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1 | AN ACT concerning loan repayment assistance for | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
2 | physicians.
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3 | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
4 | represented in the General Assembly:
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5 | Section 1. Short title.
This Act may be cited as the Loan
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6 | Repayment Assistance for Physicians Act.
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7 | Section 5. Purpose. The purpose of this Act is to | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
8 | establish a
program in the Department of Public Health to | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
9 | increase the total number
of physicians in this State by | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
10 | providing educational loan repayment assistance grants
to
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11 | physicians.
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12 | Section 10. Definitions. In this Act, unless the context | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
13 | otherwise requires:
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14 | "Department" means the Department of Public Health.
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15 | "Educational loans" means higher education student loans | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
16 | that a
person has incurred in attending a registered | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
17 | professional physician
education program.
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18 | "Physician" means a person licensed under the Medical | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
19 | Practice Act of 1987 to practice medicine in all of its | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
20 | branches.
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21 | "Program" means the educational loan repayment assistance | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
22 | program for
physicians established by the Department under this | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
23 | Act.
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24 | Section 15. Establishment of program. The Department shall
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25 | establish an educational loan repayment assistance program for | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
26 | physicians who
practice in Illinois. The Department shall | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
27 | administer
the program and make all necessary and proper rules | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
28 | not inconsistent
with this Act for the program's effective | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
29 | implementation. The
Department may use up to 5% of the | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
30 | appropriation for this program for
administration and |
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1 | promotion of physician incentive programs.
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2 | Section 20. Application. Beginning July 1, 2004, the
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3 | Department shall, each year, consider applications for
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4 | assistance under the program. The form of application and the
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5 | information required to be set forth in the application shall | ||||||
6 | be
determined by the Department, and the Department shall | ||||||
7 | require
applicants to submit with their applications such | ||||||
8 | supporting
documents as the Department deems necessary.
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9 | Section 25. Eligibility. To be eligible for
assistance | ||||||
10 | under the program, an applicant must meet all of the
following | ||||||
11 | qualifications:
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12 | (1) He or she must be a citizen or permanent resident | ||||||
13 | of the
United States.
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14 | (2) He or she must be a resident of Illinois.
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15 | (3) He or she must be practicing full-time in Illinois | ||||||
16 | as a physician.
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17 | (4) He or she must currently be repaying educational | ||||||
18 | loans.
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19 | (5) He or she must agree to continue full-time practice | ||||||
20 | in Illinois for 3 years.
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21 | Section 30. The award of grants. Under the program, for | ||||||
22 | each year
that a qualified applicant practices full-time in | ||||||
23 | Illinois as a physician, the Department shall, subject to | ||||||
24 | appropriation, award
a grant to that person in an amount equal | ||||||
25 | to the amount in
educational loans that the person must repay | ||||||
26 | that year. However, the
total amount in grants that a person | ||||||
27 | may be awarded under the program
shall not exceed $25,000. The | ||||||
28 | Department shall require recipients to
use the grants to pay | ||||||
29 | off their educational loans.
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30 | Section 35. Penalty for failure to fulfill obligation. Loan | ||||||
31 | repayment recipients who fail to practice full-time in Illinois | ||||||
32 | for 3 years shall repay the Department a sum equal to 3 times |
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1 | the amount received under the program. | ||||||
2 | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1, | ||||||
3 | 2004. |