Public Act 094-0368
 
HB1522 Enrolled LRB094 09337 RAS 39578 b

    AN ACT concerning loan repayment assistance for
physicians.
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
 
    Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Loan
Repayment Assistance for Physicians Act.
 
    Section 5. Purpose. The purpose of this Act is to
establish a program in the Department of Public Health to
increase the total number of physicians in this State by
providing educational loan repayment assistance grants to
physicians.
 
    Section 10. Definitions. In this Act, unless the context
otherwise requires:
    "Department" means the Department of Public Health.
    "Educational loans" means higher education student loans
that a person has incurred in attending a registered
professional physician education program.
    "Physician" means a person licensed under the Medical
Practice Act of 1987 to practice medicine in all of its
branches.
    "Program" means the educational loan repayment assistance
program for physicians established by the Department under this
Act.
 
    Section 15. Establishment of program. The Department shall
establish an educational loan repayment assistance program for
physicians who practice in Illinois. The Department shall
administer the program and make all necessary and proper rules
not inconsistent with this Act for the program's effective
implementation. The Department may use up to 5% of the
appropriation for this program for administration and
promotion of physician incentive programs.
 
    Section 20. Application. Beginning July 1, 2005, the
Department shall, each year, consider applications for
assistance under the program. The form of application and the
information required to be set forth in the application shall
be determined by the Department, and the Department shall
require applicants to submit with their applications such
supporting documents as the Department deems necessary.
 
    Section 25. Eligibility. To be eligible for assistance
under the program, an applicant must meet all of the following
qualifications:
        (1) He or she must be a citizen or permanent resident
    of the United States.
        (2) He or she must be a resident of Illinois.
        (3) He or she must be practicing full-time in Illinois
    as a physician.
        (4) He or she must currently be repaying educational
    loans.
        (5) He or she must agree to continue full-time practice
    in Illinois for 3 years.
 
    Section 30. The award of grants. Under the program, for
each year that a qualified applicant practices full-time in
Illinois as a physician, the Department shall, subject to
appropriation, award a grant to that person in an amount equal
to the amount in educational loans that the person must repay
that year. However, the total amount in grants that a person
may be awarded under the program shall not exceed $25,000. The
Department shall require recipients to use the grants to pay
off their educational loans.
 
    Section 35. Penalty for failure to fulfill obligation. Loan
repayment recipients who fail to practice full-time in Illinois
for 3 years shall repay the Department a sum equal to 3 times
the amount received under the program.
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1,
2005.