|
|
|
|
SB0387 Enrolled |
|
LRB095 10642 NHT 30868 b |
|
|
| 1 |
| AN ACT concerning education.
|
| 2 |
| Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
|
| 3 |
| represented in the General Assembly:
|
| 4 |
| Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Loan |
| 5 |
| Repayment Assistance for Dentists Act.
|
| 6 |
| Section 5. Purpose. The purpose of this Act is to establish |
| 7 |
| a program in the Department of Public Health to increase the |
| 8 |
| total number of dentists and dental specialists practicing in |
| 9 |
| designated shortage areas in this State by providing |
| 10 |
| educational loan repayment assistance grants to dentists and |
| 11 |
| dental specialists.
|
| 12 |
| Section 10. Definitions. In this Act, unless the context |
| 13 |
| otherwise requires: |
| 14 |
| "Dental payments" means compensation provided to dentists |
| 15 |
| and dental specialists for services rendered under Article V of |
| 16 |
| the Illinois Public Aid Code. |
| 17 |
| "Dental specialist" means a person who has received a |
| 18 |
| license as a dentist in this State and who is trained and |
| 19 |
| qualified to practice in one or more of the following |
| 20 |
| specialties of dentistry: endodontics, oral and maxillofacial |
| 21 |
| surgery, orthodontics, pedodontics, periodontics, and |
| 22 |
| prosthodontics. |
|
|
|
SB0387 Enrolled |
- 2 - |
LRB095 10642 NHT 30868 b |
|
|
| 1 |
| "Dentist" means a person who has received a general license |
| 2 |
| pursuant to paragraph (a) of Section 11 of the Illinois Dental |
| 3 |
| Practice Act, who may perform any intraoral and extraoral |
| 4 |
| procedure required in the practice of dentistry, and to whom is |
| 5 |
| reserved the responsibilities specified in Section 17 of the |
| 6 |
| Illinois Dental Practice Act. |
| 7 |
| "Department" means the Department of Public Health. |
| 8 |
| "Designated shortage area" means a medically underserved |
| 9 |
| area or health manpower shortage area as defined by the United |
| 10 |
| States Department of Health and Human Services or as otherwise |
| 11 |
| designated by the Department of Public Health. |
| 12 |
| "Educational loans" means higher education student loans |
| 13 |
| that a person has incurred in attending a registered |
| 14 |
| professional dental education program in this State. |
| 15 |
| "Program" means the educational loan repayment assistance |
| 16 |
| program for dentists and dental specialists established by the |
| 17 |
| Department under this Act.
|
| 18 |
| Section 15. Establishment of program. The Department shall |
| 19 |
| establish an educational loan repayment assistance program for |
| 20 |
| dentists and dental specialists who practice in designated |
| 21 |
| shortage areas in this State and who accept certain dental |
| 22 |
| payments as defined under this Act. The Department shall |
| 23 |
| administer the program and make all necessary and proper rules |
| 24 |
| not inconsistent with this Act for the program's effective |
| 25 |
| implementation. The Department may use up to 5% of the |
|
|
|
SB0387 Enrolled |
- 3 - |
LRB095 10642 NHT 30868 b |
|
|
| 1 |
| appropriation for this program for administration and |
| 2 |
| promotion of dentist and dental specialist incentive programs.
|
| 3 |
| Section 20. Application. Beginning July 1, 2007, the |
| 4 |
| Department shall, each year, consider 4 applications for |
| 5 |
| assistance under the program. The form of application and the |
| 6 |
| information required to be set forth in the application shall |
| 7 |
| be determined by the Department, and the Department shall |
| 8 |
| require applicants to submit with their applications such |
| 9 |
| supporting documents as the Department deems necessary.
|
| 10 |
| Section 25. Eligibility. To be eligible for assistance |
| 11 |
| under the program, an applicant must meet all of the following |
| 12 |
| qualifications: |
| 13 |
| (1) He or she must be a citizen or permanent resident
|
| 14 |
| of the United States.
|
| 15 |
| (2) He or she must be a resident of this State. |
| 16 |
| (3) He or she must be practicing full time in
this |
| 17 |
| State as a dentist or dental specialist.
|
| 18 |
| (4) He or she must currently be repaying educational
|
| 19 |
| loans.
|
| 20 |
| (5) He or she must accept dental payments as defined in |
| 21 |
| this Act. |
| 22 |
| (6) He or she must continue full-time practice in this |
| 23 |
| State in a designated shortage area for 2 years.
|
|
|
|
SB0387 Enrolled |
- 4 - |
LRB095 10642 NHT 30868 b |
|
|
| 1 |
| Section 30. The award of grants. Under the program, for |
| 2 |
| each year that a qualified applicant practices full time in |
| 3 |
| this State in a designated shortage area as a dentist or dental |
| 4 |
| specialist, the Department shall, subject to appropriation, |
| 5 |
| award a grant to that person in an amount equal to the amount |
| 6 |
| in educational loans that the person must repay that year. |
| 7 |
| However, the total amount in grants that a person may be |
| 8 |
| awarded under the program must not exceed $25,000 per year for |
| 9 |
| a 4-year period. The Department shall require recipients to use |
| 10 |
| the grants to pay off their educational loans.
|
| 11 |
| Section 35. Penalty for failure to fulfill obligation. Loan |
| 12 |
| repayment recipients who fail to practice full time in a |
| 13 |
| designated shortage area, as provided in this Act, shall repay |
| 14 |
| the Department a sum equal to the amount received under the |
| 15 |
| program, plus interest.
|
| 16 |
| Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1, |
| 17 |
| 2007.
|