| 6 | 6 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 7 | 7 | | AN ACT |
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| 8 | 8 | | To amend Chapter 10 of Title 49 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the |
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| 9 | 9 | | 1 |
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| 10 | 10 | | Georgia Board of Health Care Workforce, so as to provide for student loan repayment for2 |
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| 11 | 11 | | mental health and substance use professionals serving in certain capacities; to provide for3 |
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| 12 | 12 | | definitions; to authorize the board to approve applications; to provide for eligibility4 |
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| 13 | 13 | | requirements; to provide for loan repayment agreements and conditions; to provide for rules5 |
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| 14 | 14 | | and regulations; to provide for appropriations contingency; to provide for related matters; to6 |
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| 15 | 15 | | repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.7 |
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| 16 | 16 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:8 |
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| 17 | 17 | | SECTION 1.9 |
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| 18 | 18 | | Chapter 10 of Title 49 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the Georgia10 |
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| 19 | 19 | | Board of Health Care Workforce, is amended by adding a new Code section to read as11 |
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| 20 | 20 | | follows:12 |
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| 21 | 21 | | "49-10-7. |
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| 22 | 22 | | 13 |
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| 23 | 23 | | (a) As used in this Code section, the term:14 |
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| 24 | 24 | | (1) 'Eligible applicant' means a person who:15 |
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| 25 | 25 | | S. B. 480 |
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| 26 | 26 | | - 1 - 24 LC 33 9611 |
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| 27 | 27 | | (A) Is a legal resident of the State of Georgia as established by rules and regulations16 |
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| 28 | 28 | | of the board;17 |
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| 29 | 29 | | (B) Is a mental health or substance use professional licensed in this state; and18 |
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| 30 | 30 | | (C)(i) Provides services to underserved youth in this state; or19 |
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| 31 | 31 | | (ii) Practices in unserved geographic areas or communities in this state that are20 |
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| 32 | 32 | | disproportionately impacted by social determinants of health, as determined by the21 |
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| 33 | 33 | | board.22 |
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| 34 | 34 | | (2) 'Mental health or substance use professional' means a psychiatrist, psychologist,23 |
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| 35 | 35 | | professional counselor, social worker, marriage and family therapist, clinical nurse24 |
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| 36 | 36 | | specialist in psychiatric/mental health, or other licensed mental or behavioral health25 |
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| 37 | 37 | | clinician or specialist.26 |
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| 38 | 38 | | (3) 'Recipient' means an eligible applicant who applied for and was approved by the27 |
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| 39 | 39 | | board for student loan repayment under this Code section.28 |
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| 40 | 40 | | (4) 'Student loan' means debt incurred by an eligible applicant that is:29 |
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| 41 | 41 | | (A) Evidenced by a promissory note which required the funds received to be used to30 |
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| 42 | 42 | | pay for the cost of attendance for the undergraduate, graduate, or professional education31 |
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| 43 | 43 | | of the eligible applicant;32 |
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| 44 | 44 | | (B) Not in default at the time of application for repayment under this Code section; and33 |
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| 45 | 45 | | (C) Not subject to an existing service obligation or to repayment through another34 |
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| 46 | 46 | | student loan repayment or loan forgiveness program or as a condition of employment.35 |
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| 47 | 47 | | (b) The board shall have the authority to approve the applications of eligible applicants36 |
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| 48 | 48 | | submitted in accordance with rules and regulations established by the board governing the37 |
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| 49 | 49 | | student loan repayment application process.38 |
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| 50 | 50 | | (c) The board is authorized to provide for the repayment of student loans held by recipients39 |
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| 51 | 51 | | in consideration of the recipient performing services as a mental health or substance use40 |
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| 52 | 52 | | professional in accordance with subparagraph (a)(1)(C) of this Code section.41 |
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| 53 | 53 | | S. B. 480 |
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| 54 | 54 | | - 2 - 24 LC 33 9611 |
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| 55 | 55 | | (d)(1) Each recipient before being granted any student loan repayment shall enter into42 |
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| 56 | 56 | | a student loan repayment agreement with the board agreeing to the terms and conditions43 |
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| 57 | 57 | | upon which the student loan repayment is granted, including such terms and conditions44 |
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| 58 | 58 | | set forth in this Code section.45 |
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| 59 | 59 | | (2) The board shall have the power to terminate a student loan repayment agreement at46 |
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| 60 | 60 | | any time for any cause deemed sufficient by the board, provided that such power shall not47 |
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| 61 | 61 | | be arbitrarily or unreasonably exercised.48 |
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| 62 | 62 | | (e) Each student loan repayment agreement entered into under the authority granted in this49 |
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| 63 | 63 | | Code section shall:50 |
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| 64 | 64 | | (1) Provide for repayment of the recipient's student loans in a total amount to be51 |
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| 65 | 65 | | determined by the board, but not exceeding the total student loan debt of the recipient,52 |
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| 66 | 66 | | to be paid out in installments made each 12 months over a term of not more than five53 |
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| 67 | 67 | | years. A student loan repayment made pursuant to this Code section shall be paid in such54 |
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| 68 | 68 | | manner as the board shall establish by rules and regulations;55 |
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| 69 | 69 | | (2) Provide that any payment made by the board under a student loan repayment56 |
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| 70 | 70 | | agreement shall be made in consideration of services rendered by the recipient57 |
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| 71 | 71 | | performing services as a mental health or substance use professional in accordance with58 |
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| 72 | 72 | | subparagraph (a)(1)(C) of this Code section;59 |
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| 73 | 73 | | (3) Provide that the board shall make a payment toward the recipient's student loans, in60 |
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| 74 | 74 | | an amount set forth in the agreement, for each 12 months the recipient performs services61 |
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| 75 | 75 | | as a mental health or substance use professional in accordance with62 |
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| 76 | 76 | | subparagraph (a)(1)(C) of this Code section; and63 |
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| 77 | 77 | | (4) Require that the recipient shall remain a legal resident of the state as established by64 |
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| 78 | 78 | | rules and regulations of the board; maintain licensure in this state as a mental health or65 |
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| 79 | 79 | | substance use professional; and perform services as a mental health or substance use66 |
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| 80 | 80 | | professional in accordance with subparagraph (a)(1)(C) of this Code section at all times67 |
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| 81 | 81 | | during the term of the agreement.68 |
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| 82 | 82 | | S. B. 480 |
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| 83 | 83 | | - 3 - 24 LC 33 9611 |
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| 84 | 84 | | (f) The board shall adopt such rules and regulations as are reasonable and necessary to69 |
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| 85 | 85 | | implement the provisions of this Code section.70 |
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| 86 | 86 | | (g) Student loan repayment for recipients having entered into a student loan repayment71 |
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| 87 | 87 | | agreement with the board pursuant to this Code section shall be contingent upon the72 |
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| 88 | 88 | | appropriation of funds by the General Assembly for the purposes of this Code section in73 |
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| 89 | 89 | | annual appropriations Acts of the General Assembly."74 |
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| 90 | 90 | | SECTION 2.75 |
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| 91 | 91 | | All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.76 |
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| 92 | 92 | | S. B. 480 |
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| 93 | 93 | | - 4 - |
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