Connecticut 2025 Regular Session

Connecticut House Bill HB06886 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
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3		-	LCO 1 of 3
	3	+	LCO No. 4312 1 of 3
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5		-	General Assembly ~~Substitute~~ Bill No. 6886
	5	+	General Assembly Raised Bill No. 6886
6	6		January Session, 2025
	7	+	LCO No. 4312
7	8
	9	+
	10	+	Referred to Committee on HIGHER EDUCATION AND
	11	+	EMPLOYMENT ADVANCEMENT
	12	+
	13	+
	14	+	Introduced by:
	15	+	(HED)
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12	20		AN ACT ESTABLISHING A NURSING STUDENT LOAN
13	21		REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM.
14	22		Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
15	23		Assembly convened:
16	24
17	25		Section 1. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2025) (a) Not later than January 1, 1
18	26		2026, the Commissioner of Higher Education shall establish, within 2
19	27		available appropriations, a nursing student loan reimbursement 3
20	28		program to reimburse certain nurses for student loan payments. The 4
21	29		Office of Higher Education may approve the participation of any person 5
22	30		in the nursing student loan reimbursement program who (1) is a 6
23	31		licensed registered nurse or licensed practical nurse under chapter 378 7
24	32		of the general statutes; (2) is a resident of the state, as defined in section 8
25	33		12-701 of the general statutes; and (3) has a student loan. 9
26	34		(b) Any person who qualifies under subsection (a) of this section may 10
27	35		apply to the Office of Higher Education to participate in the nursing 11
28	36		student loan reimbursement program at such time and in such manner 12
29	37		as the commissioner of said office prescribes. Not later than January 1, 13
30	38		2026, the commissioner shall post on said office's Internet web site the 14
	39	+	Raised Bill No. 6886
	40	+
	41	+
	42	+
	43	+	LCO No. 4312 2 of 3
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31	45		forms required to apply for the nursing student loan reimbursement 15
32	46		program. 16
33	47		(c) (1) The Commissioner of Higher Education shall award grants to 17
34		-	persons approved to participate in the nursing student loan 18 Substitute Bill No. 6886
35		-
36		-
37		-	LCO 2 of 3
38		-
	48	+	persons approved to participate in the nursing student loan 18
39	49		reimbursement program on a first-come, first-served basis, provided 19
40	50		such person meets the requirements of subdivisions (2) and (3) of this 20
41	51		subsection. 21
42	52		(2) Each participant in the program shall volunteer for not less than 22
43	53		fifty unpaid hours for each year of participation in the nursing student 23
44		-	loan reimbursement program for (A) a nonprofit organization that is 24
45		-	exempt from taxation pursuant to Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal 25
46		-	Revenue Code of 1986, or any subsequent corresponding internal 26
47		-	revenue code of the United States, as amended from time to time, or (B) 27
48		-	a municipal government, provided such volunteer hours pursuant to 28
49		-	subparagraphs (A) and (B) of this subdivision are completed in a 29
50		-	distressed municipality, as defined in section 32-9p of the general 30
51		-	statutes, or an area of the state designated by the federal Health 31
52		-	Resources and Services Administration as a health professional shortage 32
53		-	area, a medically underserved area or an area with medically 33
54		-	underserved populations. 34
55		-	(3) Each participant in the program shall annually submit to the 35
56		-	Office of Higher Education, in a manner prescribed by the commissioner 36
57		-	(A) a statement from a student loan servicer that includes the amounts 37
58		-	for the outstanding loan balance for such student loan and the total of 38
59		-	the year-to-date payments made on such student loan, and (B) a form 39
60		-	documenting the number of volunteer hours completed and the nature 40
61		-	of the health care services provided by such participant that is signed by 41
62		-	an employee of the nonprofit organization or municipal government for 42
63		-	which such participant volunteered. 43
64		-	(4) The Office of Higher Education shall reimburse each program 44
65		-	participant who meets the requirements of this section for student loan 45
66		-	payments in an amount not to exceed five thousand dollars, annually. 46
67		-	(d) The Office of Higher Education may use up to two and one-half 47
68		-	per cent of the funds appropriated for purposes of this section, annually, 48
69		-	for program administration, promotion and recruitment activities. 49
70		-	(e) Not later than January 1, 2027, and annually thereafter, the 50 Substitute Bill No. 6886
	54	+	loan reimbursement program by providing health care services for a 24
	55	+	nonprofit organization or municipal government in an area of the state 25
	56	+	designated by the federal Health Resources and Services 26
	57	+	Administration as a health professional shortage area, a medically 27
	58	+	underserved area or an area with medically underserved populations. 28
	59	+	(3) Each participant in the program shall annually submit to the 29
	60	+	Office of Higher Education, in a manner prescribed by the commissioner 30
	61	+	(A) a statement from a student loan servicer that includes the amounts 31
	62	+	for the outstanding loan balance for such student loan and the total of 32
	63	+	the year-to-date payments made on such student loan, and (B) a form 33
	64	+	documenting the number of volunteer hours completed and the nature 34
	65	+	of the health care services provided by such participant that is signed by 35
	66	+	an employee of the nonprofit organization or municipal government for 36
	67	+	which such participant volunteered. 37
	68	+	(4) The Office of Higher Education shall reimburse each program 38
	69	+	participant who meets the requirements of this section for student loan 39
	70	+	payments in an amount not to exceed five thousand dollars, annually. 40
	71	+	(d) The Office of Higher Education may use up to two and one-half 41
	72	+	per cent of the funds appropriated for purposes of this section, annually, 42
	73	+	for program administration, promotion and recruitment activities. 43
	74	+	(e) Not later than January 1, 2027, and annually thereafter, the 44
	75	+	Raised Bill No. 6886
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73		-	LCO 3 of 3
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75		-	Commissioner of Higher Education shall report, in accordance with the 51
76		-	provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes, to the joint standing 52
77		-	committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters 53
78		-	relating to higher education and employment advancement and 54
79		-	appropriations and the budgets of state agencies on the operation and 55
80		-	effectiveness of the program and any recommendations to expand the 56
81		-	program. 57
	79	+	LCO No. 4312 3 of 3
	80	+
	81	+	Commissioner of Higher Education shall report, in accordance with the 45
	82	+	provisions of section 11-4a of the general statutes, to the joint standing 46
	83	+	committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters 47
	84	+	relating to higher education and employment advancement and 48
	85	+	appropriations and the budgets of state agencies on the operation and 49
	86	+	effectiveness of the program and any recommendations to expand the 50
	87	+	program. 51
82	88		This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
83	89		sections:
84	90
85	91		Section 1 July 1, 2025 New section
86	92
87		-	Statement of Legislative Commissioners:
88		-	In Subsec. (c)(2), Subpara. designators (A) and (B) were added for
89		-	clarity.
	93	+	Statement of Purpose:
	94	+	To establish a student loan reimbursement program for nurses who
	95	+	volunteer not fewer than fifty hours in a year providing health care
	96	+	services in a designated health care professional shortage area,
	97	+	medically underserved area or an area with medically underserved
	98	+	populations.
90	99
91		-	HED Joint Favorable Subst.
	100	+	[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
	101	+	that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
	102	+	underlined.]
92	103