Georgia 2025-2026 Regular Session

Georgia House Bill HB659 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	25 LC 52 0789
2	2	House Bill 659
3	3	By: Representatives Greene of the 154
4	4	th
5	5	, Taylor of the 173
6	6	rd
7	7	, Hawkins of the 27
8	8	th
9	9	, Jasperse
10	10	of the 11
11	11	th
12	12	, and Hagan of the 156
13	13	th
14	14
15	15	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
16	16	AN ACT
17	17	To amend Chapter 34 of Title 31 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to
18	18	1
19	19	medical professionals for rural assistance, so as to expand medical education funding and the2
20	20	service cancelable loan program to include optometrists; to provide for related matters; to3
21	21	repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.4
22	22	BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:5
23	23	SECTION 1.6
24	24	Chapter 34 of Title 31 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to medical7
25	25	professionals for rural assistance, is amended by revising Code Section 31-34-2, relating to8
26	26	purpose and intent of article, as follows:9
27	27	"31-34-2.10
28	28	It is the purpose of this article to increase the number of physicians, dentists, optometrists,
29	29	11
30	30	physician assistants, and advanced practice registered nurses in underserved rural areas of12
31	31	Georgia by making loans to physicians, dentists, optometrists, physician assistants, and13
32	32	advanced practice registered nurses who have completed their medical or health care14
33	33	education and to dental students and allowing such loans to be repaid by such physicians,15
34	34	dentists, optometrists, physician assistants, advanced practice registered nurses, and dental16
35	35	H. B. 659
36	36	- 1 - 25 LC 52 0789
37	37	students agreeing to practice medicine or provide health care services in such rural areas
38	38	17
39	39	and by making grants to hospitals and, as determined by the Georgia Board of Health Care18
40	40	Workforce, other health care entities, local governments, and civic organizations in19
41	41	underserved rural areas of Georgia that agree to provide matching funds to the grant, with20
42	42	the intent to enhance recruitment efforts in bringing physicians, dentists, optometrists,
43	43	21
44	44	physician assistants, and advanced practice registered nurses to such areas. It is the intent22
45	45	of the General Assembly that if funds are available to the Georgia Board of Health Care23
46	46	Workforce to make loans, grants, or scholarships under this article or under other24
47	47	applicable state law, the Georgia Board of Health Care Workforce shall give priority to25
48	48	loans and scholarships under Part 6 of Article 7 of Chapter 3 of Title 20 and to loans under26
49	49	Code Section 31-34-4."27
50	50	SECTION 2.28
51	51	Said chapter is further amended by revising paragraph (1) of subsection (a) and paragraph (1)29
52	52	of subsection (c) of Code Section 31-34-4, relating to loan applicant qualifications and rules30
53	53	and regulations, as follows:31
54	54	"(a)(1) A physician, dentist, optometrist, physician assistant, or advanced practice32
55	55	registered nurse who receives a loan under the program provided for in this article shall33
56	56	be a citizen or national of the United States licensed to practice his or her health care34
57	57	profession within the State of Georgia at the time the loan is made, and shall be a35
58	58	graduate of an accredited graduate medical education program or other applicable36
59	59	accredited health care education program located in the United States which has received37
60	60	accreditation or provisional accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Graduate38
61	61	Medical Education, or the American Osteopathic Association, or such other applicable39
62	62	accreditation for other health care education programs, as determined by the board."40
63	63	"(c)(1) The board is authorized to consider, among other criteria for granting loans under41
64	64	the provisions of this article, the state residency status and home area of the applying42
65	65	H. B. 659
66	66	- 2 - 25 LC 52 0789
67	67	physician, dentist, optometrist, physician assistant, or advanced practice registered nurse43
68	68	and to give priority to those applicants who are physicians, dentists, optometrists,44
69	69	physician assistants, and advanced practice registered nurses actively practicing or45
70	70	beginning active practice in specialties experiencing shortages or distribution problems46
71	71	in rural areas of this state as determined by the board pursuant to rules and regulations47
72	72	adopted by it in accordance with this article."48
73	73	SECTION 3.49
74	74	Said chapter is further amended by revising subsections (a) and (b) of Code Section50
75	75	31-34-4.1, relating to grants to hospitals and other entities, use of funds, and rules and51
76	76	regulations authorized, as follows:52
77	77	"(a) After providing priority consideration to granting loans pursuant to Code Section53
78	78	31-34-4, the board is authorized to make grants to hospitals and, as determined by the54
79	79	board, other health care entities, local governments, and civic organizations in underserved55
80	80	rural areas of Georgia, provided that any such hospital, health care entity, local56
81	81	government, or civic organization matches such grant in an amount not less than such57
82	82	grant. Such grants shall be for the purpose of enhancing recruitment efforts in bringing58
83	83	physicians, dentists, optometrists, physician assistants, and advanced practice registered59
84	84	nurses to such areas.60
85	85	(b) Acceptable expenditures of grant funds by a hospital or other health care entity, local61
86	86	government, or civic organization include, but are not limited to, medical or health care62
87	87	education loan repayment, salary supplements for physicians, dentists, optometrists,63
88	88	physician assistants, and advanced practice registered nurses, and additional support staff64
89	89	for a physician's, dentist's, optometrist's, physician assistant's, or advanced practice65
90	90	registered nurse's office. Grant funds shall not be used for hiring or paying a recruiting66
91	91	firm or individual recruiter."67
92	92	H. B. 659
93	93	- 3 - 25 LC 52 0789
94	94	SECTION 4.
95	95	68
96	96	Said chapter is further amended by revising Code Section 31-34-5, relating to service69
97	97	cancelable loan, amount, repayment, and determination of underserved rural areas, as70
98	98	follows:71
99	99	"31-34-5.72
100	100	(a)(1) The board shall have the authority to grant to each applicant approved by the board73
101	101	on a one-year renewable basis a service cancelable loan for a period not exceeding four74
102	102	years; provided, however, that,
103	103	for applicants that who are dental students, service75
104	104	cancelable loans shall be for a period of four years. The amount of the loan shall be76
105	105	determined by the board, but such amount shall be related to the applicant's outstanding77
106	106	obligations incurred as a direct result of completing medical or health care education and78
107	107	training.79
108	108	(2) A loan or loans to each approved applicant shall be granted on the condition that the80
109	109	full amount of the loan or loans shall be repaid to the State of Georgia in services to be81
110	110	rendered by the applicant's practicing his or her profession in a board approved physician,82
111	111	dentist, optometrist, physician assistant, or advanced practice registered nurse83
112	112	underserved rural area of Georgia. For each full year of practicing his or her profession84
113	113	in such underserved rural area, the physician, dentist, optometrist, physician assistant, or85
114	114	advanced practice registered nurse who obtained the loan shall receive credit for the full86
115	115	amount of one year's loan plus regular interest which accrued on such amount.87
116	116	(b)(1) The board shall have the authority to make grants to each applicant hospital or88
117	117	other health care entity, local government, or civic organization approved by the board89
118	118	on a yearly basis, renewable each year at the discretion of the board. The amount of the90
119	119	grant shall be determined by the board, but such amount shall be related to and shall not91
120	120	exceed the applicant's proposed expenditures to enhance recruitment efforts in bringing92
121	121	one or more physicians, dentists, optometrists, physician assistants, or advanced practice93
122	122	registered nurses to the underserved rural area.94
123	123	H. B. 659
124	124	- 4 - 25 LC 52 0789
125	125	(2) A grant to an approved applicant shall be made on any condition or conditions
126	126	95
127	127	determined by the board, which may include, but not be limited to, that one or more96
128	128	physicians, dentists, optometrists,
129	129	physician assistants, or advanced practice registered97
130	130	nurses are employed and retained in the underserved rural area for a prescribed minimum98
131	131	length of time.99
132	132	(c) In making a determination of physician, dentist, optometrist, physician assistant, or100
133	133	advanced practice registered nurse underserved rural areas of Georgia, the board shall seek101
134	134	the advice and assistance of the Department of Public Health, the University of Georgia102
135	135	Cooperative Extension Service, the Department of Community Affairs, and such other103
136	136	public or private associations or organizations as the board determines to be of assistance104
137	137	in making such determinations. Criteria to determine physician, dentist, optometrist,105
138	138	physician assistant, or advanced practice registered nurse underserved rural areas shall106
139	139	include, but shall not be limited to, relevant statistical data related to the following:107
140	140	(1) The ratio of physicians, dentists, optometrists, physician assistants, or advanced108
141	141	practice registered nurses to population in the area;109
142	142	(2) Indications of the health status of the population in the area;110
143	143	(3) The poverty level and dependent age groups of the population in the area;111
144	144	(4) Indications of community support for more physicians, dentists, optometrists,112
145	145	physician assistants, or advanced practice registered nurses in the area; and113
146	146	(5) Indications that access to the physician's, dentist's, optometrist's, physician assistant's,114
147	147	or advanced practice registered nurse's services is available to every person in the115
148	148	underserved area regardless of ability to pay."116
149	149	SECTION 5.117
150	150	All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.118
151	151	H. B. 659
152	152	- 5 -