SB3714sam001 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Sen. Lakesia Collins

Filed: 3/8/2024

10300SB3714sam001 LRB103 38778 RJT 70414 a

AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 3714

AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend Senate Bill 3714 by replacing everything after the enacting clause with the following:

"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 users of hospice and palliative care services and as hospice interdisciplinary healthcare providers in this State.

(2) It is in the interest of the State to provide racial minorities special consideration for programs that encourage racial minority participation as hospice 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.

"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.

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

Section 15. Community Hospice and Palliative Care Professional Loan Repayment Program. By July 1, 2025, the Commission shall establish the Community Hospice and Palliative Care Professional Loan Repayment Program, which shall be administered by the Commission. Subject to appropriation, the Program shall provide loan repayment assistance to eligible hospice and palliative care professionals practicing in a hospice program that provides services in this 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. Awarding of grants. Subject to appropriation, the Commission shall award a grant to each qualified applicant for a maximum of 4 years. A grant awarded under the Program shall be used for payments toward the recipient's educational loans.

The Commission is encouraged to award grants from appropriated funds in the following proportions, to the extent feasible:

(1) 10% toward awards for physicians;

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

(3) 40% toward awards for licensed registered nurses;

(4) 30% toward awards for licensed social workers and licensed clinical social workers; and

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

The amount of a grant award may not exceed (i) $40,000 per year for a physician, (ii) $20,000 per year for a licensed advanced practice registered nurse,(iii) $15,000 per year for a licensed social worker or licensed clinical social worker, (iv) $15,000 per year for a licensed registered nurse, and (v) $5,000 per year for a licensed practical nurse. However, if there are any appropriated funds not awarded as grants under paragraphs (1) through (5), then the Commission may award grants from those funds to any qualified applicants.

No less than 30% of appropriated funds for grants under the Program each fiscal year shall be reserved for grant awards to minority applicants of African American or Black, Hispanic or Latinx, Asian, or Native American origin. If the Commission does not receive enough applications from such qualified minority applicants on or before January 1 of a given fiscal year to meet this threshold, then the Commission may award a portion of the reserved grants to other qualified applicants.

Section 30. Eligibility; work requirement.

(a) To be eligible for assistance under the Program, the Commission must find that the applicant meets all of the following qualifications:

(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 this 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 applicant 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 be eligible under subsection (a).

(c) A recipient of a grant under the Program shall complete a separate 12-month period working in a hospice program in this 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 90. Administration; rules. The Commission shall administer the Program and shall adopt rules not inconsistent with this Act to implement and administer this Act.

Section 95. Repeal. This Act is repealed 10 years after the effective date of this Act.

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