74th OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2007 Regular Session
Enrolled
Senate Bill 188
Printed pursuant to Senate Interim Rule 213.28 by order of the
President of the Senate in conformance with presession filing
rules, indicating neither advocacy nor opposition on the part
of the President (at the request of Governor Theodore R.
Kulongoski)
CHAPTER ................
AN ACT
Relating to Rural Health Services Program; creating new
provisions; and amending ORS 442.550, 442.555 and 442.560.
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
SECTION 1. ORS 442.550 is amended to read:
442.550. As used in ORS 442.550 to 442.570:
(1) 'Commission' means the Oregon Student Assistance
Commission.
{ + (2) 'Dentist' means any person licensed to practice
dentistry under ORS chapter 679. + }
{ - (2) - } { + (3) + } 'Nurse practitioner' means any
person { - who is - } licensed under ORS 678.375.
{ - (3) - } { + (4) + } 'Pharmacist' means any person
licensed as a pharmacist under ORS chapter 689.
{ - (4) - } { + (5) + } 'Physician' means any person
licensed to practice medicine under ORS chapter 677.
{ - (5) - } { + (6) + } 'Physician assistant' means any
person licensed under ORS 677.495 and 677.505 to 677.525.
{ - (6) - } { + (7) + } 'Qualifying loan' means any loan
made to a medical student, physician assistant student,
{ + dental student, + } pharmacy student or nursing student
under:
(a) Common School Fund loan program under ORS 348.040 to
348.090;
(b) Programs under Title IV parts B, D and E, of the Higher
Education Act of 1965, as amended; and
(c) The Health Professions Student Loan, Nursing Student Loan,
Health Education Assistance Loan and Primary Care Loan programs
administered by the United States Department of Health and Human
Services.
{ + (8) 'Qualifying practice site' means:
(a) A rural hospital as defined in ORS 442.470;
(b) A rural health clinic;
(c) A pharmacy that is located in a medically underserved rural
community in Oregon or a federally designated health professional
shortage area and that is not part of a group of six or more
pharmacies under common ownership; or
(d) Another practice site in a medically underserved rural
community in Oregon. + }
Enrolled Senate Bill 188 (SB 188-INTRO) Page 1
SECTION 2. ORS 442.555 is amended to read:
442.555. (1) There is created the Rural Health Services
Program, to be administered by the Oregon Student Assistance
Commission, pursuant to rules adopted by the commission. The
purpose of the program is to provide loan repayments on behalf of
physicians, physician assistants, { + dentists, + } pharmacists
and nurse practitioners who agree to practice in a { - rural
hospital as defined in ORS 442.470, in a rural health clinic, in
a medically underserved rural community in Oregon as determined
in subsection (4) of this section or in a pharmacy that is
located in a medically underserved rural community in Oregon or a
federally designated health professional shortage area and that
is not part of a group of six or more pharmacies under common
ownership - } { + qualifying practice site + }.
(2) To be eligible to participate in the program, a prospective
physician, physician assistant, { + dentist, + } pharmacist or
nurse practitioner shall submit a letter of interest to the
commission. Applicants who are selected for participation
according to criteria adopted by the commission in consultation
with the Office of Rural Health shall sign a letter of agreement
stipulating that the applicant agrees to abide by the terms
stated in ORS 442.560.
(3) Subject to available resources, the commission may enter
into agreements with not to exceed 10 prospective physicians, 10
prospective physician assistants, { + 10 prospective
dentists, + } 10 prospective pharmacists and 10 prospective nurse
practitioners each year. { + The commission may give preference
to prospective physicians, physician assistants, dentists,
pharmacists and nurse practitioners who agree to practice in a
community that has contributed funds to the Rural Health Services
Fund. + }
(4) The Office of Rural Health shall adopt criteria to be
applied to determine medically underserved communities { + and
qualifying practice sites + }for purposes of ORS 442.550 to
442.570 and for the purposes of compliance with federal Public
Law 95-210, establishing rural health clinics.
{ + (5) A qualifying practice site shall submit an
application to the Office of Rural Health to participate in the
program. The office shall make a list of qualifying practice
sites available to prospective physicians, physician assistants,
dentists, pharmacists and nurse practitioners. + }
SECTION 3. ORS 442.560 is amended to read:
442.560. (1) Prospective physicians, physician assistants,
{ + dentists, + } pharmacists and nurse practitioners who wish
to participate in the Rural Health Services Program shall agree
that:
(a) For each year of medical, physician assistant,
{ + dental, + } pharmacy or graduate school, the applicant
designates an agreed amount, not to exceed $25,000, as a
qualifying loan subject to ORS 442.550 to 442.570.
(b) In the { - five years - } { + time period
immediately + } following the completion of all residency
requirements or the { - five years - } { + time period
immediately + } following the execution of a Rural Health
Services agreement with the Oregon Student Assistance Commission,
whichever comes later, a physician { + or dentist + } agrees to
practice for at least three full years in a rural hospital as
defined in ORS 442.470, in a rural health clinic or in a
medically underserved rural community in Oregon.
Enrolled Senate Bill 188 (SB 188-INTRO) Page 2
(c) For not less than three nor more than five years that a
physician { + or dentist + } serves in a rural hospital as
defined in ORS 442.470, in a rural health clinic or in a
medically underserved rural community, the commission shall
annually pay an amount
{ - equal to 20 percent - } { + that is a percentage + } of
the total of all qualifying loans made to the physician { + or
dentist + } through the programs described in ORS 442.550.
(d) In the { - four years - } { + time period
immediately + } following the completion of physician assistant
or graduate school or the { - four years - } { + time period
immediately + } following the execution of a Rural Health
Services agreement with the commission, whichever comes later, a
physician assistant or nurse practitioner agrees to practice for
at least two years in a rural hospital as defined in ORS 442.470,
in a rural health clinic or in a medically underserved rural
community in Oregon.
(e) For not less than two nor more than four years that a
physician assistant or nurse practitioner practices in a rural
hospital as defined in ORS 442.470, in a rural health clinic or
in a medically underserved rural community, the commission shall
annually pay an amount { - equal to 25 percent - } { + that
is a percentage + } of the total of all qualifying loans made to
the physician assistant or nurse practitioner through the
programs described in ORS 442.550.
(f) In the { - five years - } { + time period
immediately + } following the completion of all pharmacy
residency requirements or the { - five years - } { + time
period immediately + } following the execution of a Rural Health
Services agreement with the commission, whichever comes later, a
pharmacist agrees to practice for at least three full years in a
rural hospital as defined in ORS 442.470, in a rural health
clinic, in a medically underserved rural community in Oregon or
in a pharmacy that is located in a medically underserved rural
community in Oregon or a federally designated health professional
shortage area and that is not part of a group of six or more
pharmacies under common ownership.
(g) For not less than three nor more than five years that a
pharmacist serves in a rural hospital as defined in ORS 442.470,
in a rural health clinic, in a medically underserved rural
community or in a pharmacy that is located in a medically
underserved rural community or a federally designated health
professional shortage area and that is not part of a group of six
or more pharmacies under common ownership, the commission shall
annually pay an amount { - equal to 20 percent - } { + that
is a percentage + } of the total of all qualifying loans made to
the pharmacist through the programs described in ORS 442.550.
(2) If the participant does not complete the full service
obligation set forth in subsection (1)(b), (d) or (f) of this
section, the commission shall collect 100 percent of any payments
made by the commission to the participant under this program. In
addition, a penalty equal to 50 percent of the qualifying loans
and interest paid by the commission shall be assessed by the
commission, to be credited to and deposited in the Rural Health
Services Fund established under ORS 442.570.
(3) The Oregon Student Assistance Commission, in consultation
with the Office of Rural Health, shall establish rules to allow
waiver of all or part of the fees and penalties owed to the
commission due to circumstances that prevent the participant from
fulfilling the service obligation.
Enrolled Senate Bill 188 (SB 188-INTRO) Page 3
SECTION 4. { + The amendments to ORS 442.550, 442.555 and
442.560 by sections 1 to 3 of this 2007 Act apply to Rural Health
Services agreements entered into between the Oregon Student
Assistance Commission and physicians, physician assistants,
dentists, pharmacists and nurse practitioners on or after the
effective date of this 2007 Act. + }
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Passed by Senate March 19, 2007
...........................................................
Secretary of Senate
...........................................................
President of Senate
Passed by House June 5, 2007
...........................................................
Speaker of House
Enrolled Senate Bill 188 (SB 188-INTRO) Page 4
Received by Governor:
......M.,............., 2007
Approved:
......M.,............., 2007
...........................................................
Governor
Filed in Office of Secretary of State:
......M.,............., 2007
...........................................................
Secretary of State
Enrolled Senate Bill 188 (SB 188-INTRO) Page 5