HB5109ham001 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Rep. Lou Lang

Filed: 3/16/2018

10000HB5109ham001 LRB100 19021 AXK 37179 a

AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 5109

AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend House Bill 5109 by replacing everything after the enacting clause with the following:

"Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Community Behavioral Health Care Professional Loan Repayment Program Act.

Section 5. Purpose. The purpose of the Community Behavioral Health Care Professional Loan Repayment Program is to recruit and retain qualified mental health and substance use professionals to practice in underserved or rural areas and to address this State's community-based behavioral health care workforce shortage that causes disparities in access to critical mental health and substance use services.

Section 10. Definitions. In this Act:

"Commission" means the Illinois Student Assistance Commission.

"Physician" means a person licensed by this State to practice medicine in all its branches and includes any person holding a temporary license, as provided in the Medical Practice Act of 1987.

"Program" means the Community Behavioral Health Care Professional Loan Repayment Program.

"Psychiatrist" or "licensed psychiatrist" means a physician who has successfully completed a residency program in psychiatry accredited by either the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education or the American Osteopathic Association.

Section 15. Establishment of Program. Beginning on July 1, 2019, there is created the Community Behavioral Health Care Professional Loan Repayment Program, which shall be administered by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission. The Program shall provide loan assistance, subject to appropriation, to eligible mental health and substance use professionals practicing in a community mental health center in an underserved or rural federally designated Mental Health Professional Shortage Area.

Section 20. Applications. Each year, the Commission shall receive and consider applications for loan repayment assistance under this Act. All applications must be submitted to the Commission in a form and manner prescribed by the Commission. Applicants must submit any supporting documents deemed necessary by the Commission at the time of application.

Section 25. Award; maximum loan time; maximum amount. Subject to appropriation, the Commission shall award a grant to each qualified applicant for a maximum of 4 years. The Commission must encourage the recipient of a grant awarded under this Act to use the grant award for payments towards the recipient's educational loans. The amount of the grant shall not exceed (i) $35,000 per year for a psychiatrist, (ii) $15,000 per year for an advanced practice registered nurse or a physician assistant, (iii) $12,000 per year for a psychologist who holds a doctoral degree, (iv) $6,500 per year for a licensed clinical social worker or a licensed clinical professional counselor, and (v) $2,500 per year for a substance use professional. All applications must be submitted to the Commission in a form and manner prescribed by the Commission. Applicants must submit any supporting documents deemed necessary by the Commission at the time of application.

Section 30. Eligibility; work agreement.

(a) To be eligible for assistance under the Community Behavioral Health Care Professional Loan Repayment Program, the Commission must find that the applicant satisfies all of the following:

(1) He or she is a United States citizen or an eligible noncitizen.

(2) He or she is a resident of this State.

(3) He or she has worked for at least 12 consecutive months as a behavioral health professional in a community mental health center in an underserved or rural federally designated Mental Health Professional Shortage Area in this State.

(4) He or she is a borrower with an outstanding balance due on an educational loan.

(5) He or she has not defaulted on an educational loan.

(b) The Commission may grant preference to a previous recipient of a grant under the Program, provided that the recipient continues to meet the eligibility requirements under this Section.

(c) A recipient of a grant under the Program must agree to work for at least 12 consecutive months in a community mental health center in an underserved or rural federally designated Mental Health Professional Shortage Area in this State for each grant that he or she is awarded.

Section 35. Repayment upon default; exceptions.

(a) If a recipient of a grant awarded under this Act fails to fulfill the work agreement required under the Program, the Commission must require the recipient to repay the amount of the grant received, prorated according to the fraction of the work agreement not completed, and must collect interest at a rate of 5% and, if applicable, reasonable collection fees.

(b) Payments received by the Commission under this Section shall be remitted to the State Comptroller for deposit into the General Revenue Fund, except that the portion of a recipient's repayment that equals the amount in expenses that the Commission has reasonably incurred in attempting collection from that recipient shall be remitted to the State Comptroller for deposit into the Commission's Accounts Receivable Fund.

(c) A recipient of a grant awarded by the Commission under this Act is not in violation of the work agreement entered into pursuant to the Program if the recipient is (i) serving as a member of the armed services of the United States, (ii) a person with a temporary total disability, as established by a sworn affidavit of a qualified physician, (iii) seeking and unable to find full-time employment as a community behavioral health professional and is able to provide evidence of that fact, or (iv) taking additional courses, on at least a half-time basis, related to behavioral health. Any extension of the period during which the work requirement must be fulfilled is subject to limitations of duration established by the Commission.

Section 40. Administration; rules. The Commission shall administer the Program and shall adopt rules not inconsistent with this Act for the Program's effective implementation.".