BILL NUMBER: SB 22INTRODUCED BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Senator Roth DECEMBER 1, 2014 An act to add Article 4 (commencing with Section 128310) to Chapter 4 of Part 3 of Division 107 of the Health and Safety Code, relating to health care. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SB 22, as introduced, Roth. Medical residency training program grants. Existing law, the Song-Brown Family Physician Training Act, declares the intent of the Legislature to increase the number of students and residents receiving quality education and training in the specialty of family practice and as primary care physician's assistants and primary care nurse practitioners. Existing law establishes, for this purpose, a state medical contract program with accredited medical schools, programs that train primary care physician's assistants, programs that train primary care nurse practitioners, registered nurses, hospitals, and other health care delivery systems. Existing law establishes the California Healthcare Workforce Policy Commission and requires the commission, among other things, to identify specific areas of the state where unmet priority needs for primary care family physicians and registered nurses exist, establish standards for family practice training programs, family practice residency programs, primary care physician assistants programs, and programs that train primary care nurse practitioners, and review and make recommendations to the Director of the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development concerning the funding of those programs that are submitted to the Healthcare Workforce Development Division for participation in the state medical contract program. The bill would create the Graduate Medical Education Trust Fund in the State Treasury, to consist of funds from public-private partnerships created to fund grants to graduate medical residency training programs and any interest that accrues on those moneys, and would require that moneys in the fund be used, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for those purposes, as specified. The bill would require the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development, in consultation with the California Healthcare Workforce Policy Commission, to develop criteria, upon receipt of private donations of sufficient moneys to develop the criteria, for distribution of available funds. Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Article 4 (commencing with Section 128310) is added to Chapter 4 of Part 3 of Division 107 of the Health and Safety Code, to read: Article 4. Medical Residency Training Program Grants 128310. (a) The Graduate Medical Education Trust Fund is hereby created in the State Treasury. (b) Moneys in the fund, upon appropriation by the Legislature, shall be used solely for the purpose of funding grants to graduate medical education residency programs in California. (c) Notwithstanding Section 16305.7 of the Government Code, all interest earned on the moneys that have been deposited into the fund shall be retained in the fund and used for purposes consistent with the fund. (d) The fund shall consist of all of the following: (1) Funds from public-private partnerships created for the purpose of funding grants to graduate medical education residency programs in California. (2) Any interest that accrues on amounts in the fund. (e) (1) The Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development, in consultation with the California Healthcare Workforce Policy Commission, shall develop criteria for distribution of available moneys in the fund. (2) The office shall develop criteria only upon receipt of donations sufficient to cover the costs of developing the criteria. (f) In developing the criteria, the office shall give priority to programs that meet the following specifications: (1) Are located in medically underserved areas, as defined in Section 128552. (2) Have a proven record of placing graduates in those medically underserved areas. (3) Place an emphasis on training primary care providers. (4) Place an emphasis on training physician specialties that are most needed in the community in which the program is located. (g) Moneys appropriated from the fund may also be used to fund existing graduate medical education residency slots as well as new graduate medical education residency slots. (h) Whenever applicable, the office shall utilize moneys appropriated from the fund to provide a match for available federal funds for graduate medical education.