2002 Minnesota Statutes

     144.1496 Nurses in nursing homes or ICFMRs. 

    Subdivision 1.    Creation of the account.  An education 
 account in the health care access fund is established for a loan 
 forgiveness program for nurses who agree to practice nursing in 
 a nursing home or intermediate care facility for persons with 
 mental retardation or related conditions.  The account consists 
 of money appropriated by the legislature and repayments and 
 penalties collected under subdivision 4.  Money from the account 
 must be used for a loan forgiveness program. 

    Subd. 2.    Eligibility.  To be eligible to participate 
 in the loan forgiveness program, a person enrolled in a program 
 of study designed to prepare the person to become a registered 
 nurse or licensed practical nurse must submit an application to 
 the commissioner before completion of a nursing education 
 program.  A nurse who is selected to participate must sign a 
 contract to agree to serve a minimum one-year service obligation 
 providing nursing services in a licensed nursing home or 
 intermediate care facility for persons with mental retardation 
 or related conditions, which shall begin no later than March 
 following completion of a nursing program or loan forgiveness 
 program selection.  

    Subd. 3.    Loan forgiveness.  The commissioner may 
 accept up to ten applicants a year.  Applicants are responsible 
 for securing their own loans.  For each year of nursing 
 education, for up to two years, applicants accepted into the 
 loan forgiveness program may designate an agreed amount, not to 
 exceed $3,000, as a qualified loan.  For each year that a 
 participant practices nursing in a nursing home or intermediate 
 care facility for persons with mental retardation or related 
 conditions, up to a maximum of two years, the commissioner shall 
 annually repay an amount equal to one year of qualified loans.  
 Participants who move from one nursing home or intermediate care 
 facility for persons with mental retardation or related 
 conditions to another remain eligible for loan repayment.  

    Subd. 4.    Penalty for nonfulfillment.  If a 
 participant does not fulfill the service commitment required 
 under subdivision 3 for full repayment of all qualified loans, 
 the commissioner shall collect from the participant 100 percent 
 of any payments made for qualified loans and interest at a rate 
 established according to section 270.75.  The commissioner shall 
 deposit the collections in the health care access fund to be 
 credited to the account established in subdivision 1.  The 
 commissioner may grant a waiver of all or part of the money owed 
 as a result of a nonfulfillment penalty if emergency 
 circumstances prevented fulfillment of the required service 
 commitment. 

    Subd. 5.    Rules.  The commissioner may adopt rules to 
 implement this section. 

    HIST: 1992 c 549 art 6 s 7; 1993 c 345 art 11 s 8; 1995 c 212 
 art 3 s 57,59; 1999 c 247 s 21,22