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1     AN ACT concerning education.
 
2     Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
 
4     Section 5. The Loan Repayment Assistance for Dentists Act
5 is amended by changing Sections 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 as
6 follows:
 
7     (110 ILCS 948/5)
8     Sec. 5. Purpose. The purpose of this Act is to establish a
9 program in the Department of Public Health to increase the
10 total number of dentists, and dental specialists, and dental
11 hygienists practicing in designated shortage areas in this
12 State by providing educational loan repayment assistance
13 grants to dentists, and dental specialists, and dental
14 hygienists.
15 (Source: P.A. 95-297, eff. 8-20-07.)
 
16     (110 ILCS 948/10)
17     Sec. 10. Definitions. In this Act, unless the context
18 otherwise requires:
19     "Dental hygienist" means a person who holds a license under
20 the Illinois Dental Practice Act to perform dental services as
21 authorized by Section 18 of the Illinois Dental Practice Act.
22     "Dental payments" means compensation provided to dentists

 

 

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1 and dental specialists for services rendered under Article V of
2 the Illinois Public Aid Code, the Covering ALL KIDS Health
3 Insurance Act, or the Children's Health Insurance Program Act.
4     "Dental specialist" means a person who has received a
5 license as a dentist in this State and who is trained and
6 qualified to practice in one or more of the following
7 specialties of dentistry: endodontics, oral and maxillofacial
8 surgery, orthodontics, pedodontics, periodontics, and
9 prosthodontics.
10     "Dentist" means a person who has received a general license
11 pursuant to paragraph (a) of Section 11 of the Illinois Dental
12 Practice Act, who may perform any intraoral and extraoral
13 procedure required in the practice of dentistry, and to whom is
14 reserved the responsibilities specified in Section 17 of the
15 Illinois Dental Practice Act.
16     "Department" means the Department of Public Health.
17     "Designated shortage area" means a medically underserved
18 area or health manpower shortage area as defined by the United
19 States Department of Health and Human Services or as otherwise
20 designated by the Department of Public Health.
21     "Educational loans" means higher education student loans
22 that a person has incurred in attending a registered
23 professional dental education program in this State.
24     "Program" means the educational loan repayment assistance
25 program for dentists and dental specialists or dental
26 hygienists established by the Department under this Act.

 

 

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1 (Source: P.A. 95-297, eff. 8-20-07.)
 
2     (110 ILCS 948/15)
3     Sec. 15. Establishment of program. The Department shall
4 establish an educational loan repayment assistance program for
5 dentists and dental specialists who practice in designated
6 shortage areas in this State and who accept certain dental
7 payments as defined under this Act. In addition, the Department
8 shall establish an educational loan repayment assistance
9 program for dental hygienists who practice with a dentist in a
10 designated shortage area in this State. The Department shall
11 administer the program and make all necessary and proper rules
12 not inconsistent with this Act for the program's effective
13 implementation. The Department may use up to 5% of the
14 appropriation for this program for administration and
15 promotion of dentist, and dental specialist, and dental
16 hygienist incentive programs.
17 (Source: P.A. 95-297, eff. 8-20-07.)
 
18     (110 ILCS 948/20)
19     Sec. 20. Application. Beginning July 1, 2007, the
20 Department shall, each year, consider 4 applications for
21 assistance under the program. The form of application and the
22 information required to be set forth in the application shall
23 be determined by the Department, and the Department shall
24 require applicants to submit with their applications such

 

 

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1 supporting documents as the Department deems necessary.
2 (Source: P.A. 95-297, eff. 8-20-07.)
 
3     (110 ILCS 948/25)
4     Sec. 25. Eligibility. To be eligible for assistance under
5 the program, an applicant must meet all of the following
6 qualifications:
7         (1) He or she must be a citizen or permanent resident
8     of the United States.
9         (2) He or she must be a resident of this State.
10         (3) He or she must be practicing full time in this
11     State as a dentist, or dental specialist, or dental
12     hygienist.
13         (4) He or she must currently be repaying educational
14     loans.
15         (5) He or she must accept dental payments as defined in
16     this Act.
17         (6) He or she must continue full-time practice or
18     commit to practice full time in this State in a designated
19     shortage area for 2 years.
20         (7) He or she must allocate at least 20% of all patient
21     appointments to patients covered by Article V of the
22     Illinois Public Aid Code, the Covering ALL KIDS Health
23     Insurance Act, or the Children's Health Insurance Program
24     Act.
25 (Source: P.A. 95-297, eff. 8-20-07.)
 

 

 

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1     (110 ILCS 948/30)
2     Sec. 30. The award of grants.
3     (a) Under the program, for each year that a qualified
4 applicant practices full time in this State in a designated
5 shortage area as a dentist or dental specialist, the Department
6 shall, subject to appropriation, award a grant to that person
7 in an amount equal to the amount in educational loans that the
8 person must repay that year. However, the total amount in
9 grants that a person may be awarded under the program must not
10 exceed $25,000 per year for a 4-year period.
11     The grant award for a dental hygienist shall be set by rule
12 of the Department.
13     (b) The Department shall require recipients to use the
14 grants to pay off their educational loans.
15     (c) The initial grant awarded to a dentist or dental
16 specialist under this Act shall be for a 2-year period. Based
17 on the successful completion of the initial 2-year grant, the
18 grantees may be awarded up to 2 subsequent one-year grants.
19 Grantees are eligible to receive grant funds for no more than a
20 4-year period. Previous grant recipients shall be given
21 priority for years 3 and 4 grant funding, provided that the
22 grantee continues to meet the eligibility requirements set
23 forth in Section 25 of this Act. Grantees shall practice full
24 time in a designated shortage area for the period of each grant
25 awarded.

 

 

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1     The grant award for a dental hygienist shall be for a
2 maximum of 2 years.
3     (d) Successful applicants shall be eligible for a grant
4 award upon execution of the grant agreement and shall then
5 begin to receive grant award payments on a quarterly basis.
6     (e) The Department shall award grants to otherwise eligible
7 dental applicants by using the following criteria:
8         (1) Dental specialist willing to practice in any
9     designated shortage area.
10         (2) Dentist willing to practice in a designated
11     shortage area with the highest Health Professional
12     Shortage Area (HPSA) score.
13         (3) Dentist willing to practice in a designated
14     shortage area with the highest HPSA score and agreeing to
15     allocate the highest percentage of patient appointments to
16     those that are covered by Article V of the Illinois Public
17     Aid Code, the Covering ALL KIDS Health Insurance Act, or
18     the Children's Health Insurance Program Act.
19 (Source: P.A. 95-297, eff. 8-20-07.)
 
20     Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
21 becoming law.