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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
5 Veterinary Student Loan Repayment Program Act.
 
6     Section 15. Definitions. In this Act:
7     "College" means the College of Veterinary Medicine of the
8 University of Illinois.
9     "Program" means the Veterinary Student Loan Repayment
10 Program established under this Act.
11     "University" means the University of Illinois.
 
12     Section 20. Veterinary Student Loan Repayment Program.
13     (a) There is hereby created a veterinary training program
14 for large animal and public health veterinary medicine, which
15 shall be known as the Veterinary Student Loan Repayment Program
16 and administered through the University of Illinois.
17     (b) The purpose of the Program is to provide encouragement,
18 opportunities, and incentives for persons pursuing a
19 veterinary medicine degree program at the University of
20 Illinois to engage, upon completion of such education program,
21 in (i) veterinary practice that is at least 51% devoted to
22 large animal medicine that enhances agricultural animal health

 

 

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1 and productivity or (ii) regulatory veterinary medicine that
2 supports public health and safety, livestock biosecurity, or
3 food animal disease diagnosis.
4     (c) Subject to appropriation and upon recommendation of the
5 College, the University may enter into a program agreement with
6 up to 4 veterinary students during the first year of operation
7 of the Program; up to 8 veterinary students during the second
8 year of operation of the Program; up to 12 veterinary students
9 during the third year of operation of the Program; and up to 16
10 veterinary students during the fourth year of operation of the
11 Program and every year thereafter until the expiration of the
12 Program, as set forth in Section 40 of this Act. Preference
13 must be given to those students who are Illinois residents.
14 Each student entering into a program agreement shall receive a
15 loan in the amount of $20,000 per year to cover tuition, books,
16 supplies and other school expenses and travel and training
17 expenses incurred by the student in pursuing a veterinary
18 medicine degree. A student may be the recipient of a loan under
19 the Program for no more than 4 years.
20     (d) Upon the satisfaction of all commitments made under the
21 Program and all provisions of the program agreement, all loans
22 disbursed to a student under the Program shall be deemed
23 satisfied and forgiven.
 
24     Section 25. Program agreement.
25     (a) Prior to receiving a loan under the Program, each loan

 

 

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1 recipient must sign an agreement pledging that he or she shall:
2         (1) complete the veterinary medicine degree program at
3     the College;
4         (2) complete all advanced training in public health,
5     livestock biosecurity, foreign animal disease diagnosis,
6     regulatory veterinary medicine and zoonotic disease and
7     complete an externship and mentorship with a licensed,
8     accredited veterinarian in Illinois who practices in one of
9     the areas of veterinary service need identified in this Act
10     and as required by the University;
11         (3) engage in the full-time practice of veterinary
12     medicine in any of the identified areas of veterinary
13     service need identified in this Act;
14         (4) practice full-time for a period of at least 12
15     continuous months for each separate year that he or she
16     received a loan under the Program, unless such obligation
17     is otherwise satisfied as provided in this Act; and
18         (5) commence the full-time practice required under
19     this Section within 180 days after completion of his or her
20     degree program or, if he or she enters a post-degree
21     training program such as a graduate school or internship or
22     residency program, within 90 days after completion of that
23     post-degree training program.
24     (b) The fulfillment of obligations set forth in the program
25 agreement may be postponed under any of the following
26 circumstances:

 

 

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1         (1) Any period of temporary medical disability during
2     which the loan recipient is unable to practice veterinary
3     medicine due to such disability.
4         (2) Any period of time in which the loan recipient is
5     engaged in mandatory military service as part of the U.S.
6     Armed Forces.
7         (3) Any other period of postponement agreed to or
8     determined in accordance with criteria agreed to in the
9     program agreement.
10     (c) The obligations of a program agreement shall be
11 discharged prematurely upon the death of the loan recipient or
12 in the event that the loan recipient is unable to practice
13 veterinary medicine due to permanent disability.
 
14     Section 30. Failure to satisfy program agreement. Upon the
15 failure of a loan recipient to satisfy the obligations set
16 forth in the program agreement, he or she must repay to the
17 University the amount equal to the amount loaned to the
18 recipient less a prorated amount based on any periods of
19 practice of veterinary medicine meeting the requirements of the
20 program agreement, plus interest at a rate of 18% interest per
21 year beginning on the date of the failure to satisfy the
22 program requirement. Such interest shall be compounded
23 annually.
 
24     Section 35. Collected payments. Payments received by the

 

 

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1 University in accordance with this Act shall be deposited with
2 the University for the purpose of supporting the Program, which
3 shall include providing funding for additional loans as
4 provided for under this Act, and administrative costs
5 associated with administering the Program.
 
6     Section 40. Expiration of Program. The University may not
7 enter into any program agreement under the Program or the
8 provisions of this Act after July 1, 2019. All program
9 agreements entered into prior to July 1, 2019 shall continue in
10 full force and effect, subject to the requirements of this Act.
 
11     Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
12 becoming law.