1.1 A bill for an act
1.2 relating to health; modifying
the health professional education loan forgiveness
1.3 program; appropriating
money;amending Minnesota Statutes 2022, sections
1.4 144.1501, subdivisions 1, 2,
3, 4; 144.608, subdivision 1.
1.5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE
LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
1.6 Section 1. Minnesota Statutes
2022, section 144.1501, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
1.7 Subdivision
1.Definitions. (a) For purposes of this section, the following
definitions
1.8 apply.
1.9 (b) "Advanced dental
therapist" means an individual who is licensed as a dental therapist
1.10 under section 150A.06, and who
is certified as an advanced dental therapist under section
1.11 150A.106.
1.12 (c) "Alcohol and drug
counselor" means an individual who is licensed as an alcohol and
1.13 drug counselor under chapter
148F.
1.14 (d) "Allied health care
technician" means an individual who has completed training and
1.15 received all licensing
or certification necessary to perform duties as a medical laboratory
1.16 technologist, medical
laboratory technician, respiratory therapist, radiology technologist,
1.17 or surgical
technologist.
1.18 (d) (e)
"Dental therapist" means an individual who is licensed as a dental
therapist under
1.19 section 150A.06.
1.20 (e) (f)
"Dentist" means an individual who is licensed to practice dentistry.
2.1 (f) (g)
"Designated rural area" means a statutory and home rule charter city
or township
2.2 that is outside the
seven-county metropolitan area as defined in section 473.121, subdivision
2.3 2, excluding the cities of
Duluth, Mankato, Moorhead, Rochester, and St. Cloud.
2.4 (g) (h)
"Emergency circumstances" means those conditions that make it
impossible for
2.5 the participant to fulfill
the service commitment, including death, total and permanent
2.6 disability, or temporary
disability lasting more than two years.
2.7 (h) (i)
"Mental health professional" means an individual providing clinical
services in
2.8 the treatment of mental
illness who is qualified in at least one of the ways specified in section
2.9 245.462, subdivision 18.
2.10 (i) (j)
"Medical resident" means an individual participating in a medical residency
in
2.11 family practice, internal
medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, or psychiatry.
2.12 (j) (k)
"Midlevel practitioner" means a nurse practitioner, nurse-midwife,
nurse
2.13 anesthetist, advanced clinical
nurse specialist, or physician assistant.
2.14 (k) (l)
"Nurse" means an individual who has completed training and received
all licensing
2.15 or certification necessary to
perform duties as a licensed practical nurse or registered nurse.
2.16 (l) (m)
"Nurse-midwife" means a registered nurse who has graduated from a
program
2.17 of study designed to prepare
registered nurses for advanced practice as nurse-midwives.
2.18 (m) (n)
"Nurse practitioner" means a registered nurse who has graduated from
a program
2.19 of study designed to prepare
registered nurses for advanced practice as nurse practitioners.
2.20 (n) (o)
"Pharmacist" means an individual with a valid license issued under
chapter 151.
2.21 (o) (p)
"Physician" means an individual who is licensed to practice medicine
in the areas
2.22 of family practice, internal
medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, or psychiatry.
2.23 (p) (q)
"Physician assistant" means a person licensed under chapter 147A.
2.24 (q) (r)
"Public health nurse" means a registered nurse licensed in Minnesota
who has
2.25 obtained a registration
certificate as a public health nurse from the Board of Nursing in
2.26 accordance with Minnesota
Rules, chapter 6316.
2.27 (r) (s)
"Qualified educational loan" means a government, commercial, or
foundation
2.28 loan for actual costs paid for
tuition, reasonable education expenses, and reasonable living
2.29 expenses related to the
graduate or undergraduate education of a health care professional.
2.30 (s) (t)
"Underserved urban community" means a Minnesota urban area or
population
2.31 included in the list of
designated primary medical care health professional shortage areas
2.32 (HPSAs), medically underserved
areas (MUAs), or medically underserved populations
3.1 (MUPs) maintained and updated
by the United States Department of Health and Human
3.2 Services.
3.3 Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes
2022, section 144.1501, subdivision 2, is amended to read:
3.4 Subd. 2.Creation
of account. (a) A health professional education loan forgiveness
3.5 program account is
established. The commissioner of health shall use money from the
3.6 account to establish a loan
forgiveness program:
3.7 (1) for medical residents,
mental health professionals, and alcohol and drug counselors
3.8 agreeing to practice in
designated rural areas or underserved urban communities or
3.9 specializing in the area of
pediatric psychiatry;
3.10 (2) for midlevel practitioners
agreeing to practice in designated rural areas or to teach
3.11 at least 12 credit hours, or
720 hours per year in the nursing field in a postsecondary program
3.12 at the undergraduate level or
the equivalent at the graduate level;
3.13 (3) for nurses who agree to
practice in a Minnesota health care facility, health clinic, or
3.14 health care setting,
including but not limited to a nursing home;, an intermediate
care facility
3.15 for persons with developmental
disability;, or a hospital if the hospital owns and operates
3.16 a Minnesota nursing home
and a minimum of 50 percent of the hours worked by the nurse
3.17 is in the nursing home;
a housing with services establishment as defined in section 144D.01,
3.18 subdivision 4; or
for a home care provider as defined in section 144A.43, subdivision 4; or
3.19 agree to teach at least 12
credit hours, or 720 hours per year in the nursing field in a
3.20 postsecondary program at the
undergraduate level or the equivalent at the graduate level;
3.21 (4) for other health care
technicians agreeing to teach at least 12 credit hours, or 720
3.22 hours per year in their
designated field in a postsecondary program at the undergraduate
3.23 level or the equivalent at the
graduate level. The commissioner, in consultation with the
3.24 Healthcare Education-Industry
Partnership, shall determine the health care fields where the
3.25 need is the greatest,
including, but not limited to, respiratory therapy, clinical laboratory
3.26 technology, radiologic
technology, and surgical technology;
3.27 (5) for pharmacists, advanced
dental therapists, dental therapists, and public health nurses
3.28 who agree to practice in
designated rural areas; and
3.29 (6) for dentists agreeing
to deliver at least 25 percent of the dentist's yearly patient
3.30 encounters to state public
program enrollees or patients receiving sliding fee schedule
3.31 discounts through a formal
sliding fee schedule meeting the standards established by the
3.32 United States Department of
Health and Human Services under Code of Federal Regulations,
3.33 title 42, section 51,
chapter 303. 51c.303; and
4.1 (7) for allied health
care technicians who agree to practice in a Minnesota health care
4.2 facility, health
clinic, or health care setting.
4.3 (b) Appropriations made
to the account do not cancel and are available until expended,
4.4 except that at the end of
each biennium, any remaining balance in the account that is not
4.5 committed by contract and not
needed to fulfill existing commitments shall cancel to the
4.6 fund.
4.7 Sec. 3. Minnesota Statutes
2022, section 144.1501, subdivision 3, is amended to read:
4.8 Subd. 3.Eligibility.
(a) To be eligible to participate in the loan forgiveness program, an
4.9 individual must:
4.10 (1) be a medical or dental
resident; a licensed pharmacist; or be enrolled in a training or
4.11 education program to become a
dentist, dental therapist, advanced dental therapist, mental
4.12 health professional, alcohol
and drug counselor, pharmacist, public health nurse, midlevel
4.13 practitioner, registered nurse,
or a licensed practical nurse, or allied health care technician.
4.14 The commissioner may also
consider applications submitted by graduates in eligible
4.15 professions who are licensed
and in practice; and
4.16 (2) submit an application to
the commissioner of health.
4.17 (b) Except as provided in
paragraphs (c) and (d), an applicant selected to participate
4.18 must sign a contract to agree
to serve a minimum three-year full-time service obligation
4.19 according to subdivision 2,
which shall begin no later than March 31 following completion
4.20 of required training, with
the exception of.
4.21 (c) An applicant who is
a nurse, who and is selected to participate must sign a contract
4.22 to agree to serve a
minimum two-year full-time service obligation according to subdivision
4.23 2, which shall begin no later
than March 31 following completion of required training.
4.24 (d) An applicant who is an
allied health care technician and is selected to participate
4.25 must sign a contract to
agree to serve a minimum two-year full-time service obligation
4.26 according to subdivision
2, which shall begin no later than March 31 following completion
4.27 of required training.
4.28 Sec. 4. Minnesota Statutes
2022, section 144.1501, subdivision 4, is amended to read:
4.29 Subd. 4.Loan
forgiveness. (a) The commissioner of health may select applicants
each
4.30 year for participation in the
loan forgiveness program, within the limits of available funding.
4.31 In considering applications,
the commissioner shall give preference to applicants who
4.32 document diverse cultural
competencies.
5.1 (b) The commissioner
shall distribute available funds for loan forgiveness proportionally
5.2 among the eligible
professions according to the vacancy rate for each profession in the
5.3 required geographic area,
facility type, teaching area, patient group, or specialty type specified
5.4 in subdivision 2. The
commissioner shall allocate funds for physician loan forgiveness so
5.5 that 75 percent of the funds
available are used for rural physician loan forgiveness and 25
5.6 percent of the funds
available are used for underserved urban communities and pediatric
5.7 psychiatry loan forgiveness.
If the commissioner does not receive enough qualified applicants
5.8 each year to use the entire
allocation of funds for any eligible profession, the remaining
5.9 funds may be allocated
proportionally among the other eligible professions according to
5.10 the vacancy rate for each
profession in the required geographic area, patient group, or facility
5.11 type specified in subdivision
2. Applicants are responsible for securing their own qualified
5.12 educational loans.
The commissioner shall select participants based on their suitability for
5.13 practice serving the required
geographic area or facility type specified in subdivision 2, as
5.14 indicated by experience or
training. The commissioner shall give preference to applicants
5.15 closest to completing their
training.
5.16 (c) Applicants are
responsible for securing their own qualified loans.
5.17 (d) Except as provided
in paragraph (e), for each year that a participant meets the service
5.18 obligation required under
subdivision 3, up to a maximum of four years, the commissioner
5.19 shall make annual disbursements
directly to the participant equivalent to 15 percent of the
5.20 average educational debt for
indebted graduates in their profession in the year closest to the
5.21 applicant's selection for which
information is available, not to exceed the balance of the
5.22 participant's qualifying
educational loans.
5.23 (e) For each year that a
nurse or health care technician who agrees to teach in the nurse's
5.24 or health care
technician's designated field meets the service obligation required under
5.25 subdivision 3, or for
each year that an allied health care technician meets the service
5.26 obligation required
under subdivision 3, the commissioner shall make annual disbursements
5.27 directly to the nurse,
health care technician, or allied health care technician equivalent to
5.28 30 percent of the
average educational debt for indebted graduates in their profession in the
5.29 year closest to the
nurse's, health care technician's, or allied health care technician's selection
5.30 for which information is
available, not to exceed the balance of the nurse's, health care
5.31 technician's, or allied
health care technician's qualifying educational loans.
5.32 (f) Before receiving
loan repayment disbursements and as requested, the participant
5.33 must complete and return to the
commissioner a confirmation of practice form provided by
5.34 the commissioner verifying that
the participant is practicing as required under subdivisions
5.35 2 and 3. The participant must
provide the commissioner with verification that the full amount
6.1 of loan repayment
disbursement received by the participant has been applied toward the
6.2 designated loans. After each
disbursement, verification must be received by the commissioner
6.3 and approved before the next
loan repayment disbursement is made. Participants who move
6.4 their practice remain
eligible for loan repayment as long as they practice as required under
6.5 subdivision 2.
6.6 Sec. 5. Minnesota Statutes
2022, section 144.608, subdivision 1, is amended to read:
6.7 Subdivision
1.Trauma Advisory Council established. (a) A Trauma Advisory Council
6.8 is established to advise, consult
with, and make recommendations to the commissioner on
6.9 the development, maintenance,
and improvement of a statewide trauma system.
6.10 (b) The council shall consist
of the following members:
6.11 (1) a trauma surgeon certified
by the American Board of Surgery or the American
6.12 Osteopathic Board of Surgery
who practices in a level I or II trauma hospital;
6.13 (2) a general surgeon certified
by the American Board of Surgery or the American
6.14 Osteopathic Board of Surgery
whose practice includes trauma and who practices in a
6.15 designated rural area as
defined under section 144.1501, subdivision 1, paragraph (e) (g);
6.16 (3) a neurosurgeon certified by
the American Board of Neurological Surgery who
6.17 practices in a level I or II
trauma hospital;
6.18 (4) a trauma program nurse
manager or coordinator practicing in a level I or II trauma
6.19 hospital;
6.20 (5) an emergency physician
certified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine
6.21 or the American Osteopathic
Board of Emergency Medicine whose practice includes
6.22 emergency room care in a level
I, II, III, or IV trauma hospital;
6.23 (6) a trauma program manager or
coordinator who practices in a level III or IV trauma
6.24 hospital;
6.25 (7) a physician certified by
the American Board of Family Medicine or the American
6.26 Osteopathic Board of Family
Practice whose practice includes emergency department care
6.27 in a level III or IV trauma
hospital located in a designated rural area as defined under section
6.28 144.1501, subdivision 1,
paragraph (e) (g);
6.29 (8) a nurse practitioner, as
defined under section 144.1501, subdivision 1, paragraph (l)
6.30 (n), or a physician
assistant, as defined under section 144.1501, subdivision 1, paragraph
6.31 (o) (q), whose
practice includes emergency room care in a level IV trauma hospital located
7.1 in a designated rural area as
defined under section 144.1501, subdivision 1, paragraph (e)
7.2 (g);
7.3 (9) a physician certified in
pediatric emergency medicine by the American Board of
7.4 Pediatrics or certified in
pediatric emergency medicine by the American Board of Emergency
7.5 Medicine or certified by the
American Osteopathic Board of Pediatrics whose practice
7.6 primarily includes emergency
department medical care in a level I, II, III, or IV trauma
7.7 hospital, or a surgeon
certified in pediatric surgery by the American Board of Surgery whose
7.8 practice involves the care of
pediatric trauma patients in a trauma hospital;
7.9 (10) an orthopedic surgeon
certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery or
7.10 the American Osteopathic Board
of Orthopedic Surgery whose practice includes trauma
7.11 and who practices in a level I,
II, or III trauma hospital;
7.12 (11) the state emergency
medical services medical director appointed by the Emergency
7.13 Medical Services Regulatory
Board;
7.14 (12) a hospital administrator
of a level III or IV trauma hospital located in a designated
7.15 rural area as defined under
section 144.1501, subdivision 1, paragraph (e) (g);
7.16 (13) a rehabilitation
specialist whose practice includes rehabilitation of patients with
7.17 major trauma injuries or
traumatic brain injuries and spinal cord injuries as defined under
7.18 section 144.661;
7.19 (14) an attendant or ambulance
director who is an EMT, EMT-I, or EMT-P AEMT, or
7.20 paramedic within the
meaning of section 144E.001 and who actively practices with a licensed
7.21 ambulance service in a primary
service area located in a designated rural area as defined
7.22 under section 144.1501,
subdivision 1, paragraph (e) (g); and
7.23 (15) the commissioner of public
safety or the commissioner's designee.
7.24 Sec. 6. APPROPRIATION;
HEALTH PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION LOAN
7.25 FORGIVENESS
PROGRAM.
7.26 $5,000,000 in fiscal year 2024 and $5,000,000 in fiscal year
2025 are appropriated from
7.27 the general fund to the
commissioner of health for the health professional education loan
7.28 forgiveness program
under Minnesota Statutes, section 144.1501. The base for this
7.29 appropriation is
$5,000,000 in fiscal year 2026, $5,000,000 in fiscal year 2027, and $0 in
7.30 fiscal year 2028.
