SF 2699

as introduced - 89th Legislature (2015 - 2016) Posted on 03/15/2016 10:13am

A bill for an act
relating to health; making alcohol and drug counselors eligible for education loan
forgiveness under the health professional education loan forgiveness program;
amending Minnesota Statutes 2014, sections 144.608, subdivision 1; 147A.08;
Minnesota Statutes 2015 Supplement, section 144.1501, subdivisions 1, 2, 3.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2015 Supplement, section 144.1501, subdivision 1,
is amended to read:

Subdivision 1.

Definitions.

(a) For purposes of this section, the following definitions
apply.

(b) "Advanced dental therapist" means an individual who is licensed as a dental
therapist under section 150A.06, and who is certified as an advanced dental therapist
under section 150A.106.

(c) "Alcohol and drug counselor" means an individual who is licensed as an alcohol
and drug counselor under chapter 148F.

(c) (d) "Dental therapist" means an individual who is licensed as a dental therapist
under section 150A.06.

(d) (e) "Dentist" means an individual who is licensed to practice dentistry.

(e) (f) "Designated rural area" means a statutory and home rule charter city or
township that is outside the seven-county metropolitan area as defined in section 473.121,
subdivision 2, excluding the cities of Duluth, Mankato, Moorhead, Rochester, and St.
Cloud.

(f) (g) "Emergency circumstances" means those conditions that make it impossible
for the participant to fulfill the service commitment, including death, total and permanent
disability, or temporary disability lasting more than two years.

(g) (h) "Mental health professional" means an individual providing clinical services
in the treatment of mental illness who is qualified in at least one of the ways specified in
section 245.462, subdivision 18.

(h) (i) "Medical resident" means an individual participating in a medical residency in
family practice, internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, or psychiatry.

(i) (j) "Midlevel practitioner" means a nurse practitioner, nurse-midwife, nurse
anesthetist, advanced clinical nurse specialist, or physician assistant.

(j) (k) "Nurse" means an individual who has completed training and received
all licensing or certification necessary to perform duties as a licensed practical nurse
or registered nurse.

(k) (l) "Nurse-midwife" means a registered nurse who has graduated from a program
of study designed to prepare registered nurses for advanced practice as nurse-midwives.

(l) (m) "Nurse practitioner" means a registered nurse who has graduated from a
program of study designed to prepare registered nurses for advanced practice as nurse
practitioners.

(m) (n) "Pharmacist" means an individual with a valid license issued under chapter
151.

(n) (o) "Physician" means an individual who is licensed to practice medicine in
the areas of family practice, internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics,
or psychiatry.

(o) (p) "Physician assistant" means a person licensed under chapter 147A.

(p) (q) "Public health nurse" means a registered nurse licensed in Minnesota who has
obtained a registration certificate as a public health nurse from the Board of Nursing in
accordance with Minnesota Rules, chapter 6316.

(q) (r) "Qualified educational loan" means a government, commercial, or foundation
loan for actual costs paid for tuition, reasonable education expenses, and reasonable living
expenses related to the graduate or undergraduate education of a health care professional.

(r) (s) "Underserved urban community" means a Minnesota urban area or population
included in the list of designated primary medical care health professional shortage areas
(HPSAs), medically underserved areas (MUAs), or medically underserved populations
(MUPs) maintained and updated by the United States Department of Health and Human
Services.

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2015 Supplement, section 144.1501, subdivision 2, is
amended to read:

Subd. 2.

Creation of account.

(a) A health professional education loan forgiveness
program account is established. The commissioner of health shall use money from the
account to establish a loan forgiveness program:

(1) for medical residents and mental health professionals agreeing to practice
in designated rural areas or underserved urban communities or specializing in the area
of pediatric psychiatry;

(2) for midlevel practitioners agreeing to practice in designated rural areas or to
teach at least 12 credit hours, or 720 hours per year in the nursing field in a postsecondary
program at the undergraduate level or the equivalent at the graduate level;

(3) for nurses who agree to practice in a Minnesota nursing home; an intermediate
care facility for persons with developmental disability; or a hospital if the hospital owns
and operates a Minnesota nursing home and a minimum of 50 percent of the hours worked
by the nurse is in the nursing home; or agree to teach at least 12 credit hours, or 720 hours
per year in the nursing field in a postsecondary program at the undergraduate level or the
equivalent at the graduate level;

(4) for other health care technicians agreeing to teach at least 12 credit hours, or 720
hours per year in their designated field in a postsecondary program at the undergraduate
level or the equivalent at the graduate level. The commissioner, in consultation with
the Healthcare Education-Industry Partnership, shall determine the health care fields
where the need is the greatest, including, but not limited to, respiratory therapy, clinical
laboratory technology, radiologic technology, and surgical technology;

(5) for pharmacists, advanced dental therapists, dental therapists, and public health
nurses who agree to practice in designated rural areas; and

(6) for dentists agreeing to deliver at least 25 percent of the dentist's yearly patient
encounters to state public program enrollees or patients receiving sliding fee schedule
discounts through a formal sliding fee schedule meeting the standards established by
the United States Department of Health and Human Services under Code of Federal
Regulations, title 42, section 51 51(c), chapter 303.; and

(7) for alcohol and drug counselors who agree to practice in designated rural areas or
underserved urban communities.

(b) Appropriations made to the account do not cancel and are available until
expended, except that at the end of each biennium, any remaining balance in the account
that is not committed by contract and not needed to fulfill existing commitments shall
cancel to the fund.

Sec. 3.

Minnesota Statutes 2015 Supplement, section 144.1501, subdivision 3, is
amended to read:

Subd. 3.

Eligibility.

(a) To be eligible to participate in the loan forgiveness program,
an individual must:

(1) be a medical or dental resident; a licensed pharmacist; or be enrolled in a training
or education program to become a dentist, dental therapist, advanced dental therapist,
alcohol and drug counselor, mental health professional, pharmacist, public health nurse,
midlevel practitioner, registered nurse, or a licensed practical nurse. The commissioner
may also consider applications submitted by graduates in eligible professions who are
licensed and in practice; and

(2) submit an application to the commissioner of health.

(b) An applicant selected to participate must sign a contract to agree to serve a
minimum three-year full-time service obligation according to subdivision 2, which
shall begin no later than March 31 following completion of required training, with the
exception of a nurse, who must agree to serve a minimum two-year full-time service
obligation according to subdivision 2, which shall begin no later than March 31 following
completion of required training.

Sec. 4.

Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 144.608, subdivision 1, is amended to read:

Subdivision 1.

Trauma Advisory Council established.

(a) A Trauma Advisory
Council is established to advise, consult with, and make recommendations to the
commissioner on the development, maintenance, and improvement of a statewide trauma
system.

(b) The council shall consist of the following members:

(1) a trauma surgeon certified by the American Board of Surgery or the American
Osteopathic Board of Surgery who practices in a level I or II trauma hospital;

(2) a general surgeon certified by the American Board of Surgery or the American
Osteopathic Board of Surgery whose practice includes trauma and who practices in a
designated rural area as defined under section 144.1501, subdivision 1, paragraph (b) (f);

(3) a neurosurgeon certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery who
practices in a level I or II trauma hospital;

(4) a trauma program nurse manager or coordinator practicing in a level I or II
trauma hospital;

(5) an emergency physician certified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine
or the American Osteopathic Board of Emergency Medicine whose practice includes
emergency room care in a level I, II, III, or IV trauma hospital;

(6) a trauma program manager or coordinator who practices in a level III or IV
trauma hospital;

(7) a physician certified by the American Board of Family Medicine or the American
Osteopathic Board of Family Practice whose practice includes emergency department care
in a level III or IV trauma hospital located in a designated rural area as defined under
section 144.1501, subdivision 1, paragraph (b) (f);

(8) a nurse practitioner, as defined under section 144.1501, subdivision 1, paragraph
(h) (m), or a physician assistant, as defined under section 144.1501, subdivision 1,
paragraph (j) (p), whose practice includes emergency room care in a level IV trauma
hospital located in a designated rural area as defined under section 144.1501, subdivision
1, paragraph (b) (f);

(9) a pediatrician certified by the American Board of Pediatrics or the American
Osteopathic Board of Pediatrics whose practice includes emergency department care
in a level I, II, III, or IV trauma hospital;

(10) an orthopedic surgeon certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery
or the American Osteopathic Board of Orthopedic Surgery whose practice includes trauma
and who practices in a level I, II, or III trauma hospital;

(11) the state emergency medical services medical director appointed by the
Emergency Medical Services Regulatory Board;

(12) a hospital administrator of a level III or IV trauma hospital located in a
designated rural area as defined under section 144.1501, subdivision 1, paragraph (b) (f);

(13) a rehabilitation specialist whose practice includes rehabilitation of patients
with major trauma injuries or traumatic brain injuries and spinal cord injuries as defined
under section 144.661;

(14) an attendant or ambulance director who is an EMT, EMT-I, or EMT-P within
the meaning of section 144E.001 and who actively practices with a licensed ambulance
service in a primary service area located in a designated rural area as defined under section
144.1501, subdivision 1, paragraph (b) (f); and

(15) the commissioner of public safety or the commissioner's designee.

Sec. 5.

Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 147A.08, is amended to read:

147A.08 EXEMPTIONS.

(a) This chapter does not apply to, control, prevent, or restrict the practice, service,
or activities of persons listed in section 147.09, clauses (1) to (6) and (8) to (13), persons
regulated under section 214.01, subdivision 2, or persons defined in section 144.1501,
subdivision 1, paragraphs (f), (h) (j), (l), and (i) (m).

(b) Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to require licensure of:

(1) a physician assistant student enrolled in a physician assistant educational
program accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the
Physician Assistant or by its successor agency approved by the board;

(2) a physician assistant employed in the service of the federal government while
performing duties incident to that employment; or

(3) technicians, other assistants, or employees of physicians who perform delegated
tasks in the office of a physician but who do not identify themselves as a physician assistant.