an underserved area for the duration of the eligible
84     professional's participation in the program; and
85          (b) submits a written commitment from the health care facility employing the eligible
86     professional that the health care facility will provide education loan repayment assistance to the
87     eligible professional in an amount equal to 20% of the total award amount provided to the
88     eligible professional.
89          [(3)] (4) The department shall seek and consider the recommendations of the Utah
90     Health Care Workforce Financial Assistance Program Advisory Committee created under
91     Section 26-46-103 as it develops and modifies rules to administer the program.
92          [(4)] (5) Funding for the program:
93          (a) shall be a line item within the appropriations act;
94          (b) shall be nonlapsing unless designated otherwise by the Legislature; and
95          (c) may be used to cover administrative costs of the program, including reimbursement
96     expenses of the Utah Health Care Workforce Financial Assistance Program Advisory
97     Committee created under Section 26-46-103.
98          [(5) Loan repayments and payments resulting from]
99          (6) Refunds for loan repayment assistance, penalties for breach of contract, and other
100     payments to the program are dedicated credits to the program.
101          [(6)] (7) The department shall prepare an annual report on the revenues, expenditures,
102     and outcomes of the program.