96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2009 and 2010
SB3573

 

Introduced 2/10/2010, by Sen. Terry Link

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
New Act

    Creates the Loan Repayment Assistance for Licensed Health Care Professionals Act. Provides that the Illinois Student Assistance Commission shall establish by July 1, 2010, an educational loan repayment assistance program for licensed health care professionals who practice in Illinois and are employed by either the Department of Corrections or Department of Juvenile Justice. Provides that the Commission shall administer the program and make all necessary and proper rules not inconsistent with the Act for the program's effective implementation. Provides that the Commission may use up to 5% of the appropriation for the program for administration and promotion of licensed health care professional incentive programs. Contains provisions concerning the application for assistance. Specifies the eligibility requirements for recipients of assistance under the program. Contains provisions concerning the awarding of grants. Contains penalty provisions. Effective immediately.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

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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 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Loan
5 Repayment Assistance for Licensed Health Care Professionals
6 Act.
 
7     Section 5. Purpose. The purpose of this Act is to
8 establish a program administered by the Illinois Student
9 Assistance Commission to increase the total number of licensed
10 health care professionals in this State that are employed by
11 either the Department of Corrections or the Department of
12 Juvenile Justice by providing educational loan repayment
13 assistance grants to licensed health care professionals.
 
14     Section 10. Definitions. For the purposes of this Act:
15     "Commission" means the Illinois Student Assistance
16 Commission.
17     "Departments" means the Department of Corrections and
18 Department of Juvenile Justice.
19     "Educational loans" means higher education student loans
20 that a person has incurred in attending a registered
21 professional education program to become a licensed health care
22 professional.

 

 

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1     "Licensed health care professional" includes any of the
2 following:
3         (1) A dentist licensed to practice under the Illinois
4     Dental Practice Act.
5         (2) A licensed practical nurse licensed to practice
6     under the Nurse Practice Act.
7         (3) An optometrist licensed to practice under the
8     Illinois Optometric Practice Act of 1987.
9         (4) A physician licensed under the Medical Practice Act
10     of 1987 to practice medicine in all of its branches.
11         (5) A psychologist licensed to practice under the
12     Clinical Psychologist Licensing Act.
13         (6) A registered nurse licensed to practice under the
14     Nurse Practice Act.
15     "Program" means the educational loan repayment assistance
16 program for licensed health care professionals established by
17 the Commission under this Act.
 
18     Section 15. Establishment of program. The Commission shall
19 establish by July 1, 2010, an educational loan repayment
20 assistance program for licensed health care professionals who
21 practice in Illinois and are employed by one of the
22 Departments. The Commission shall administer the program and
23 make all necessary and proper rules not inconsistent with this
24 Act for the program's effective implementation. The Commission
25 may use up to 5% of the appropriation for this program for

 

 

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1 administration and promotion of licensed health care
2 professional incentive programs.
 
3     Section 20. Application. Beginning July 1, 2010, the
4 Commission shall, each year, consider applications for
5 assistance under the program. The form of application and the
6 information required to be set forth in the application shall
7 be determined by the Commission, and the Commission shall
8 require applicants to submit with their applications such
9 supporting documents as the Commission deems necessary.
 
10     Section 25. Eligibility. To be eligible for assistance
11 under the program, an applicant must meet all of the following
12 qualifications:
13         (1) He or she must be a citizen or permanent resident
14     of the United States.
15         (2) He or she must be a resident of Illinois.
16         (3) He or she must be practicing full-time in Illinois
17     as a licensed health care professional in his or her area
18     of licensure.
19         (4) He or she must currently be repaying educational
20     loans.
21         (5) He or she must agree to continue full-time practice
22     in Illinois and be employed by at least one of the
23     Departments for a period of 3 years.
 

 

 

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1     Section 30. The award of grants. Under the program, for
2 each year that a qualified applicant practices full-time in
3 Illinois as a licensed health care professional, the Commission
4 shall, subject to appropriation, award a grant to that person
5 in an amount equal to the amount in educational loans that the
6 person must repay that year.
 
7     Section 40. Penalty for failure to fulfill obligation. Loan
8 repayment recipients who fail to practice full-time in Illinois
9 for one of the Departments for 3 years shall repay the
10 Commission no less than the amount received under the program,
11 including interest.
 
12     Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
13 becoming law.