BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    �



                                                                  AB 589
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          CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
          AB 589 (Perea)
          As Amended  August 21, 2012
          Majority vote
           
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          |ASSEMBLY:  |63-10|(June 1, 2011)  |SENATE: |38-0 |(August 22,    |
          |           |     |                |        |     |2012)          |
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           Original Committee Reference:    B.,P. & C.P.  

           SUMMARY  :  Establishes the Steven M. Thompson Medical School 
          Scholarship Program (Program) to promote the education of 
          medical doctors and doctors of osteopathy, as specified.  

           The Senate amendments  :

          1)Clarify that Program participants shall agree in writing, 
            prior to completing an accredited medical or osteopathic 
            school based in the United States, to serve in an eligible 
            practice setting, as specified.

          2)Clarify the process for determining leaves of absence during 
            medical school or service obligation.

          3)Require the selection committee to use guidelines developed by 
            the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development 
            (OSHPD) that meet specified criteria to select scholarship 
            recipients. 

          4)Require the OSHPD to develop the guidelines for scholarship 
            selection criteria only upon the receipt of donations that are 
            sufficient to cover the costs of developing the guidelines.

          5)Clarify that if the Program participant does not complete 
            medical school and the three years of professional service, as 
            specified, the OSHPD is authorized to recover the funds 
            awarded plus maximum allowable interest, as specified.

          6)Prohibit the use of the Steven M. Thompson Physician Corps 
            Loan Payment Program (Loan Payment Program) funds to fund the 
            program.

          7)Provide that the Steven M. Thompson Medical School Scholarship 








                                                                  AB 589
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            Account be used to pay for the cost of administering the 
            Program and for any other purpose authorized by this bill.

          8)Require the Steven M. Thompson Medical School Scholarship 
            Account (Account) to consist of private moneys donated to the 
            program. 

          9)Provide that the cost of administering the Program, including 
            promoting the education of medical doctors and doctors of 
            osteopathy in an accredited school who agree to serve in an 
            eligible setting and related administrative costs shall not 
            exceed 10% of the total appropriation for the Program.
           



          EXISTING LAW  : 

           1)Establishes the Medically Underserved Account for Physicians 
            within the Health Professions Education Fund (Education Fund), 
            managed by the Health Professions Education Foundation and the 
            OSHPD, with the primary purpose of funding the Loan Repayment 
            Program.

          2)Provides up to $105,000 for the repayment of prescribed 
            educational loans obtained by a physician and surgeon who 
            practices in a medically underserved area of the state, under 
            the Loan Repayment Program.

           AS PASSED BY THE ASSEMBLY  , this bill was substantially similar 
          to the version approved by the Senate.
           
          FISCAL EFFECT  :  According to the Senate Appropriations 
          Committee, In order to establish regulations and guidelines and 
          to administer such a Program, the Foundation would need at least 
          half a personnel year, approximately $50,000 annually.  Since 
          administrative funds are limited to 10% of the total Program 
          appropriation, the Program would require an account balance of 
          at least $500,000 annually.  Although this bill would specify 
          that monies in the Account would consist of federal and private 
          funds, no specific funding sources have been identified.  Thus, 
          there would be General Fund cost pressure to fund this program 
          if federal and private monies do not materialize.  Program costs 
          could increase depending on the number of scholarships it chose 
          to award.








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           Analysis Prepared by  :    Elissa Silva / B.,P. & C.P. / (916) 
          319-3301 


          FN: 0005329