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General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 1087
January Session, 2021
AN ACT CONCERNING TH E RECRUITMENT AND RE TENTION OF
HEALTH CARE PROVIDER S IN THE STATE.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 19a-7d of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2021): 2
(a) [The] Not later than January 1, 2022, the Commissioner of Public 3
Health [may] shall establish, within available appropriations, a program 4
to provide three-year grants to community-based providers of primary 5
care services in order to expand access to health care for the uninsured. 6
The grants may be awarded to community-based providers of primary 7
care for (1) funding for direct services, (2) recruitment and retention of 8
primary care clinicians [and registered nurses] through subsidizing of 9
salaries or through a loan repayment program, and (3) capital 10
expenditures. The community-based providers of primary care under 11
the direct service program shall provide, or arrange access to, primary 12
and preventive services, referrals to specialty services, including 13
rehabilitative and mental health services, inpatient care, prescription 14
drugs, basic diagnostic laboratory services, health education and 15
outreach to alert people to the availability of services. Primary care 16
clinicians [and registered nurses] participating in the state loan 17
repayment program or receiving subsidies shall provide services to the 18 Substitute Bill No. 1087
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uninsured based on a sliding fee schedule, provide free care if necessary, 19
accept Medicare assignment and participate as Medicaid providers, or 20
provide nursing services in school-based health centers and expanded 21
school health sites, as such terms are defined in section 19a-6r. The 22
commissioner may adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions 23
of chapter 54, to establish eligibility criteria, services to be provided by 24
participants, the sliding fee schedule, reporting requirements and the 25
loan repayment program. For the purposes of this section, "primary care 26
clinicians" includes family practice physicians, general practice 27
osteopaths, obstetricians and gynecologists, internal medicine 28
physicians, pediatricians, dentists, certified nurse midwives, advanced 29
practice registered nurses, registered nurses, alcohol and drug 30
counselors, pharmacists, mental health care providers, physician 31
assistants and dental hygienists. 32
(b) Funds appropriated for the state loan repayment program shall 33
not lapse until fifteen months following the end of the fiscal year for 34
which such funds were appropriated. 35
Sec. 2. (Effective from passage) (a) As used in this section, "federally-36
qualified health center" has the same meaning as provided in Section 37
1905(l)(2)(B) of the Social Security Act, 42 USC 1396d(l)(2)(B), as 38
amended from time to time. 39
(b) Not later than January 1, 2022, the Department of Public Health 40
shall establish a five-year pilot program for the recruitment and 41
retention by federally-qualified health centers in the state of mental 42
health care providers, including, but not limited to, psychiatrists 43
licensed pursuant to chapter 370 of the general statutes, psychologists 44
licensed pursuant to chapter 383 of the general statutes and advanced 45
practice registered nurses licensed pursuant to chapter 378 of the 46
general statutes who are board certified as psychiatric mental health 47
providers by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. The 48
Commissioner of Public Health shall (1) prescribe the form and manner 49
in which a federally-qualified health center may apply to the 50
department to participate in the pilot program, (2) establish the criteria 51 Substitute Bill No. 1087
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to be used by the department in selecting federally-qualified health 52
centers to participate in the pilot program, which shall include, but need 53
not be limited to, prioritizing the placement of mental health care 54
providers in areas of the state where (A) there is the greatest need for 55
such providers, (B) there are economically distressed municipalities, 56
and (C) residents do not have access to mental health care within close 57
proximity to their homes, and (3) explore the means of funding the pilot 58
program through public-private partnerships, grant programs, federal 59
funds and state funds. 60
(c) Not later than January 1, 2023, and annually thereafter until 61
January 1, 2027, the Commissioner of Public Health shall submit a 62
report, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a of the general 63
statutes, containing an evaluation of the operation and effectiveness of 64
the pilot program to the joint standing committee of the General 65
Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to public health. 66
Sec. 3. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2021) (a) For the fiscal year ending June 67
30, 2021, and each fiscal year thereafter, the Office of Higher Education 68
shall, within available appropriations, administer a mental health care 69
provider loan reimbursement grant program for persons who meet the 70
eligibility requirements described in subsection (b) of this section. 71
(b) The program shall provide student loan reimbursement grants to 72
any person who (1) is a psychiatrist licensed pursuant to chapter 370 of 73
the general statutes, a psychologist licensed pursuant to chapter 383 of 74
the general statutes or an advanced practice registered nurse licensed 75
pursuant to chapter 378 of the general statutes who is board certified as 76
a psychiatric mental health provider by the American Nurses 77
Credentialing Center, and (2) is employed as a mental health care 78
provider by a federally-qualified health center in the state for not less 79
than two years. 80
(c) Any person who satisfies the eligibility requirements prescribed 81
in subsection (b) of this section may receive an annual grant for 82
reimbursement of federal or state educational loans (1) in an amount not 83 Substitute Bill No. 1087
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to exceed twenty-five thousand dollars in any year, and (2) for a period 84
not to exceed two years. Such person shall only be reimbursed for loan 85
payments made while such person is employed by a federally-qualified 86
health center. 87
(d) Persons may apply to the Office of Higher Education for grants 88
under this section at such time and in such manner as the executive 89
director of the Office of Higher Education prescribes. 90
(e) Any unexpended funds appropriated for purposes of this section 91
shall not lapse at the end of the fiscal year but shall be available for 92
expenditure during the next fiscal year. 93
(f) The Office of Higher Education may accept gifts, grants and 94
donations, from any source, public or private, for the mental health care 95
provider loan reimbursement grant program.96
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 July 1, 2021 19a-7d
Sec. 2 from passage New section
Sec. 3 July 1, 2021 New section
Statement of Legislative Commissioners:
Section 1(a), the first two references to "and registered nurses" were
bracketed for consistency with the defined term in said section.
PH Joint Favorable Subst.