Bill Text: HI SB2388 | 2016 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: John A. Burns School of Medicine Special Fund; Loan Repayment; Physician Workforce Assessment; Fee
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 9-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2016-03-10 - Referred to HED, FIN, referral sheet 26 [SB2388 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2016-SB2388-Introduced.html
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THE SENATE |
S.B. NO. |
2388 |
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TWENTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE, 2016 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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A BILL FOR AN ACT
relating to the john a. burns school of medicine special fund.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
SECTION 1. The legislature finds that many residents of Hawaii are increasingly unable to obtain timely and appropriate health care due to the shortage of primary health care providers in the State. These shortages threaten the health of Hawaii's residents, particularly those on the neighbor islands and in rural communities, and affect state health care costs. The University of Hawaii John A. Burns school of medicine's physician workforce assessment is a valuable tool which provides ongoing assessment and planning of the physician workforce in Hawaii. Based on the data provided through the workforce assessment, the John A. Burns school of medicine educates and trains physicians in primary care and other needed specialties.
The legislature further finds that the cost of education for health care professionals continues to increase. Health care professionals with high levels of student loan debt may therefore seek out higher income specialties to better afford to repay these loans. However, these higher incomes are usually in specialty care in urban areas, rather than in medically underserved or rural areas of the State. The Hawaii state loan repayment program, which was started with private donations and matching federal funding, gives primary health care providers an incentive to provide care at designated health professional shortage areas in Hawaii in order to receive assistance with repayment of educational loan debt.
The legislature additionally finds that the John A. Burns school of medicine special fund is permitted to receive funding from a variety of sources. Expanding the purpose of the John A. Burns school of medicine special fund to encompass loan repayment for health care professionals would enable the special fund to accept moneys that may be applied toward the loan repayment program, in addition to the special fund's existing support of physician workforce assessment and planning.
Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to enable the University of Hawaii John A. Burns school of medicine to continue to evaluate Hawaii's health care needs, graduate new physicians, and accept and disburse funds toward health care student loan repayment by:
(1) Permitting moneys in the John A. Burns school of medicine special fund to be used for loan repayment for certain health care professionals and removing the cap on expenditures from the special fund; and
(2) Making permanent the physician workforce assessment fee and related requirements for use of moneys in the John A. Burns school of medicine special fund.
SECTION 2. Section 304A-2171, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (c) to read as follows:
"(c) Moneys in the special fund shall be
used to support the John A. Burns school of medicine's activities related to
physician workforce assessment and planning within Hawaii[;] and loan
repayment for certain healthcare professionals; provided that of the
physician workforce assessment fees transferred and deposited into the special
fund pursuant to section 453‑8.8, no less than fifty per cent of the
total amount of assessment fees deposited shall be used for purposes identified
by the Hawaii medical education council to support physician workforce
assessment and planning efforts, including the recruitment and retention of
physicians, for rural and medically underserved areas of the State[;
provided further that expenditures from the special fund shall be limited to no
more than $245,000 annually]. This shall include but not be limited to
maintaining accurate physician workforce assessment information and providing
or updating personal and professional information, [that] which shall
be maintained in a secure database. The John A. Burns school of medicine may
disclose information specific to any physician only with the express written
consent of that physician."
SECTION 3. Act 18, Special Session Laws of Hawaii 2009, as amended by Act 186, Session Laws of Hawaii 2012, is amended by amending section 9 to read as follows:
"SECTION 9. This Act shall take effect on
July 1, 2009[; provided that sections 3 and 4 shall be repealed on June 30,
2017]."
SECTION 4. Act 186, Session Laws of Hawaii 2012, is amended by amending section 5 to read as follows:
"SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect on
June 29, 2012[; provided that section 1 shall be repealed on June 30, 2017,
and section 304A-2171(c), Hawaii Revised Statutes, shall be reenacted in the
form in which it read on June 28, 2012]."
SECTION 5. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.
SECTION 6. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.
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INTRODUCED BY: |
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Report Title:
John A. Burns School of Medicine Special Fund; Loan Repayment; Physician Workforce Assessment; Fee
Description:
Permits moneys in the John A. Burns school of medicine special fund to be used for loan repayment for certain health care professionals. Removes the cap on expenditures from the special fund. Removes the sunset date from the physician workforce assessment fee and related requirements for use of moneys in the John A. Burns school of medicine special fund.
The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.
