Amended in Senate August 15, 2016

Amended in Assembly May 27, 2016

Amended in Assembly April 7, 2016

Amended in Assembly March 16, 2016

California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

Assembly Bill No. 2048

Introduced by Assembly Member Gray

(Coauthors: Assembly Members Arambula, Gonzalez, Waldron, and Wood)

February 17, 2016

An act to amend Section 127940 begin delete of, and to add Section 127945 to, end delete begin insert of end insert the Health and Safety Code, relating to health professions development.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

AB 2048, as amended, Gray. National Health Service Corps State Loan Repayment Program.

Existing law provides that in administering the National Health Service Corps State Loan Repayment Program in accordance with federal law and regulations, the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development is required to 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.

This bill would require the office to include all federally qualified health centers located in California in the program’s certified eligible site list. begin delete The bill would require the office to notify all certified eligible sites when the program opens each application cycle and to strive, to the extent possible, to maximize the number of applications received each cycle. The bill would require the office to submit an annual report, as specified, to the Senate and Assembly Committees on Health that includes, among other things, the number of applications received during the annual application cycle and the percentage of applicants that were awarded funding. end delete begin insert As part of the application process for the program, the bill would require program sites to agree to provide matching funds. end insert

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This bill would authorize the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development to use state funds for the purpose of providing required matching funds for the National Health Service Corps State Loan Repayment Program in any year in which funding is appropriated by the annual Budget Act for that purpose. The bill would prohibit the office from requiring program applicants or participants to provide matching funds in any year that the office receives these matching funds, but would require a program applicant to agree to provide matching funds in any year in which the office does not receive the required matching funds, as specified.

end delete

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.  

Section 127940 of the Health and Safety Code
is amended to read:

127940.  

(a) 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 of Statewide Health Planning and
Development 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.

(b)  The office shall set a reasonable deadline for when all
applications are required to be received.

(c)  All eligible applications shall be given consideration before
any award is granted.

(d) The office shall include all federally qualified health centers
located in California in the program’s certified eligible site list.

begin delete

(e) The office shall notify all certified eligible sites when the
program opens each application cycle and shall strive, to the extent
possible, to maximize the number of applications received each
cycle.

(f) As part of the initial application process, program applicants
shall agree to provide matching funds in any year that the office
does not receive the required matching funds pursuant to Section
127945.

(g) Notwithstanding subdivision (f), the office shall not require
program applicants and participants to provide matching funds in
any year that the office receives the required matching funds
pursuant to Section 127945.

(h) The office shall submit an annual report to the Senate and
Assembly Committees on Health that includes all of the following
information:

(1) The number of applications received during the annual
application cycle.

(2) The percentage of applicants that were awarded funding
under the program.

(3) The percentage of applicants that were not awarded funding
under the program.

(4) The percentage of funding that went to each geographic
region in the state.

(i) (1) The requirement for submitting a report pursuant to
subdivision (h) is inoperative on January 1, 2021, pursuant to
Section 10231.5 of the Government Code.

(2) A report submitted pursuant to subdivision (h) shall be
submitted in compliance with Section 9795 of the Government
Code.

end delete begin insert

(e) As part of a program applicant’s initial application, program
sites shall agree to provide matching funds.

end insert

begin delete

SEC. 2.  

Section 127945 is added to the Health and Safety Code,
to read:

127945.  

The Office of Statewide Health Planning and
Development may use state funds for purposes of providing
required matching funds for the National Health Service Corps
State Loan Repayment Program pursuant to Section 127940 in
any year in which funding is appropriated by the annual Budget
Act for that purpose.

end delete