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Arkansas House Bill HB1545

Arkansas 2023 Regular Session

Arkansas House Bill HB1545 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.
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11 Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
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44 State of Arkansas 1
55 94th General Assembly A Bill 2
66 Regular Session, 2023 HOUSE BILL 1545 3
77 4
88 By: Representative L. Johnson 5
99 6
1010 For An Act To Be Entitled 7
1111 AN ACT CONCERNING RU RAL MEDICAL PRACTICE STUDENT 8
1212 LOANS AND SCHOLARSHI PS; TO REDEFINE "MED ICALLY 9
1313 UNDERSERVED" FOR PUR POSES OF THE ARKANSA S RURAL 10
1414 MEDICAL PRACTICE STU DENT LOAN AND SCHOLA RSHIP 11
1515 PROGRAM; AND FOR OTH ER PURPOSES. 12
1616 13
1717 14
1818 Subtitle 15
1919 CONCERNING RURAL MEDICAL PRACTICE STUDENT 16
2020 LOANS AND SCHOLARSHIPS. 17
2121 18
2222 19
2323 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 20
2424 21
2525 SECTION 1. Arkansas Code § 6 -81-701 is amended to read as follows: 22
2626 6-81-701. Definitions. 23
2727 As used in this subchapter: 24
2828 (1) “Medically underserved population” means an area in Arkansas 25
2929 that the Arkansas Rural Medical Practice Student Loan and Scholarship Board 26
3030 determines has unmet needs for medical services due to factors, including 27
3131 without limitation: 28
3232 (A) The ratio of primary care physicians to population; 29
3333 (B) The infant mortality rate; 30
3434 (C) The percentage of: 31
3535 (i) Population with incomes below the federal 32
3636 poverty level, as it existed on January 1, 2017; 33
3737 (ii) Resident individuals sixty (60) years of age 34
3838 and older; and 35
3939 (iii) Physicians sixty (60) years of age and older; 36 HB1545
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4343
4444 (D) Accessibility within the area to primary care 1
4545 medicine; and 2
4646 (E) Other relevant criteria the board may deem necessary 3
4747 for a determination of unmet needs for medical service s the same as defined 4
4848 in 42 U.S.C. § 254b, as in effect on January 1, 2024 ; and 5
4949 (2) “Primary care medicine” means health care provided in one 6
5050 (1) of the following areas of practice: 7
5151 (A) Family medicine; 8
5252 (B) General internal medicine; 9
5353 (C) General internal medicine and pediatrics; 10
5454 (D) General pediatrics; 11
5555 (E) General obstetrics and gynecology; 12
5656 (F) General surgery; 13
5757 (G) Emergency medicine; and 14
5858 (H) Geriatrics; and 15
5959 (3) “Qualified rural community” means an area: 16
6060 (A) With a population below twenty thousand (20,000) 17
6161 according to the most recent federal census; 18
6262 (B) That is at least twenty (20) miles from a city or town 19
6363 with a population of more than twenty thousand (20,000) according to the most 20
6464 recent federal census; and 21
6565 (C) That is reasonably determined by the board to be 22
6666 medically underserved . 23
6767 24
6868 SECTION 2. Arkansas Code § 6 -81-702(a)(1), concerning the 25
6969 establishment of the Arkansas Rural Medical Practice Student Loan and 26
7070 Scholarship Board, is amended to read as follo ws: 27
7171 (a)(1) There is established the Arkansas Rural Medically Underserved 28
7272 Population Medical Practice Student Loan and Scholarship Board that shall 29
7373 consist of eight (8) members appointed by the Governor for three -year terms. 30
7474 31
7575 SECTION 3. Arkansas Code § 6-81-702(b), concerning the duties of the 32
7676 Arkansas Rural Medical Practice Student Loan and Scholarship Board, is 33
7777 amended to read as follows: 34
7878 (b) The board shall: 35
7979 (1) Promulgate reasonable rules necessary to execute the 36 HB1545
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8383
8484 provisions of this subchapter, including rules addressing the requirements 1
8585 and in conformance with the requirements of the Arkansas Administrative 2
8686 Procedure Act, § 25-15-201 et seq., and other appropriate state laws in 3
8787 promulgating and placing rules into effect: 4
8888 (A) For a health pro fessions shortage area; 5
8989 (B) To For a community with a medically underserved 6
9090 population to become a qualified rural community eligible to participate in 7
9191 the Rural Arkansas Medically Underserved Population Medical Practice Student 8
9292 Loan and Scholarship Pr ogram or the Community Match Rural Physician 9
9393 Recruitment Program; and 10
9494 (C) For a procedure to resolve disputes arising out of or 11
9595 relating to a rural medically underserved population practice or community 12
9696 match loan or income incentive contract; 13
9797 (2) Prescribe forms for and regulate the submission of loan 14
9898 applications; 15
9999 (3) Determine eligibility of applicants; 16
100100 (4) Allow or disallow loan or income incentive applications; 17
101101 (5) Contract, increase, decrease, terminate, and otherwise 18
102102 regulate all loan and income incentive disbursements for these purposes, 19
103103 receipts for their repayment, and convert loans to scholarships or grants, as 20
104104 applicable; 21
105105 (6) Manage, operate, and control all funds and property 22
106106 appropriated or otherwise contributed for this purp ose; 23
107107 (7) Accept gifts, grants, bequests, or devises and apply them as 24
108108 a part of this program the Arkansas Medically Underserved Population Medical 25
109109 Practice Student Loan and Scholarship Program ; 26
110110 (8) Sue and be sued as the board; and 27
111111 (9) Accept moneys from federal programs that may be used for 28
112112 furtherance of the purposes of this subchapter. 29
113113 30
114114 SECTION 4. Arkansas Code § 6 -81-702(d), concerning the administration 31
115115 of the Arkansas Rural Medical Practice Student Loan and Scholarship Program, 32
116116 is amended to read as follows: 33
117117 (d) The board shall administer the Rural Arkansas Medically 34
118118 Underserved Population Medical Practice Student Loan and Scholarship Program 35
119119 and the Community Match Rural Physician Recruitment Program. 36 HB1545
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123123
124124 1
125125 SECTION 5. Arkansas Code § 6 -81-703(a), concerning loan applications 2
126126 for students accepted for admission to or enrolled in good standing in the 3
127127 College of Medicine of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, is 4
128128 amended to read as follows: 5
129129 (a)(1) Any student accepted for admissio n to or enrolled in good 6
130130 standing in the College of Medicine of the University of Arkansas for Medical 7
131131 Sciences in studies leading to the degree of Doctor of Medicine who is a bona 8
132132 fide resident of Arkansas may apply for a loan under this subchapter on for ms 9
133133 prescribed by the Arkansas Rural Medically Underserved Population Medical 10
134134 Practice Student Loan and Scholarship Board. 11
135135 (2) An individual who is not already contracted to practice in a 12
136136 qualified rural area as required under this subchapter is eligible for a loan 13
137137 under this subchapter if he or she otherwise meets the requirements for a 14
138138 loan. 15
139139 16
140140 SECTION 6. Arkansas Code §§ 6 -81-704 - 6-81-708 are amended to read as 17
141141 follows: 18
142142 6-81-704. Medical students — Investigation after application. 19
143143 When a rural medically underserved population medical practice loan 20
144144 application is filed with the Arkansas Rural Medically Underserved Population 21
145145 Medical Practice Student Loan and Scholarship Board, the board shall examine 22
146146 the application, investigate the ability, char acter, and qualifications of 23
147147 the applicant, and investigate the financial standing of the applicant or his 24
148148 or her parents to determine whether the applicant is in need of a loan to 25
149149 advance his or her medical education. 26
150150 27
151151 6-81-705. Medical students — Purpose of loan. 28
152152 Rural Medically underserved population medical practice loans provided 29
153153 for in this subchapter shall be made for the sole purpose of paying the 30
154154 applicant's tuition, maintenance, and educational expenses and the necessary 31
155155 living expenses of his o r her dependents while the applicant is enrolled in a 32
156156 program of medical education as described in this subchapter. 33
157157 34
158158 6-81-706. Medical students — Eligibility for initial and renewal 35
159159 loans. 36 HB1545
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163163
164164 (a) The Arkansas Rural Medically Underserved Population Medical 1
165165 Practice Student Loan and Scholarship Board may make rural medical practice 2
166166 loans to the applicant, each rural medical practice loan being expressly made 3
167167 subject to the provisions of § 6 -81-708(c) and § 6-81-710, if it finds that: 4
168168 (1) The applicant is a bona fide resident of Arkansas; 5
169169 (2) The applicant has been accepted for admission to or is 6
170170 enrolled in good standing in the College of Medicine of the University of 7
171171 Arkansas for Medical Sciences in studies leading to the degree of Doctor of 8
172172 Medicine; 9
173173 (3) The applicant is enrolled in a medically underserved and 10
174174 rural practice curriculum; 11
175175 (4) The applicant needs financial assistance to complete his or 12
176176 her medical studies; 13
177177 (5) The applicant desires to practice medicine in an eligible 14
178178 qualified rural a community with a medically underserved population ; and 15
179179 (6) The applicant is a person of good moral character and one 16
180180 who has the talent and capacity to profit by medical studies. 17
181181 (b) Subject to the availability of funds, an initial rural medically 18
182182 underserved population medical practice loan for one (1) academic year shall 19
183183 be renewable annually for the number of years required to complete studies 20
184184 leading to the Doctor of Medicine degree or for additional amounts, not to 21
185185 exceed the maximum amounts specified in § 6-81-707, but all subsequent rural 22
186186 medically underserved population medical practice loans shall be granted only 23
187187 upon application by the recipient and a finding by the board that: 24
188188 (1) The applicant has completed successfully the medical studies 25
189189 of the preceding academic year and remains in good standing as an enrolled 26
190190 student in the college; 27
191191 (2) The applicant is enrolled or participating in a medically 28
192192 underserved and rural practice curriculum; 29
193193 (3) The applicant continues to be a re sident of Arkansas; and 30
194194 (4) The applicant's financial situation continues to warrant 31
195195 financial assistance made under the conditions of this section. 32
196196 33
197197 6-81-707. Maximum amount of loans. 34
198198 (a) The maximum amount of each rural medically underserved popul ation 35
199199 practice loan for medical students shall not exceed sixteen thousand five 36 HB1545
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203203
204204 hundred dollars ($16,500) per academic year or those costs that are 1
205205 reasonable and necessary for the student's attendance as determined by the 2
206206 Arkansas Rural Medically Underserved Population Medical Practice Student Loan 3
207207 and Scholarship Board. 4
208208 (b)(1) The maximum amount of each community match income incentive 5
209209 shall not exceed eighty thousand dollars ($80,000) or as the board otherwise 6
210210 shall determine payable under § 6 -81-716. 7
211211 (2) The board shall provide one -half (½) of the community match 8
212212 income incentive, and the qualified rural community with a medically 9
213213 underserved population shall provide the other one -half (½) of the income 10
214214 incentive. 11
215215 (3) However, if the board does n ot have sufficient funds to 12
216216 match the community's portion of the income incentive, nothing precludes a 13
217217 qualified rural community with a medically underserved population from 14
218218 providing the total income incentive amount. 15
219219 16
220220 6-81-708. Loan contracts — Rural Medically Underserved Population 17
221221 Medical Practice Loans — Obligations and conditions. 18
222222 (a) The Arkansas Rural Medically Underserved Population Medical 19
223223 Practice Student Loan and Scholarship Board shall enter into a loan contract 20
224224 with the applicant to whom a rural medically underserved population medical 21
225225 practice loan is made. 22
226226 (b) The contract shall be approved by the Attorney General and shall 23
227227 be signed by the Chair of the Arkansas Rural Medically Underserved Population 24
228228 Medical Practice Student Loan and Sch olarship Board, countersigned by the 25
229229 Secretary of the Arkansas Rural Medically Underserved Population Medical 26
230230 Practice Student Loan and Scholarship Board, and signed by the applicant. 27
231231 (c) Each applicant to whom a rural medically underserved population 28
232232 medical practice loan or loans is granted by the Arkansas Rural Medically 29
233233 Underserved Population Medical Practice Student Loan and Scholarship Board 30
234234 shall execute a written loan contract that incorporates the following 31
235235 obligations and conditions: 32
236236 (1)(A) The recipient of a rural medically underserved population 33
237237 medical practice loan or loans shall bindingly contract that he or she shall 34
238238 practice primary care medicine full time in a qualified rural community with 35
239239 a medically underserved population upon completion of: 36 HB1545
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243243
244244 (i) His or her medical internship of one (1) year 1
245245 undertaken immediately following the earning of the degree of Doctor of 2
246246 Medicine; 3
247247 (ii) Four (4) additional years of medical training 4
248248 beyond the internship if the training has been app roved in advance by the 5
249249 Arkansas Rural Medically Underserved Population Medical Practice Student Loan 6
250250 and Scholarship Board and includes practice experience in a rural community 7
251251 with a medically underserved population ; or 8
252252 (iii) At the request of the recipient of a rural 9
253253 medically underserved population medical practice loan, the Arkansas Rural 10
254254 Medically Underserved Population Medical Practice Student Loan and 11
255255 Scholarship Board may approve the recipient's request to practic e in more 12
256256 than one (1) qualified rural community with a medically underserved 13
257257 population to meet his or her obligation to practice full time if the 14
258258 Arkansas Rural Medically Underserved Population Medical Practice Student Loan 15
259259 and Scholarship Board determin es, based upon guidelines established by the 16
260260 Arkansas Rural Medically Underserved Population Medical Practice Student Loan 17
261261 and Scholarship Board, that the physician need in the rural communities with 18
262262 a medically underserved population cannot sustain a full -time medical 19
263263 practice or that other compelling circumstances exist. 20
264264 (B) The recipient of a rural medically underserved 21
265265 population medical practice loan or loans shall bindingly contract that for 22
266266 each year's loan he or she shall practice medicine in ac cordance with 23
267267 subdivision (c)(1)(A) of this section for a whole year. 24
268268 (C) For each continuous whole year of medical practice, in 25
269269 accordance with subdivision (c)(1)(A) of this section, subject to reasonable 26
270270 leave periods, including without limitation va cation, sick leave, continuing 27
271271 medical education, jury duty, funerals, holidays, or military service, the 28
272272 Arkansas Rural Medically Underserved Population Medical Practice Student Loan 29
273273 and Scholarship Board shall cancel, by converting to a scholarship grant , the 30
274274 full amount of one (1) year's loan plus accrued interest; 31
275275 (2)(A) The recipient of a rural medically underserved population 32
276276 medical practice loan or loans shall bindingly contract that not engaging in 33
277277 the practice of medicine in accordance with the loan contract and with this 34
278278 subchapter may result in suspension of his or her license to practice 35
279279 medicine in this state. 36 HB1545
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284284 (B) For any contract entered into after August 1, 2007, 1
285285 the recipient's medical license may not be suspended unless the recipient 's 2
286286 contract contained a specific term that loss of license was a consequence of 3
287287 breach and the recipient signed a written acknowledgment of understanding 4
288288 that the suspension of license was explained to him or her orally as a 5
289289 potential consequence of breach of the contractual provisions. 6
290290 (C) The suspension may be for a period of years equivalent 7
291291 to the number of years that the recipient is obligated to practice medicine 8
292292 in a rural area community with a medically underserved population but has not 9
293293 so practiced and until the loan with interest together with any civil money 10
294294 penalties, as reduced by each full year of medical practice according to the 11
295295 terms of the loan contract, is paid in full; 12
296296 (3) Any communication from the University of Arkansas College of 13
297297 Medicine with any state medical licensing board shall include a notation that 14
298298 the recipient of a rural medically underserved population medical practice 15
299299 loan has a contract with the State of Arkansas to practice medicine in a 16
300300 rural community with a medically underserved population and that breach of 17
301301 that contract may result in suspension of the recipient's Arkansas medical 18
302302 license; 19
303303 (4)(A) In the event that any rural medically underserved 20
304304 population medical practice loan recipient under this subchapter does not 21
305305 engage in the practice of medicine in accordance with the terms of this 22
306306 section and of his or her loan contract in order to have the loan contract 23
307307 recognized as a scholarship, the recipient shall remain obligated to repay 24
308308 the loan or loans receiv ed, together with interest at the maximum rate 25
309309 allowed by Arkansas law or the federal discount rate plus five percent (5%) 26
310310 per annum, whichever is the lesser, the interest to accrue from the date each 27
311311 payment of funds was received by the recipient. 28
312312 (B) Neither interest nor the obligation to repay the 29
313313 principal sums accrued shall accrue during any one (1) period of time that 30
314314 the recipient involuntarily serves on active duty in the United States Armed 31
315315 Forces. 32
316316 (C) Repayment of principal with interest s hall be due and 33
317317 payable in full at the earliest to occur of the following events: 34
318318 (i) Failure to remain enrolled in a medically 35
319319 underserved and rural practice curriculum; 36 HB1545
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322322
323323
324324 (ii) Failure to remain in enrollment status 1
325325 continuously to completion of t he degree of Doctor of Medicine for any reason 2
326326 other than temporary personal illness; 3
327327 (iii) Failure to complete internship; 4
328328 (iv)(a) Failure to engage in the full -time practice 5
329329 of medicine while residing in a qualified rural community with a medically 6
330330 underserved population in Arkansas as defined in § 6 -81-701. 7
331331 (b) However, the Arkansas Rural Medically 8
332332 Underserved Population Medical Practice Student Loan and Scholarship Board 9
333333 may waive the residency requirement on a case -by-case basis; and 10
334334 (v) Failure to establish a practice as described 11
335335 under subdivision (c)(4)(C)(iv)(a) of this section within six (6) months 12
336336 following either internship or four (4) additional years of medical education 13
337337 that includes practice experience in a rural community with a medically 14
338338 underserved population ; 15
339339 (5) If an alternate on the waiting list for acceptance to the 16
340340 University of Arkansas College of Medicine enters into a rural medically 17
341341 underserved population medical practice program contract conditioned only 18
342342 upon the applicant's being accepted for admission to the college and 19
343343 otherwise meets the requirements of § 6 -81-706 and if the applicant is moved 20
344344 to the top of the waiting list under § 6 -81-718, the alternate's contract 21
345345 shall contain an additional term that breach of the contract may result in 22
346346 civil money penalties in the amount of one hundred percent (100%) of the loan 23
347347 amount; and 24
348348 (6) This subsection shall not prohibit the Arkansas Rural 25
349349 Medically Underserved Population Medical Practice Student Loan and 26
350350 Scholarship Board from considering and entering into a negotiated settlement 27
351351 with the rural medically underserved population medical practice loan 28
352352 recipient involving the license suspension, the amount of the civil money 29
353353 penalty, and the terms of repayment of the loan. 30
354354 (d) The Arkansas Rural Medically Underserved Population Medical 31
355355 Practice Student Loan and Scholarship Board may amend agreements entered into 32
356356 with any loan recipient at any time prior to full performance of the 33
357357 recipient's contractual obligations. 34
358358 (e)(1) A rural medically underserved population medical practice loan 35
359359 recipient may apply to the Dean of the College of Medicine of the University 36 HB1545
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364364 of Arkansas for Medical Sciences for a waiver of the contractual provisions 1
365365 set forth in subdivision (c)(2) of this section. 2
366366 (2)(A) If the dean as Chair of the Arkansa s Rural Medically 3
367367 Underserved Population Medical Practice Student Loan and Scholarship Board 4
368368 determines that exigent circumstances warrant a waiver, the loan recipient 5
369369 shall be notified in writing. 6
370370 (B) The dean shall immediately notify the Arkansas Sta te 7
371371 Medical Board of such determination. 8
372372 9
373373 SECTION 7. Arkansas Code § 6 -81-710 is amended to read as follows: 10
374374 6-81-710. Funding of loans. 11
375375 (a)(1) All payments for rural medically underserved population 12
376376 practice loans and community match loans under this subchapter shall be made 13
377377 on requisitions signed by the Chair of the Arkansas Rural Medically 14
378378 Underserved Population Medical Practice Student Loan and Scholarship Board 15
379379 drawn against the funds held for th e purpose of this subchapter. 16
380380 (2) These funds, consisting of state appropriations so 17
381381 designated, revolving amounts received from repayment of loans and interest, 18
382382 and all funds and property and income therefrom received by the Arkansas 19
383383 Rural Medically Underserved Population Medical Practice Student Loan and 20
384384 Scholarship Board under its authority to accept and apply gifts, bequests, 21
385385 and devises shall be held in trust and disbursed by the fiscal officers of 22
386386 the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences for the aforesaid purposes 23
387387 described by this subchapter . 24
388388 (b) Funds collected as a result of a recipient's breach of a 25
389389 rural medically underserved population practice loan contract or community 26
390390 match loan contract shall be held in trust for the use of the A rkansas Rural 27
391391 Medically Underserved Population Medical Practice Student Loan and 28
392392 Scholarship Program and the Community Match Rural Physician Recruitment 29
393393 Program, or as otherwise deemed appropriate by the Arkansas Rural Medical 30
394394 Practice Student Loan and Sch olarship Board board in its discretion, and 31
395395 disbursed by the fiscal officer of the University of Arkansas for Medical 32
396396 Sciences under this subchapter. 33
397397 34
398398 SECTION 8. Arkansas Code § 6 -81-711(a), concerning the annual report 35
399399 provided by the Arkansas Rural Med ical Practice Student Loan and Scholarship 36 HB1545
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403403
404404 Board, is amended to read as follows: 1
405405 (a) The Arkansas Rural Medically Underserved Population Medical 2
406406 Practice Student Loan and Scholarship Board shall make an annual report to 3
407407 the Governor concerning the activi ties of the board and shall file a copy of 4
408408 its report with the Legislative Council. 5
409409 6
410410 SECTION 9. Arkansas Code § 6 -81-714(a) and (b), concerning dispute 7
411411 resolutions under the Arkansas Rural Medical Practice Student Loans and 8
412412 Scholarships Program, is amend ed to read as follows: 9
413413 (a) Any applicant for a loan or income incentive issued by the 10
414414 Arkansas Rural Medically Underserved Population Medical Practice Student Loan 11
415415 and Scholarship Board, any person who has been granted a loan or has been 12
416416 granted income incentives by the board, or any party to a rural medically 13
417417 underserved population medical practice or community match loan or income 14
418418 incentive may appeal any decision or action by the board relating to the 15
419419 application for a loan or income incentive or relat ing to a loan or income 16
420420 incentive granted by the board under the dispute resolution procedure 17
421421 established under this subchapter. 18
422422 (b)(1) The board, under § 6 -81-702(b)(1), shall promulgate rules 19
423423 establishing a procedure that may be used by a loan or incom e incentive 20
424424 recipient, the board, or a qualified rural community with a medically 21
425425 underserved population to resolve any dispute arising out of or relating to a 22
426426 rural medically underserved population practice or community match loan or 23
427427 income incentive cont ract, including the validity or interpretation of a 24
428428 contract term, contract enforcement or defenses, the occurrence of an event 25
429429 of default or breach, loan repayment, the assessment or imposition of 26
430430 contract damages or civil money penalties, or other relate d disputes. 27
431431 (2) The rules may provide for alternative dispute resolution, 28
432432 such as mediation, as appropriate. 29
433433 (3) The dispute resolution procedure established by the board 30
434434 shall be followed before the initiation of any litigation related to a rural 31
435435 medically underserved population practice or community match loan or income 32
436436 incentive contract. 33
437437 34
438438 SECTION 10. Arkansas Code § 6 -81-715 is amended to read as follows: 35
439439 6-81-715. Medical school graduates — Community match contract — Eligibility. 36 HB1545
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443443
444444 (a)(1) The Arkansas Rural Medically Underserved Population Medical 1
445445 Practice Student Loan and Scholarship Board shall administer the Community 2
446446 Match Rural Physician Recruitment Program. 3
447447 (2)(A) Interested rural communities with medically underserved 4
448448 populations may apply to the Arkansas Rural Medically Underserved Population 5
449449 Medical Practice Student Loan and Scholarship Board to participate in the 6
450450 program as a qualified rural community Community Match Rural Physician 7
451451 Recruitment Program. 8
452452 (B) The Arkansas Rural Medically Underserved Population 9
453453 Medical Practice Student Loan and Scholarship Board shall approve a 10
454454 designated representative or representatives of the qualified rural selected 11
455455 community with a medically underserved population to assist the Arkansas 12
456456 Rural Medically Underserved Population Medical Practice Student Loan and 13
457457 Scholarship Board in matters relating to any community match contracts 14
458458 entered into by the Arkansas Rural Medically Underserved Population Medical 15
459459 Practice Student Loan and Scholarship Boar d and the qualified rural community 16
460460 with a medically underserved population . 17
461461 (b) The Arkansas Rural Medically Underserved Population Medical 18
462462 Practice Student Loan and Scholarship Board, in conjunction with a qualified 19
463463 rural community with a medically und erserved population, may grant community 20
464464 match income incentives to applicants, each incentive being expressly made 21
465465 subject to § 6-81-716, if it finds that: 22
466466 (1) The applicant is a graduate of: 23
467467 (A) The University of Arkansas College of Medicine or an y 24
468468 accredited medical school in the United States; or 25
469469 (B) A foreign medical school if the applicant: 26
470470 (i) Was a resident of Arkansas and citizen of the 27
471471 United States prior to enrollment in the foreign medical school; and 28
472472 (ii) Has been licensed by the Arkansas State Medical 29
473473 Board; 30
474474 (2) The applicant satisfies one (1) of the following criteria: 31
475475 (A) He or she is enrolled in a residency or other training 32
476476 program in an area of primary care medicine; or 33
477477 (B) No more than two (2) years before the date of the 34
478478 application, he or she completed a residency or other training program in an 35
479479 area of primary care medicine; 36 HB1545
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483483
484484 (3) The applicant desires to practice medicine in the qualified 1
485485 rural community with a medically underserved population ; and 2
486486 (4) The designated representative or representatives of the 3
487487 qualified rural community with a medically underserved population approve the 4
488488 applicant. 5
489489 6
490490 SECTION 11. Arkansas Code § 6 -81-716(a), concerning community match 7
491491 contracts, is amended to read as follows: 8
492492 (a)(1) The Arkansas Rural Medically Underserved Population Medical 9
493493 Practice Student Loan and Scholarship Board and a qualified rural community 10
494494 with a medically underserved population shall enter a joint community match 11
495495 contract with the applican t. 12
496496 (2) The form of the community match contract shall be approved 13
497497 by the Attorney General and shall be signed by the Chair of the Arkansas 14
498498 Rural Medically Underserved Population Medical Practice Student Loan and 15
499499 Scholarship Board, the Secretary of the A rkansas Rural Medically Underserved 16
500500 Population Medical Practice Student Loan and Scholarship Board, the 17
501501 designated representative or representatives of the qualified rural community 18
502502 with a medically underserved population , and the applicant. 19
503503 20
504504 SECTION 12. Arkansas Code §§ 6-81-718 - 6-81-720 are amended to read 21
505505 as follows: 22
506506 6-81-718. Medical school alternates — Rural Medically underserved 23
507507 population medical practice loans. 24
508508 (a)(1) If an alternate on the waiting list for acceptance to the 25
509509 College of Medicine of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences 26
510510 demonstrates a willingness to enter into a rural medically underserved 27
511511 population medical practice loan contract and meets the requirements of § 6 -28
512512 81-706, the applicant shall be moved to the top of the waiting list upon 29
513513 entering into a rural medically underserved population medical practice loan 30
514514 contract. 31
515515 (2) The priority on the waiting list for those alternates who 32
516516 enter into a rural medically underserved population medical practice loan 33
517517 contract shall be determined by the date and time such alternate enters into 34
518518 the rural medical practice loan contract. 35
519519 (b) The college shall meet the requirements set forth at § 6-64-406 36 HB1545
520520
521521 14 3/2/2023 2:37:34 PM TNL064
522522
523523
524524 for allocation of enrollment positions for medical students among 1
525525 congressional districts before accepting for admission an alternate who has 2
526526 entered into a rural medically underserved population medical practice loan 3
527527 contract with the Arkansas Rural Medically Underserved Population Medical 4
528528 Practice Student Loan and Scholarship Boar d. 5
529529 6
530530 6-81-719. Tracking loan contract compliance. 7
531531 The College of Medicine of the University of Arkansas for Medical 8
532532 Sciences shall track graduates who were recipients of rural medically 9
533533 underserved population medical practice loans for the length of thei r 10
534534 contractual obligations and shall report to the Legislative Council by 11
535535 October 1 of each even -numbered year regarding the compliance of those 12
536536 graduates with the terms of their contracts. 13
537537 14
538538 6-81-720. Rural Arkansas Medically Underserved Population Medical 15
539539 Practice Student Loan and Scholarship Program administrator. 16
540540 (a) There is established a Rural an Arkansas Medically Underserved 17
541541 Population Medical Practice Student Loan and Scholarship Program 18
542542 administrator. 19
543543 (b) The administrator shall: 20
544544 (1) Be employed by the University of Arkansas for Medical 21
545545 Sciences; 22
546546 (2) Serve as liaison between loan recipients and rural 23
547547 communities with medically underserved populations by: 24
548548 (A) Working with the communities to identify their unique 25
549549 needs, to develop profiles of their ideal candidates, and to prepare for 26
550550 recruitment visits; and 27
551551 (B) Assisting medical students and residents to identify 28
552552 medically underserved and other rural communities that suit their personal 29
553553 and medical practice needs and to meet th eir contractual obligations; 30
554554 (3) Collect and monitor program data, including demographic data 31
555555 of participants and communities, service completion rates, retention rates 32
556556 beyond service completion, satisfaction of obligated physicians and 33
557557 communities, and other information; 34
558558 (4) Prepare annual program evaluations and present the 35
559559 evaluations to the Arkansas Rural Medically Underserved Population Medical 36 HB1545
560560
561561 15 3/2/2023 2:37:34 PM TNL064
562562
563563
564564 Practice Student Loan and Scholarship Board; 1
565565 (5) Assist with preparation and submission of program r eports; 2
566566 (6) Attend board meetings in a nonvoting capacity; and 3
567567 (7) Perform other functions assigned by the board. 4
568568 5
569569 SECTION 13. Arkansas Code § 6 -81-722 is repealed. 6
570570 6-81-722. Sunset clause. 7
571571 (a) Loan recipients enrolled in the Community Match Rural Physician 8
572572 Recruitment Program on or before the day before April 4, 2007, shall not have 9
573573 their loan contracts impaired by the amendments to the community match 10
574574 program. 11
575575 (b)(1) Subject to the availability of funds, the loan for the academic 12
576576 year shall be renewable annually for the number of years required to complete 13
577577 studies leading to the Doctor of Medicine degree or for additional amounts 14
578578 not to exceed sixteen thousand five hundred dollars ($16,500). 15
579579 (2) However, all subsequent loans shall be gra nted only upon 16
580580 application by the recipient and a finding by the Arkansas Rural Medical 17
581581 Practice Student Loan and Scholarship Board that the applicant: 18
582582 (A) Has completed successfully the medical studies of the 19
583583 preceding academic year and remains in goo d standing as an enrolled student 20
584584 in the college; 21
585585 (B) Is enrolled or participating in a medically 22
586586 underserved and rural practice curriculum; and 23
587587 (C) Continues to be a resident of Arkansas. 24
588588 (c) This section expires on August 31, 2014. 25
589589 26
590590 27
591591 28
592592 29
593593 30
594594 31
595595 32
596596 33
597597 34
598598 35
599599 36