Full Text of SB3714 103rd General Assembly
SB3714sam001 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY | Sen. Lakesia Collins Filed: 3/8/2024 | | 10300SB3714sam001 | | LRB103 38778 RJT 70414 a |
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| 1 | | AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 3714
| 2 | | AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend Senate Bill 3714 by replacing | 3 | | everything after the enacting clause with the following: | 4 | | "Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the | 5 | | Community Hospice and Palliative Care Professional Loan | 6 | | Repayment Program Act. | 7 | | Section 5. Purpose. The purpose of this Act is to help | 8 | | licensed hospice programs recruit and retain qualified | 9 | | professionals and address this State's community-based hospice | 10 | | and palliative care workforce shortage. The goal of the | 11 | | program is to reduce disparities in access to critical health | 12 | | services for people who have serious illnesses or who are | 13 | | nearing the end of life. | 14 | | Section 7. Findings. The General Assembly finds all of the | 15 | | following: |
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| 1 | | (1) Racial minorities are underrepresented as users of | 2 | | hospice and palliative care services and as hospice | 3 | | interdisciplinary healthcare providers in this State. | 4 | | (2) It is in the interest of the State to provide | 5 | | racial minorities special consideration for programs that | 6 | | encourage racial minority participation as hospice | 7 | | interdisciplinary healthcare providers. | 8 | | (3) A workforce that is more reflective of the | 9 | | seriously ill population in a minority community can | 10 | | improve the use of hospice and palliative care services, | 11 | | which will address inequities in health outcomes for this | 12 | | population. | 13 | | Section 10. Definitions. In this Act: | 14 | | "Commission" means the Illinois Student Assistance | 15 | | Commission. | 16 | | "Hospice and palliative care professional" means a person | 17 | | who is employed by a hospice program and is a physician, | 18 | | licensed advanced practice registered nurse, licensed | 19 | | registered nurse, licensed social worker, licensed clinical | 20 | | social worker, or licensed practical nurse. | 21 | | "Hospice program" means a public agency or private | 22 | | organization, or subdivision of either, that is licensed by | 23 | | the State as a comprehensive hospice program as defined in the | 24 | | Hospice Program Licensing Act and is Medicare-certified. | 25 | | "Physician" means a person licensed by this State to |
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| 1 | | practice medicine in all its branches and includes any | 2 | | physician holding a temporary license, as provided in the | 3 | | Medical Practice Act of 1987. | 4 | | "Program" means the Community Hospice and Palliative Care | 5 | | Professional Loan Repayment Program established under this | 6 | | Act. | 7 | | Section 15. Community Hospice and Palliative Care | 8 | | Professional Loan Repayment Program. By July 1, 2025, the | 9 | | Commission shall establish the Community Hospice and | 10 | | Palliative Care Professional Loan Repayment Program, which | 11 | | shall be administered by the Commission. Subject to | 12 | | appropriation, the Program shall provide loan repayment | 13 | | assistance to eligible hospice and palliative care | 14 | | professionals practicing in a hospice program that provides | 15 | | services in this State. | 16 | | Section 20. Applications. Each year, the Commission shall | 17 | | receive and consider applications for loan repayment | 18 | | assistance under this Act. All applications shall be submitted | 19 | | to the Commission in a form and manner prescribed by the | 20 | | Commission. Applicants shall submit any supporting documents | 21 | | deemed necessary by the Commission at the time of application. | 22 | | Section 25. Awarding of grants. Subject to appropriation, | 23 | | the Commission shall award a grant to each qualified applicant |
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| 1 | | for a maximum of 4 years. A grant awarded under the Program | 2 | | shall be used for payments toward the recipient's educational | 3 | | loans. | 4 | | The Commission is encouraged to award grants from | 5 | | appropriated funds in the following proportions, to the extent | 6 | | feasible: | 7 | | (1) 10% toward awards for physicians; | 8 | | (2) 10% toward awards for licensed advanced practice | 9 | | registered nurses; | 10 | | (3) 40% toward awards for licensed registered nurses; | 11 | | (4) 30% toward awards for licensed social workers and | 12 | | licensed clinical social workers; and | 13 | | (5) 10% toward awards for licensed practical nurses. | 14 | | The amount of a grant award may not exceed (i) $40,000 per | 15 | | year for a physician, (ii) $20,000 per year for a licensed | 16 | | advanced practice registered nurse,(iii) $15,000 per year for | 17 | | a licensed social worker or licensed clinical social worker, | 18 | | (iv) $15,000 per year for a licensed registered nurse, and (v) | 19 | | $5,000 per year for a licensed practical nurse. However, if | 20 | | there are any appropriated funds not awarded as grants under | 21 | | paragraphs (1) through (5), then the Commission may award | 22 | | grants from those funds to any qualified applicants. | 23 | | No less than 30% of appropriated funds for grants under | 24 | | the Program each fiscal year shall be reserved for grant | 25 | | awards to minority applicants of African American or Black, | 26 | | Hispanic or Latinx, Asian, or Native American origin. If the |
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| 1 | | Commission does not receive enough applications from such | 2 | | qualified minority applicants on or before January 1 of a | 3 | | given fiscal year to meet this threshold, then the Commission | 4 | | may award a portion of the reserved grants to other qualified | 5 | | applicants. | 6 | | Section 30. Eligibility; work requirement. | 7 | | (a) To be eligible for assistance under the Program, the | 8 | | Commission must find that the applicant meets all of the | 9 | | following qualifications: | 10 | | (1) The applicant is a United States citizen or an | 11 | | eligible noncitizen. | 12 | | (2) The applicant is a resident of this State. | 13 | | (3) The applicant has worked for at least 12 | 14 | | consecutive months as a hospice and palliative care | 15 | | professional in a hospice program in this State and (i) | 16 | | has worked at least 10 hours per week if the applicant is a | 17 | | physician or (ii) has worked at least 32 hours per week if | 18 | | the applicant is not a physician. | 19 | | (4) The applicant is a borrower with an outstanding | 20 | | balance due on an educational loan. | 21 | | (5) The applicant has not defaulted on an educational | 22 | | loan. | 23 | | (b) The Commission may grant preference to a previous | 24 | | recipient of a grant under the Program, provided that the | 25 | | recipient continues to be eligible under subsection (a). |
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| 1 | | (c) A recipient of a grant under the Program shall | 2 | | complete a separate 12-month period working in a hospice | 3 | | program in this State for each grant that the recipient is | 4 | | awarded and shall, during that 12-month period, (i) work at | 5 | | least 10 hours per week if the applicant is a physician or (ii) | 6 | | work at least 32 hours per week if the applicant is not a | 7 | | physician. | 8 | | Section 90. Administration; rules. The Commission shall | 9 | | administer the Program and shall adopt rules not inconsistent | 10 | | with this Act to implement and administer this Act. | 11 | | Section 95. Repeal. This Act is repealed 10 years after | 12 | | the effective date of this Act. | 13 | | Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon | 14 | | becoming law.". |
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