LCO No. 1603 1 of 2 General Assembly Proposed Bill No. 704 January Session, 2025 LCO No. 1603 Referred to Committee on PUBLIC HEALTH Introduced by: SEN. GORDON, 35th Dist. AN ACT ESTABLISHING A LOAN FORGIVENESS PROGRAM AND A TUITION PAYMENT PROGRAM FOR HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened: That the general statutes be amended to establish (1) a loan 1 forgiveness program that forgives up to fifty thousand dollars of 2 graduate school loans for health care professionals who (A) are not 3 participating in another state or federal loan forgiveness or loan 4 reimbursement program, (B) obtain and maintain licensure as a health 5 care professional by the Department of Public Health, and (C) agree to 6 work in the state for a minimum of four years of full-time work or a 7 minimum of eight years of part-time work as a health care professional 8 in a rural or other underserved area or in a health care field with a 9 workforce shortage, and (2) a tuition payment program for students 10 enrolled in a graduate degree or graduate certificate program in a health 11 care related field of an amount up to the cost of tuition for such program, 12 provided such students (A) are not participating in another state or 13 federal loan forgiveness or loan reimbursement program, and (B) agree 14 to work in the state for a minimum of four years of full-time work or a 15 Proposed Bill No. 704 LCO No. 1603 2 of 2 minimum of eight years of part-time work as a health care professional 16 in a rural or other underserved area or in a health care field with a 17 workforce shortage. 18 Statement of Purpose: To address the shortage of health care professionals in rural and underserved areas in the state.