BILL NUMBER: AB 820	CHAPTERED  10/09/03

	CHAPTER  682
	FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE  OCTOBER 9, 2003
	APPROVED BY GOVERNOR  OCTOBER 8, 2003
	PASSED THE ASSEMBLY  SEPTEMBER 2, 2003
	PASSED THE SENATE  AUGUST 21, 2003
	AMENDED IN SENATE  AUGUST 18, 2003
	AMENDED IN SENATE  JUNE 17, 2003
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MAY 27, 2003
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  MARCH 27, 2003

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Nakanishi
   (Coauthors:  Assembly Members Cogdill, Garcia, Leslie, and
McCarthy)
   (Coauthors:  Senators Denham and Poochigian)

                        FEBRUARY 20, 2003

   An act to add Article 2.75 (commencing with Section 127940) to
Chapter 2 of Part 3 of Division 107 of the Health and Safety Code,
relating to statewide health planning and development.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 820, Nakanishi.  National Health Service Corps State Loan
Repayment Program.
   Existing federal and state law contain programs that authorize
loan forgiveness to physicians and surgeons, dentists, and
individuals enrolled in a postsecondary institution studying medicine
or dentistry who agree to practice in medically or dentally
underserved areas.  Pursuant to existing federal law, one of these
programs is the National Health Service Corps State Loan Repayment
Program, which is administered at the state level by the Office of
Statewide Health Planning and Development.
   This bill would require the office, in administering the program,
to strive, whenever feasible, to equitably distribute loan repayment
awards between urban and rural program sites, after taking into
account the availability of health care services in the communities
to be served and the number of individuals to be served in each
program site.  This bill would also require the office to set a
reasonable deadline for when all applications are required to be
received, and to consider all eligible applications before awarding
any grant.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:


  SECTION 1.  Article 2.75 (commencing with Section 127940) is added
to Chapter 2 of Part 3 of Division 107 of the Health and Safety Code,
to read:

      Article 2.75.  National Health Service Corps State Loan
Repayment Program

   127940.  In administering the National Health Service Corps State
Loan Repayment Program in accordance with Section 254q-1 of Title 42
of the United States Code and related federal regulations, the office
shall strive, whenever feasible, to equitably distribute loan
repayment awards between eligible urban and rural program sites,
after taking into account the availability of health care services in
the communities to be served and the number of individuals to be
served in each program site.  The office shall set a reasonable
deadline for when all applications are required to be received.  All
eligible applications shall be given consideration before any award
is granted.