25.159.9 100th Legislative Session 86
2025 South Dakota Legislature
Senate Bill 86
Introduced by: Senator Davis
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An Act to expand eligibility for the rural recruitment assistance program to include 1
chiropractors and optometrists. 2
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF SOUTH DAKOTA: 3
Section 1. That § 34-12G-1 be AMENDED: 4
34-12G-1. The Department of Health may establish a program to assist rural 5
communities in recruiting physicians, dentists, physician assistants, certified nurse 6
practitioners, and certified nurse midwives the following health care professionals: 7
(1) Certified nurse midwives; 8
(2) Certified nurse practitioners; 9
(3) Chiropractors; 10
(4) Dentists; 11
(5) Optometrists; 12
(6) Physicians; and 13
(7) Physician assistants. 14
Section 2. That § 34-12G-3 be AMENDED: 15
34-12G-3. A physician is eligible to participate in the recruitment assistance 16
program established pursuant to §§ 34-12G-1 to 34-12G-9, inclusive, if the physician is 17
licensed to practice medicine pursuant to chapter 36-4 and has completed an accredited 18
residency program in family practice, pediatrics, internal medicine, or 19
obstetrics/gynecology obstetrics and gynecology, and if the physician agrees to practice 20
in an eligible rural community for a minimum period of three years. No more than fifteen 21
physicians may participate in the program at any specified one time. Preference shall must 22
be given to physicians who have graduated from the University of South Dakota School of 23
Medicine and completed an accredited residency program located in South Dakota this 24
state. 25 25.159.9 2 86
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A dentist is eligible to participate in the recruitment assistance program established 1
pursuant to §§ 34-12G-1 to 34-12G-9, inclusive, if the dentist is licensed to practice 2
dentistry pursuant to chapter 36-6A and agrees to practice general or pediatric dentistry 3
in an eligible rural community for a minimum period of three years. No more than five 4
dentists may participate in the program at any specified time. 5
A physician assistant, certified nurse practitioner, or certified nurse midwife is 6
eligible to participate in the recruitment assistance program established pursuant to 7
§§ 34-12G-1 to 34-12G-9, inclusive, if the physician assistant, certified nurse practitioner, 8
or certified nurse midwife is licensed to practice pursuant to chapter 36-4A or chapter 36-9
9A, respectively, and has completed an accredited physician assistant, certified nurse 10
practitioner, or certified nurse midwife program and if the person agrees to practice as a 11
primary care physician assistant, family certified nurse practitioner, or certified nurse 12
midwife in an eligible rural community for a minimum period of three years. 13
A certified registered nurse anesthetist is eligible to participate in the recruitment 14
assistance program established pursuant to §§ 34-12G-1 to 34-12G-9, inclusive, if the 15
nurse is authorized to practice the nursing specialty of nurse anesthesia, as described in 16
§ 36-9-3.1, and agrees to practice as a certified registered nurse anesthetist in an eligible 17
rural community for a minimum period of three years. 18
No more than a cumulative total of fifteen physician assistants, certified nurse 19
practitioners, certified nurse midwives, or certified registered nurse anesthetists may 20
participate in the program at any specified time. 21
Section 3. That a NEW SECTION be added to chapter 34-12G: 22
A dentist is eligible to participate in the recruitment assistance program established 23
pursuant to §§ 34-12G-1 to 34-12G-9, inclusive, if the dentist is licensed to practice 24
dentistry pursuant to chapter 36-6A and agrees to practice general or pediatric dentistry 25
in an eligible rural community for a minimum period of three years. No more than five 26
dentists may participate in the program at any one time. 27
Section 4. That a NEW SECTION be added to chapter 34-12G: 28
A chiropractor is eligible to participate in the recruitment assistance program 29
established pursuant to §§ 34-12G-1 to 34-12G-9, inclusive, if the chiropractor is licensed 30
pursuant to chapter 36-5 and agrees to a general practice in an eligible rural community 31
for a minimum period of three years. No more than two chiropractors may participate in 32
the program at any one time. 33 25.159.9 3 86
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Section 5. That a NEW SECTION be added to chapter 34-12G: 1
An optometrist is eligible to participate in the recruitment assistance program 2
established pursuant to §§ 34-12G-1 to 34-12G-9, inclusive, if the optometrist is licensed 3
pursuant to chapter 36-7 and agrees to a general practice in an eligible rural community 4
for a minimum period of three years. No more than two optometrists may participate in 5
the program at any one time. 6
Section 6. That a NEW SECTION be added to chapter 34-12G: 7
A physician assistant, certified nurse practitioner, certified nurse midwife, or 8
certified registered nurse anesthetist is eligible to participate in the recruitment assistance 9
program established pursuant to §§ 34-12G-1 to 34-12G-9, inclusive, if: 10
(1) The physician assistant: 11
(a) Is licensed to practice pursuant to chapter 36-4A and has completed an 12
accredited physician assistant program; and 13
(b) Agrees to practice as a primary care physician assistant in an eligible rural 14
community for a minimum period of three years; 15
(2) The certified nurse practitioner or certified nurse midwife: 16
(a) Is licensed to practice pursuant to chapter 36-9A and has completed an 17
accredited certified nurse practitioner or certified nurse midwife program; 18
and 19
(b) Agrees to practice as a family certified nurse practitioner or a certified nurse 20
midwife in an eligible rural community for a minimum period of three years; 21
or 22
(3) The certified registered nurse anesthetist: 23
(a) Is authorized to practice the nursing specialty of nurse anesthesia, as 24
described in § 36-9-3.1; and 25
(b) Agrees to practice as a certified registered nurse anesthetist in an eligible 26
rural community for a minimum period of three years. 27
No more than a cumulative total of fifteen physician assistants, certified nurse 28
practitioners, certified nurse midwives, or certified registered nurse anesthetists may 29
participate in the program at any one time. 30
Section 7. That § 34-12G-4 be AMENDED: 31 25.159.9 4 86
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34-12G-4. A physician or, dentist, chiropractor, or optometrist who fulfills the 1
requirements of the recruitment assistance program established pursuant to §§ 34-12G-2
1 to 34-12G-9, inclusive, is entitled to receive an incentive payment in an amount equal 3
to twice the University of South Dakota School of Medicine resident tuition for the four 4
most recently completed academic years. 5
A physician assistant, certified nurse practitioner, or certified nurse midwife, or 6
certified registered nurse anesthetist who fulfills the requirements of the recruitment 7
assistance program established pursuant to §§ 34-12G-1 to 34-12G-9, inclusive, is 8
entitled to receive an incentive payment in an amount equal to twice the University of 9
South Dakota resident tuition for physician assistant studies for the three most recently 10
completed academic years. 11
Section 8. That § 34-12G-5 be AMENDED: 12
34-12G-5. Any agreement for the payment of A rural community participating in 13
the recruitment assistance pursuant to §§ 34-12G-1 to 34-12G-9, inclusive, shall obligate 14
the rural community to be served by a physician, dentist, physician assistant, certified 15
nurse practitioner, or certified nurse midwife to must provide a portion of the total amount 16
of the incentive payment for the health care professional who agrees to serve the 17
community, based on the following criteria: communities 18
(1) A community of two thousand five hundred persons or less fewer shall provide 19
twenty-five percent of incentive payments; communities 20
(2) A community of more than two thousand five hundred persons and less fewer than 21
five thousand persons shall provide fifty percent of incentive payments; and all 22
remaining eligible communities 23
(3) A community of more than five thousand persons shall provide seventy-five 24
percent of incentive payments. 25
When the rural community certifies to the secretary of health that it has paid the 26
full amount for which it is obligated, the secretary of the Department of Health shall pay 27
to the physician, dentist, physician assistant, certified nurse practitioner, or certified nurse 28
midwife health care professional the remaining balance of the total incentive payment 29
amount. The secretary shall pay the required amount out of funds appropriated by the 30
Legislature for such that purpose. The incentive payment shall must be paid upon 31
completion of the required three-year practice period by the physician, dentist, physician 32
assistant, certified nurse practitioner, or certified nurse midwife health care professional. 33 25.159.9 5 86
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However, a A community may pay its portion of the incentive payment at any time during 1
the three-year period. 2