2024 -- S 2717 | |
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LC004573 | |
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND | |
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY | |
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2024 | |
____________ | |
A N A C T | |
RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- THE MEDICAL PRIMARY CARE | |
SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM | |
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Introduced By: Senators Lauria, Ruggerio, Pearson, DiMario, Miller, and Lawson | |
Date Introduced: March 05, 2024 | |
Referred To: Senate Finance | |
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: | |
1 | SECTION 1. The general assembly hereby makes the following findings of fact: |
2 | (1) Primary care healthcare in the State of Rhode Island is in crisis. |
3 | (2) There currently exists a national and regional shortage of primary care healthcare |
4 | providers. |
5 | (3) Many primary care healthcare providers are retiring early and many more are |
6 | approaching retirement age. |
7 | (4) Primary care healthcare is provided by physicians, nurse practitioners and physician |
8 | assistants and the overall numbers of medical professionals entering the field of primary care |
9 | healthcare is declining. |
10 | (5) It is increasingly difficult for primary care practices to hire nurses, medical assistants, |
11 | behavioral health clinicians and other key staff, which is leading to even higher burnout among |
12 | primary care providers. |
13 | (6) Fewer students are going into primary care as a profession due to lower salaries, high |
14 | student loans and increasing administrative burden leading to provider burnout. |
15 | (7) Our aging Rhode Island population requires more medical care. |
16 | (8) As a state, we must recruit, train, retain and sustain the number of primary care |
17 | providers sufficient to meet the population health needs of all Rhode Islanders. |
18 | (9) Investments in primary care are essential for access to health services, improving the |
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1 | health of the population and reducing overall healthcare costs. |
2 | SECTION 2. Title 23 of the General Laws entitled "HEALTH AND SAFETY" is hereby |
3 | amended by adding thereto the following chapter: |
4 | CHAPTER 1.12 |
5 | THE MEDICAL PRIMARY CARE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM |
6 | 23-1.12-1. Short title. |
7 | This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "The Medical Primary Care |
8 | Scholarship Program". |
9 | 23-1.12-2. Establishment of scholarship program. |
10 | There is hereby established the medical primary care scholarship program to be |
11 | administered by the commissioner of postsecondary education in consultation with the director of |
12 | the department of health. |
13 | 23-1.12-3. Definitions. |
14 | When used in this chapter, the following words are construed as follows: |
15 | (1) "Commissioner" means the commissioner of postsecondary education appointed |
16 | pursuant to the provisions of § 16-59-6. |
17 | (2) "Director" means the director of health holding office pursuant to the provisions of §§ |
18 | 42-6-9 and 42-6-10. |
19 | (3) "Primary care" means healthcare services that cover a range of prevention, wellness |
20 | and treatment for common illnesses and injuries. Primary care includes patients making an initial |
21 | approach to a healthcare professional for treatment as well as long-term relationships established |
22 | between a patient and a healthcare professional and may include family medicine or medical care, |
23 | general internal medicine or medical care, and general medical practice. |
24 | (4) "Scholarship program" means the medical primary care scholarship program |
25 | established pursuant to § 23-1.12-2. |
26 | 23-1.12-4. Powers. |
27 | The commissioner in consultation with the director is authorized and empowered: |
28 | (1) To adopt rules and regulations designed to implement the provisions of this chapter; |
29 | (2) To adopt selection criteria, consistent with the provisions of this chapter to include, but |
30 | not be limited to: |
31 | (i) Identification of exemplary scholars seeking to serve as a medical professional; |
32 | (ii) Identification of scholars demonstrating a strong desire to establish and work in the |
33 | primary care healthcare area; |
34 | (iii) Identification of scholars who have a demonstrated connection to or desire to establish |
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1 | a long-term professional commitment to serving as a primary care provider in the State of Rhode |
2 | Island; and |
3 | (iv) Identification of scholars to match the diversity of Rhode Island's population; |
4 | (3) To establish, if the commissioner deems it advisable, a nonprofit organization registered |
5 | with the secretary of state, as the entity to administer and operate all administrative program |
6 | services to be operated under the direct supervision of the commissioner; |
7 | (4) To establish an application procedure for scholarship consideration and awarding of |
8 | scholarships; |
9 | (5) To supervise the disbursement of the scholarship fund; and |
10 | (6) To perform all other acts necessary to carry out the intent, purpose and provisions of |
11 | this chapter. |
12 | 23-1.12-5. Eligibility for medical school scholarship. |
13 | To be eligible for medical school scholarship consideration, an applicant shall: |
14 | (1) Complete the application procedure established by the commissioner; |
15 | (2) Be graduating or having graduated from an accredited college or university; |
16 | (3) Have an established record of excellent academic standing; |
17 | (4) Have been accepted for admission in a medical school in the United States; |
18 | (5) Comply with all requirements and conditions of the scholarship program and the |
19 | provisions of this chapter. |
20 | 23-1.12-6. Eligibility for nurse practitioner or physician assistant scholarship. |
21 | To be eligible for a scholarship for attendance at a nurse practitioner or physician assistant |
22 | educational training institution or program, an applicant shall: |
23 | (1) Complete the application procedure established by the commissioner; |
24 | (2) Have completed all educational requirements for admission to the nurse practitioner or |
25 | physician assistant educational training program; |
26 | (3) Have an established record of excellent academic standing; |
27 | (4) Have been accepted for admission in a degree or educational training program located |
28 | in the United States for nurse practitioners or physician assistants; and |
29 | (5) Comply with all requirements and conditions of the program established pursuant to |
30 | the provisions of this chapter. |
31 | 23-1.12-7. Award of scholarship - Conditions. |
32 | (a) At any time that sufficient funds become available, the commissioner may award up to |
33 | five (5) new medical school scholarships per academic year, five (5) new nurse practitioner |
34 | scholarships per academic year, and five (5) new physician assistant scholarships per academic |
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1 | year. |
2 | (b) Any medical school scholarship awarded shall continue for a period of four (4) years |
3 | and any nurse practitioner or physician assistant scholarship shall continue for a period of two (2) |
4 | years; provided the recipient maintains good academic standing and continues to comply with all |
5 | rules, regulations and conditions of the scholarship program. |
6 | (c) The maximum award for a recipient of the medical school scholarship shall be seventy |
7 | thousand dollars ($70,000) per academic year. |
8 | (d) The maximum award for a recipient of the nurse practitioner or the physician assistant |
9 | scholarship shall be forty seven thousand dollars ($47,000) per academic year. |
10 | (e) All recipients for scholarship funds shall execute a contract agreeing to work in Rhode |
11 | Island providing primary care healthcare services upon completion of their respective education, |
12 | licensing and any applicable internship. In addition to the contract, each recipient shall sign a |
13 | promissory note for all funds received from the scholarship program. The contract and promissory |
14 | note shall be prepared by the commissioner in consultation with the attorney general. |
15 | (f) Every contract shall be negotiated and approved pursuant to the provisions of § 42-11- |
16 | 11. |
17 | 23-1.12-8. Contract and promissory note. |
18 | (a) Every recipient of scholarship funds pursuant to the provisions of this chapter shall |
19 | execute a contract negotiated and approved pursuant to § 42-11-11, and a promissory note prior to |
20 | the receipt of any funds. |
21 | (b) The contract shall require the recipient to: |
22 | (1) Attend full-time the specified academic institution or educational program which shall |
23 | qualify the recipient to provide primary care healthcare services; |
24 | (2) Maintain academic good standing; |
25 | (3) Graduate on time for a full-time student attending the academic institution or program; |
26 | and |
27 | (4) Agree upon graduation and licensing to provide two (2) years of full-time work |
28 | providing primary care health services in the State of Rhode Island for each year a scholarship |
29 | award was received. |
30 | (c) The contract shall provide that for every two (2) year period that the scholarship |
31 | recipient following graduation works full-time in the State of Rhode Island providing primary care |
32 | healthcare services, then the amount of the scholarship award received by the recipient for one |
33 | academic year shall be forgiven and cancelled. If the recipient has received the maximum |
34 | scholarship award over four (4) academic years then upon eight (8) years of working full-time in |
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1 | Rhode Island providing primary care healthcare services then all scholarship funds received shall |
2 | be forgiven and the promissory note cancelled. |
3 | 23-1.12-9. Repayment of funds. |
4 | (a) Any recipient of scholarship funds who fails to comply with the rules or regulations |
5 | promulgated pursuant to § 23-1.12-3, the provisions of this chapter or the terms of the contract for |
6 | receipt of funds shall immediately pay and return all funds received to the commissioner. |
7 | (b) All scholarship funds shall be repaid to the commissioner if: |
8 | (1) The student fails to complete the educational program; |
9 | (2) The student fails to comply with the provisions of subsection (a) of this section; or |
10 | (3) The student fails to work full-time providing primary care healthcare services in the |
11 | State of Rhode Island for any of the required contract period of time following graduation and |
12 | licensing. |
13 | (c) Partial scholarship funds shall be repaid to the commissioner should the recipient |
14 | partially fulfill the contract obligation but fails to work two (2) years providing full-time primary |
15 | care healthcare service in Rhode Island for every year scholarship funds were received. The |
16 | reimbursement shall be pro-rated for qualified time working applied to the gross amount received |
17 | by the recipient. |
18 | (d) Interest shall accrue on all funds owed by the recipient pursuant to the provisions of § |
19 | 9-21-10. |
20 | (e) The attorney general is authorized and empowered to bring proceedings to recover all |
21 | amounts due under the provisions of this section. |
22 | (f) All sums recovered pursuant to the provisions of this section shall be redeposited in the |
23 | restricted receipt account to implement the scholarship program. |
24 | 23-1.12-10. Appropriations. |
25 | (a) For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024, there is hereby appropriated, out of money |
26 | in the treasury not otherwise appropriated, the sum of three million, five hundred eighty thousand |
27 | dollars ($3,580,000) deposited into a restricted receipt account to implement the scholarship |
28 | program established in § 23-1.12-2; and the state controller is hereby authorized and directed to |
29 | draw to the controller's orders upon the general treasurer for payment of said sum, or so much |
30 | thereof as may be from time to time required, upon the receipt by the general treasurer of properly |
31 | authenticated vouchers submitted by the commissioner on an annual basis over a minimum period |
32 | of four (4) years. |
33 | (b) For fiscal year 2025-2026, and each fiscal year thereafter, the general assembly shall |
34 | annually appropriate a sum as it may deem necessary to carry out the purposes of this chapter, and |
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1 | the state controller is hereby authorized and directed to draw the controller's orders upon the general |
2 | treasurer for the payment of the sum or sums or so much thereof as may be required from time to |
3 | time to be deposited in a restricted receipt account upon receipt by the general treasurer of properly |
4 | authenticated vouchers submitted by the commissioner. |
5 | 23-1.12-11. Audits. |
6 | (a) The commissioner shall submit annually all financial records and receipts of |
7 | disbursements to the auditor general and the director of administration. |
8 | (b) The auditor general and the director of administration are authorized to review and audit |
9 | all records, receipts, disbursements and transactions concerning the scholarship program and the |
10 | funds associated with the scholarship program. |
11 | 23-1.12-12. Reports. |
12 | The commissioner shall report annually to the general assembly and the governor no later |
13 | than December 31 of each year on the status and progress of the scholarship program established |
14 | and administered pursuant to the provisions of this chapter. |
15 | 23-1.12-13. Severability. |
16 | If any provision of this chapter or any rule or regulation promulgated pursuant to the |
17 | provisions of this chapter, or its application to any person or circumstance, is held invalid by a court |
18 | of competent jurisdiction, the remainder of the chapter, rule or regulation and the application of the |
19 | provision to other persons or circumstances shall not be affected by its invalidity. The invalidity of |
20 | any section or sections or portion of any section or sections of this chapter shall not affect the |
21 | validity of the remainder of this chapter. |
22 | SECTION 3. This act shall take effect on July 1, 2024. |
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LC004573 | |
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EXPLANATION | |
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL | |
OF | |
A N A C T | |
RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- THE MEDICAL PRIMARY CARE | |
SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM | |
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1 | This act would establish the medical primary care scholarship program to be administered |
2 | by the commissioner of postsecondary education. This act would appropriate three million, five |
3 | hundred eighty thousand dollars ($3,580,000) which would be utilized to provide scholarships for |
4 | four (4) years for doctors, and for two (2) years for physician assistants and nurse practitioners to |
5 | provide primary care services in Rhode Island. For every year a medical practitioner received a |
6 | scholarship the recipient would be required to provide two (2) years of work in the field of primary |
7 | care in the state upon graduation. |
8 | This act would take effect on July 1, 2024. |
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