California Assembly Bill AB2048 Amended / Bill

 BILL NUMBER: AB 2048AMENDED BILL TEXT AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 27, 2016 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 7, 2016 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 16, 2016 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Gray (Coauthors: Assembly Members  Waldron   Arambula,   Gonzalez,   Waldron,  and Wood) FEBRUARY 17, 2016 An act to amend Section 127940 of, and to add Section 127945 to, the Health and Safety Code, relating to health professions  development, and making an appropriation therefor.   development.  LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 2048, as amended, Gray. National Health Service Corps State Loan Repayment Program. Existing law provides that in administering the National Health Service Corps State Loan Repayment Program in accordance with federal law and regulations, the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development is required to strive, whenever feasible, to equitably distribute loan repayment awards between eligible urban and rural program sites, after taking into account the availability of health care services in the communities to be served and the number of individuals to be served in each program site. This bill would require the office to include all federally qualified health centers located in California in the program's certified eligible site list. The bill would require the office to notify all certified eligible sites when the program opens each application cycle and to strive, to the extent possible, to maximize the number of applications received each cycle. The bill would require the office to submit an annual report, as specified, to the Senate and Assembly Committees on Health that includes, among other things, the number of applications received during the annual application cycle and the percentage of applicants that were awarded funding. This bill would  continuously appropriate $1,000,000 from the General Fund each fiscal year to   authorize  the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development  to use state funds  for the purpose of providing  state   required  matching funds  to   for  the National Health Service Corps State Loan Repayment  Program.   Program in any year in which funding is appropriated by the annual Budget Act for that purpose.  The bill would prohibit the office from requiring program applicants or participants to provide matching funds in any year that the office receives these matching funds, but would require a program applicant to agree to provide matching funds in any year in which the office does not receive  state   the required  matching funds, as specified. Vote:  2/3   majority  . Appropriation:  yes   no  . Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 127940 of the Health and Safety Code is amended to read: 127940. (a) In administering the National Health Service Corps State Loan Repayment Program in accordance with Section 254q-1 of Title 42 of the United States Code and related federal regulations, the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development shall strive, whenever feasible, to equitably distribute loan repayment awards between eligible urban and rural program sites, after taking into account the availability of health care services in the communities to be served and the number of individuals to be served in each program site. (b) The office shall set a reasonable deadline for when all applications are required to be received. (c) All eligible applications shall be given consideration before any award is granted. (d) The office shall include all federally qualified health centers located in California in the program's certified eligible site list. (e) The office shall notify all certified eligible sites when the program opens each application cycle and shall strive, to the extent possible, to maximize the number of applications received each cycle. (f) As part of the initial application process, program applicants shall agree to provide matching funds in any year that the office does not receive  state   the required matching funds pursuant to Section 127945. (g) Notwithstanding subdivision (f), the office shall not require program applicants and participants to provide matching funds in any year that the office receives  state   the required  matching funds pursuant to Section 127945. (h) The office shall submit an annual report to the Senate and Assembly Committees on Health that includes all of the following information: (1) The number of applications received during the annual application cycle. (2) The percentage of applicants that were awarded funding under the program. (3) The percentage of applicants that were not awarded funding under the program. (4) The percentage of funding that went to each geographic region in the state. (i) (1) The requirement for submitting a report pursuant to subdivision (h) is inoperative on January 1, 2021, pursuant to Section 10231.5 of the Government Code. (2) A report submitted pursuant to subdivision (h) shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government Code. SEC. 2. Section 127945 is added to the Health and Safety Code, to read: 127945.  Notwithstanding Section 13340 of the Government Code, the sum of one million dollars ($1,000,000) is hereby continuously appropriated, from the General Fund in the State Treasury, without regard to fiscal year, to the   The  Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development  for purposes of providing state   may use state funds for purposes of providing required  matching funds for the National Health Service Corps State Loan Repayment Program pursuant to Section  127940.   127940 in any year in which funding is appropriated by the annual Budget Act for that purpose.