SB3714 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB103 38778 RJT 68915 b

103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2023 and 2024
SB3714

Introduced 2/9/2024, by Sen. Lakesia Collins

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

New Act

Creates the Community Hospice and Palliative Care Professional Loan Repayment Program Act. Provides that, by January 1, 2025, the Illinois Student Assistance Commission shall create and administer the Community Behavioral Health Care Professional Loan Repayment Program. Provides that the Program shall provide loan repayment assistance, subject to appropriation, to eligible hospice and palliative professionals practicing in a hospice program that provides services in the State. Provides that the Commission shall award a grant to each qualified applicant for a maximum of 4 years. Sets forth provisions concerning awarding funds, eligibility, work requirements, and priority of awarding funds. Provides for rulemaking. Provides that the Act is inoperative 10 years after the effective date of the Act. Effective immediately.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning education.

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 Community Hospice and Palliative Care Professional Loan Repayment Program Act.

Section 5. Purpose. The purpose of this Act is to help licensed hospice programs recruit and retain qualified professionals and address this State's community-based hospice and palliative care workforce shortage. The goal of the program is to reduce disparities in access to critical health services for people who have serious illnesses or who are nearing the end of life.

Section 7. Findings. The General Assembly finds all of the following:

(1) Racial minorities are underrepresented as hospice and palliative care and interdisciplinary healthcare providers in the State.

(2) It is in the interest of the State to provide racial minorities priority in consideration for programs that encourage racial minority participation in hospice and palliative care and interdisciplinary healthcare providers.

(3) A workforce that is more reflective of the seriously ill population in a minority community can improve the use of hospice and palliative care services, which will address inequities in health outcomes for this population.

Section 10. Definitions. In this Act:

"Commission" means the Illinois Student Assistance Commission.

"Hospice and palliative care professional" means a person who is employed by a hospice program and is a physician, licensed advanced practice registered nurse, licensed registered nurse, licensed social worker, licensed clinical social worker, or licensed practical nurse.

"Hospice program" means a public agency or private organization, or subdivision of either, that is licensed by the State as a comprehensive hospice program as defined in the Hospice Program Licensing Act and is Medicare-certified.

"Loan Repayment Program" means the Community Hospice and Palliative Care Professional Loan Repayment Program established under this Act.

"Physician" means a person licensed by this State to practice medicine in all its branches and includes any physician holding a temporary license, as provided in the Medical Practice Act of 1987.

Section 15. Community Hospice and Palliative Care Professional Loan Repayment Program. The Commission shall establish by January 1, 2025 the Community Hospice and Palliative Care Professional Loan Repayment Program, which shall be administered by the Commission. The Program shall provide loan repayment assistance, subject to appropriation, to eligible hospice and palliative professionals practicing in a hospice program that provides services in the State.

Section 20. Applications. Each year, the Commission shall receive and consider applications for loan repayment assistance under this Act. All applications shall be submitted to the Commission in a form and manner prescribed by the Commission. Applicants shall submit any supporting documents deemed necessary by the Commission at the time of application.

Section 25. Award; maximum loan time; maximum amount. Subject to appropriation, the Commission shall award a grant to each qualified applicant for a maximum of 4 years. The Commission shall encourage the recipient of a grant awarded under this Act to use the grant award for payments towards the recipient's educational loans. The yearly appropriation for the program may be divided as follows:

(1) 10% toward awards for physicians;

(2) 10% toward awards for licensed advanced practice registered nurses;

(3) 42% toward awards for licensed registered nurses;

(4) 28% toward awards for licensed social workers and licensed clinical social workers; and

(5) 10% toward awards for licensed practical nurses.

The award amount shall be based on a percentage of an awardee's total outstanding loan balance. The maximum amount of any award shall not exceed 15% of the awardee's total outstanding loan balance for that award year. However, if there are any funds not awarded, then the Commission may award funds to qualified applicants beyond the division of award amounts under this Section.

Section 30. Eligibility; work requirement.

(a) To be eligible for assistance under the Community Hospice and Palliative Care Professional Loan Repayment Program, the Commission shall find that the applicant satisfies all of the following:

(1) The applicant is a United States citizen or an eligible noncitizen.

(2) The applicant is a resident of this State.

(3) The applicant has worked for at least 12 consecutive months as a hospice and palliative care professional in a hospice program in the State, and (i) has worked at least 10 hours per week, if the applicant is a physician, or (ii) has worked at least 32 hours per week, if the applicant is not a physician.

(4) The applicant is a borrower with an outstanding balance due on an educational loan.

(5) The a pplicant has not defaulted on an educational loan.

(b) The Commission may grant preference to a previous recipient of a grant under the Program, provided that the recipient continues to meet the eligibility requirements under this Section.

(c) A recipient of a grant under the Program shall complete a separate 12-month period working in a hospice program in the State for each grant that the recipient is awarded and shall, during that 12-month period, (i) work at least 10 hours per week, if the applicant is a physician, or (ii) work at least 32 hours per week, if the applicant is not a physician.

Section 35. Award priority.

(a) If an appropriation for this program for a given fiscal year is insufficient to provide grants to all qualified applicants, the Commission shall allocate the appropriation in accordance with this subsection. If funds are insufficient to provide all qualified applicants with a grant as authorized by this Section, the Commission shall allocate the available grant funds for that fiscal year to qualified applicants who submit a complete application on or before a date specified by the Commission, based on the following order of priority:

(1) first, to new, qualified applicants who are members of a racial minority as defined in subsection (b); and

(2) second, to other new, qualified applicants in accordance with this Act.

(b) The Commission shall give priority to those applicants who are members of a racial minority. As used in this subsection, "racial minority" means a person who is a citizen of the United States or a lawful permanent resident alien of the United States and who is:

(1) Black (a person having origins in any of the Black racial groups in Africa);

(2) Hispanic (a person of Spanish or Portuguese culture with origins in Mexico, South or Central America, or the Caribbean Islands, regardless of race);

(3) Asian American (a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, the Indian Subcontinent, or the Pacific Islands); or

(4) American Indian or Alaskan Native (a person having origins in any of the original peoples of North America).

Section 40. Administration; rules. The Commission shall administer the program and shall adopt rules not inconsistent with this Act to implement and administer this Act.

Section 90. Inoperative. This Act is inoperative 10 years after the effective date of this Act.

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.