Public Act 095-0297
 
SB0387 Enrolled LRB095 10642 NHT 30868 b

    AN ACT concerning education.
 
    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
 
    Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Loan
Repayment Assistance for Dentists Act.
 
    Section 5. Purpose. The purpose of this Act is to establish
a program in the Department of Public Health to increase the
total number of dentists and dental specialists practicing in
designated shortage areas in this State by providing
educational loan repayment assistance grants to dentists and
dental specialists.
 
    Section 10. Definitions. In this Act, unless the context
otherwise requires:
    "Dental payments" means compensation provided to dentists
and dental specialists for services rendered under Article V of
the Illinois Public Aid Code.
    "Dental specialist" means a person who has received a
license as a dentist in this State and who is trained and
qualified to practice in one or more of the following
specialties of dentistry: endodontics, oral and maxillofacial
surgery, orthodontics, pedodontics, periodontics, and
prosthodontics.
    "Dentist" means a person who has received a general license
pursuant to paragraph (a) of Section 11 of the Illinois Dental
Practice Act, who may perform any intraoral and extraoral
procedure required in the practice of dentistry, and to whom is
reserved the responsibilities specified in Section 17 of the
Illinois Dental Practice Act.
    "Department" means the Department of Public Health.
    "Designated shortage area" means a medically underserved
area or health manpower shortage area as defined by the United
States Department of Health and Human Services or as otherwise
designated by the Department of Public Health.
    "Educational loans" means higher education student loans
that a person has incurred in attending a registered
professional dental education program in this State.
    "Program" means the educational loan repayment assistance
program for dentists and dental specialists established by the
Department under this Act.
 
    Section 15. Establishment of program. The Department shall
establish an educational loan repayment assistance program for
dentists and dental specialists who practice in designated
shortage areas in this State and who accept certain dental
payments as defined under this Act. The Department shall
administer the program and make all necessary and proper rules
not inconsistent with this Act for the program's effective
implementation. The Department may use up to 5% of the
appropriation for this program for administration and
promotion of dentist and dental specialist incentive programs.
 
    Section 20. Application. Beginning July 1, 2007, the
Department shall, each year, consider 4 applications for
assistance under the program. The form of application and the
information required to be set forth in the application shall
be determined by the Department, and the Department shall
require applicants to submit with their applications such
supporting documents as the Department deems necessary.
 
    Section 25. Eligibility. To be eligible for assistance
under the program, an applicant must meet all of the following
qualifications:
        (1) He or she must be a citizen or permanent resident
    of the United States.
        (2) He or she must be a resident of this State.
        (3) He or she must be practicing full time in this
    State as a dentist or dental specialist.
        (4) He or she must currently be repaying educational
    loans.
        (5) He or she must accept dental payments as defined in
    this Act.
        (6) He or she must continue full-time practice in this
    State in a designated shortage area for 2 years.
 
    Section 30. The award of grants. Under the program, for
each year that a qualified applicant practices full time in
this State in a designated shortage area as a dentist or dental
specialist, the Department shall, subject to appropriation,
award a grant to that person in an amount equal to the amount
in educational loans that the person must repay that year.
However, the total amount in grants that a person may be
awarded under the program must not exceed $25,000 per year for
a 4-year period. The Department shall require recipients to use
the grants to pay off their educational loans.
 
    Section 35. Penalty for failure to fulfill obligation. Loan
repayment recipients who fail to practice full time in a
designated shortage area, as provided in this Act, shall repay
the Department a sum equal to the amount received under the
program, plus interest.
 
    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1,
2007.

Effective Date: 8/20/2007