25 LC 52 0789
House Bill 659
By: Representatives Greene of the 154
th
, Taylor of the 173
rd
, Hawkins of the 27
th
, Jasperse
of the 11
th
, and Hagan of the 156
th
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Chapter 34 of Title 31 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to
1
medical professionals for rural assistance, so as to expand medical education funding and the2
service cancelable loan program to include optometrists; to provide for related matters; to3
repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.4
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:5
SECTION 1.6
Chapter 34 of Title 31 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to medical7
professionals for rural assistance, is amended by revising Code Section 31-34-2, relating to8
purpose and intent of article, as follows:9
"31-34-2.10
It is the purpose of this article to increase the number of physicians, dentists, optometrists,
11
physician assistants, and advanced practice registered nurses in underserved rural areas of12
Georgia by making loans to physicians, dentists, optometrists, physician assistants, and13
advanced practice registered nurses who have completed their medical or health care14
education and to dental students and allowing such loans to be repaid by such physicians,15
dentists, optometrists, physician assistants, advanced practice registered nurses, and dental16
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students agreeing to practice medicine or provide health care services in such rural areas
17
and by making grants to hospitals and, as determined by the Georgia Board of Health Care18
Workforce, other health care entities, local governments, and civic organizations in19
underserved rural areas of Georgia that agree to provide matching funds to the grant, with20
the intent to enhance recruitment efforts in bringing physicians, dentists, optometrists,
21
physician assistants, and advanced practice registered nurses to such areas. It is the intent22
of the General Assembly that if funds are available to the Georgia Board of Health Care23
Workforce to make loans, grants, or scholarships under this article or under other24
applicable state law, the Georgia Board of Health Care Workforce shall give priority to25
loans and scholarships under Part 6 of Article 7 of Chapter 3 of Title 20 and to loans under26
Code Section 31-34-4."27
SECTION 2.28
Said chapter is further amended by revising paragraph (1) of subsection (a) and paragraph (1)29
of subsection (c) of Code Section 31-34-4, relating to loan applicant qualifications and rules30
and regulations, as follows:31
"(a)(1) A physician, dentist, optometrist, physician assistant, or advanced practice32
registered nurse who receives a loan under the program provided for in this article shall33
be a citizen or national of the United States licensed to practice his or her health care34
profession within the State of Georgia at the time the loan is made, and shall be a35
graduate of an accredited graduate medical education program or other applicable36
accredited health care education program located in the United States which has received37
accreditation or provisional accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Graduate38
Medical Education, or the American Osteopathic Association, or such other applicable39
accreditation for other health care education programs, as determined by the board."40
"(c)(1) The board is authorized to consider, among other criteria for granting loans under41
the provisions of this article, the state residency status and home area of the applying42
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physician, dentist, optometrist, physician assistant, or advanced practice registered nurse43
and to give priority to those applicants who are physicians, dentists, optometrists,44
physician assistants, and advanced practice registered nurses actively practicing or45
beginning active practice in specialties experiencing shortages or distribution problems46
in rural areas of this state as determined by the board pursuant to rules and regulations47
adopted by it in accordance with this article."48
SECTION 3.49
Said chapter is further amended by revising subsections (a) and (b) of Code Section50
31-34-4.1, relating to grants to hospitals and other entities, use of funds, and rules and51
regulations authorized, as follows:52
"(a) After providing priority consideration to granting loans pursuant to Code Section53
31-34-4, the board is authorized to make grants to hospitals and, as determined by the54
board, other health care entities, local governments, and civic organizations in underserved55
rural areas of Georgia, provided that any such hospital, health care entity, local56
government, or civic organization matches such grant in an amount not less than such57
grant. Such grants shall be for the purpose of enhancing recruitment efforts in bringing58
physicians, dentists, optometrists, physician assistants, and advanced practice registered59
nurses to such areas.60
(b) Acceptable expenditures of grant funds by a hospital or other health care entity, local61
government, or civic organization include, but are not limited to, medical or health care62
education loan repayment, salary supplements for physicians, dentists, optometrists,63
physician assistants, and advanced practice registered nurses, and additional support staff64
for a physician's, dentist's, optometrist's, physician assistant's, or advanced practice65
registered nurse's office. Grant funds shall not be used for hiring or paying a recruiting66
firm or individual recruiter."67
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SECTION 4.
68
Said chapter is further amended by revising Code Section 31-34-5, relating to service69
cancelable loan, amount, repayment, and determination of underserved rural areas, as70
follows:71
"31-34-5.72
(a)(1) The board shall have the authority to grant to each applicant approved by the board73
on a one-year renewable basis a service cancelable loan for a period not exceeding four74
years; provided, however, that,
for applicants that who are dental students, service75
cancelable loans shall be for a period of four years. The amount of the loan shall be76
determined by the board, but such amount shall be related to the applicant's outstanding77
obligations incurred as a direct result of completing medical or health care education and78
training.79
(2) A loan or loans to each approved applicant shall be granted on the condition that the80
full amount of the loan or loans shall be repaid to the State of Georgia in services to be81
rendered by the applicant's practicing his or her profession in a board approved physician,82
dentist, optometrist, physician assistant, or advanced practice registered nurse83
underserved rural area of Georgia. For each full year of practicing his or her profession84
in such underserved rural area, the physician, dentist, optometrist, physician assistant, or85
advanced practice registered nurse who obtained the loan shall receive credit for the full86
amount of one year's loan plus regular interest which accrued on such amount.87
(b)(1) The board shall have the authority to make grants to each applicant hospital or88
other health care entity, local government, or civic organization approved by the board89
on a yearly basis, renewable each year at the discretion of the board. The amount of the90
grant shall be determined by the board, but such amount shall be related to and shall not91
exceed the applicant's proposed expenditures to enhance recruitment efforts in bringing92
one or more physicians, dentists, optometrists, physician assistants, or advanced practice93
registered nurses to the underserved rural area.94
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(2) A grant to an approved applicant shall be made on any condition or conditions
95
determined by the board, which may include, but not be limited to, that one or more96
physicians, dentists, optometrists,
physician assistants, or advanced practice registered97
nurses are employed and retained in the underserved rural area for a prescribed minimum98
length of time.99
(c) In making a determination of physician, dentist, optometrist, physician assistant, or100
advanced practice registered nurse underserved rural areas of Georgia, the board shall seek101
the advice and assistance of the Department of Public Health, the University of Georgia102
Cooperative Extension Service, the Department of Community Affairs, and such other103
public or private associations or organizations as the board determines to be of assistance104
in making such determinations. Criteria to determine physician, dentist, optometrist,105
physician assistant, or advanced practice registered nurse underserved rural areas shall106
include, but shall not be limited to, relevant statistical data related to the following:107
(1) The ratio of physicians, dentists, optometrists, physician assistants, or advanced108
practice registered nurses to population in the area;109
(2) Indications of the health status of the population in the area;110
(3) The poverty level and dependent age groups of the population in the area;111
(4) Indications of community support for more physicians, dentists, optometrists,112
physician assistants, or advanced practice registered nurses in the area; and113
(5) Indications that access to the physician's, dentist's, optometrist's, physician assistant's,114
or advanced practice registered nurse's services is available to every person in the115
underserved area regardless of ability to pay."116
SECTION 5.117
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.118
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