HF 2055

as introduced - 92nd Legislature (2021 - 2022) Posted on 03/09/2021 11:43am

A bill for an act
relating to health; modifying the international medical graduate primary care
residency grant program; amending Minnesota Statutes 2020, section 144.1911,
subdivision 6.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2020, section 144.1911, subdivision 6, is amended to read:

Subd. 6.

International medical graduate primary care residency grant program
and revolving account.

(a) The commissioner shall award grants to support primary care
residency positions designated for Minnesota immigrant physicians who are willing to serve
in rural or underserved areas of the state. No grant shall exceed $150,000 per residency
position per year. Eligible primary care residency grant recipients include accredited family
medicine, new text begin general surgery, new text end internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, psychiatry, and
pediatric residency programs. Eligible primary care residency programs shall apply to the
commissioner. Applications must include the number of anticipated residents to be funded
using grant funds and a budget. Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, funds awarded to
grantees in a grant agreement do not lapse until the grant agreement expires. Before any
funds are distributed, a grant recipient shall provide the commissioner with the following:

(1) a copy of the signed contract between the primary care residency program and the
participating international medical graduate;

(2) certification that the participating international medical graduate has lived in
Minnesota for at least two years and is certified by the Educational Commission on Foreign
Medical Graduates. Residency programs may also require that participating international
medical graduates hold a Minnesota certificate of clinical readiness for residency, once the
certificates become available; and

(3) verification that the participating international medical graduate has executed a
participant agreement pursuant to paragraph (b).

(b) Upon acceptance by a participating residency program, international medical graduates
shall enter into an agreement with the commissioner to provide primary care for at least
five years in a rural or underserved area of Minnesota after graduating from the residency
program and make payments to the revolving international medical graduate residency
account for five years beginning in their second year of postresidency employment.
Participants shall pay $15,000 or ten percent of their annual compensation each year,
whichever is less.

(c) A revolving international medical graduate residency account is established as an
account in the special revenue fund in the state treasury. The commissioner of management
and budget shall credit to the account appropriations, payments, and transfers to the account.
Earnings, such as interest, dividends, and any other earnings arising from fund assets, must
be credited to the account. Funds in the account are appropriated annually to the
commissioner to award grants and administer the grant program established in paragraph
(a). Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, any funds deposited in the account do not
expire. The commissioner may accept contributions to the account from private sector
entities subject to the following provisions:

(1) the contributing entity may not specify the recipient or recipients of any grant issued
under this subdivision;

(2) the commissioner shall make public the identity of any private contributor to the
account, as well as the amount of the contribution provided; and

(3) a contributing entity may not specify that the recipient or recipients of any funds use
specific products or services, nor may the contributing entity imply that a contribution is
an endorsement of any specific product or service.