BILL NUMBER: AB 2048 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
AMENDED IN SENATE AUGUST 15, 2016
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MAY 27, 2016
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 7, 2016
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY MARCH 16, 2016
INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Gray
(Coauthors: Assembly Members Arambula, Gonzalez, Waldron, and
Wood)
FEBRUARY 17, 2016
An act to amend Section 127940 of, and to add Section
127945 to, of 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. 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. As part of the application process for the
program, the bill would require program sites to agree to provide
matching funds.
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.
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.
(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.
(e) As part of a program applicant's initial application, program
sites shall agree to provide matching funds.
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.