CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.House Bill 0979
Florida House of Representatives - 1997 HB 979
By Representative Arnold
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to the Florida Health Services
3 Corps; amending s. 381.0302, F.S.; including
4 psychology among the health care professions
5 covered by the program; providing an effective
6 date.
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8 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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10 Section 1. Subsections (1), (4), (5), and (7) and
11 paragraph (b) of subsection (2) of section 381.0302, Florida
12 Statutes, are amended to read:
13 381.0302 Florida Health Services Corps.--
14 (1) To encourage qualified health care medical
15 professionals to practice in underserved locations where there
16 are shortages of such personnel, the Legislature establishes
17 the Florida Health Services Corps.
18 (2) As used in this section, the term:
19 (b) "Florida Health Services Corps" means a program
20 authorized by this section which:
21 1. Offers scholarships to allopathic, osteopathic,
22 psychology, chiropractic, podiatric, dental, physician
23 assistant, and nursing students, and loan repayment assistance
24 and travel and relocation expenses to allopathic and
25 osteopathic residents and physicians, psychologists and
26 psychology residents, chiropractors, podiatrists, nurse
27 practitioners, dentists, and physician assistants, in return
28 for service in a public health care program or in a medically
29 underserved area.
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Florida House of Representatives - 1997 HB 979
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1 2. Offers membership on a voluntary basis to
2 physicians and other health care personnel who provide
3 uncompensated care.
4 (4) Corps members shall be supervised by the State
5 Health Officer, or his or her physician or psychologist
6 designee, for the purpose of practice guidelines, continuing
7 education, and other matters pertaining to professional
8 conduct.
9 (5) The department may award scholarships to students
10 studying medicine, osteopathic medicine, psychology,
11 chiropractic, podiatric, nursing, or dentistry.
12 (a) The program shall require a student who receives a
13 scholarship to accept an assignment in a public health care
14 program or work in a specific community located in a medically
15 underserved area upon completion of primary care training.
16 The department shall determine assignments. If a practitioner
17 is assigned to a medically underserved area, the practitioner
18 must treat Medicaid patients and other patients with low
19 incomes.
20 (b) An eligible student must be pursuing a full-time
21 course of study in:
22 1. Allopathic or osteopathic medicine, including
23 physician assistants;
24 2. Dentistry;
25 3. Podiatric medicine;
26 4. Nursing, including registered nurses, nurse
27 midwives, and other nurse practitioners; or
28 5. Chiropractic medicine; or
29 6. Counseling or clinical psychology.
30 (c) In selecting students to participate in the
31 scholarship program, priority shall be given to students who
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Florida House of Representatives - 1997 HB 979
163-221-97
1 indicate a desire to practice a primary care specialty in a
2 medically underserved area after their obligation is completed
3 and who indicate an intent to practice health care medical
4 specialties for which the department has a need.
5 (d) Scholarship assistance shall consist of
6 reimbursement for tuition and other educational costs such as
7 books, supplies, equipment, transportation, and monthly living
8 expense stipends. The department shall pay the same amount
9 for living expense stipends as is paid by the National Health
10 Services Corps. Each monthly living expense stipend shall be
11 for a 12-month period beginning with the first month of each
12 school year in which the student is a participant. The
13 department may reimburse a participant for books, supplies,
14 and equipment based on average costs incurred by participants
15 for these items. The department shall prescribe, by rule,
16 eligible expenses for reimbursement and allowable amounts.
17 (e) For an allopathic or osteopathic medical student,
18 enrollment in the corps may begin in the second year of
19 medical school or in any year thereafter. For a nursing
20 student or other student, enrollment may occur in any year.
21 (f) For a student who receives scholarship assistance,
22 participation in the corps after completion of training shall
23 be 1 year for each school year of scholarship assistance, up
24 to a maximum of 3 years. The period of obligated service
25 shall begin when the participant is assigned by the department
26 to a public health program or to a medically underserved area.
27 (7) The financial penalty for noncompliance with
28 participation requirements for persons who have received
29 financial payments under subsection (5) or subsection (6)
30 shall be determined in the same manner as in the National
31 Health Services Corps scholarship program. In addition,
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Florida House of Representatives - 1997 HB 979
163-221-97
1 noncompliance with participation requirements shall also
2 result in ineligibility for professional licensure or renewal
3 of licensure under chapter 458, chapter 459, chapter 460,
4 chapter 464, chapter 465, or chapter 466, or chapter 490. For
5 a participant who is unable to participate for reasons of
6 disability, the penalty is the actual amount of financial
7 assistance provided to the participant. Financial penalties
8 shall be deposited in the Florida Health Services Corps Trust
9 Fund and shall be used to provide additional scholarship and
10 financial assistance.
11 Section 2. This act shall take effect October 1, 1997.
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14 HOUSE SUMMARY
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Includes psychology among the health care professions
16 covered by the Florida Health Services Corps.
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