Florida Senate - 2019 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT Bill No. SB 716 Ì740542ÃÎ740542 LEGISLATIVE ACTION Senate . House Comm: RCS . 04/09/2019 . . . . ————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————— ————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————— Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services (Hooper) recommended the following: 1 Senate Amendment (with title amendment) 2 3 Delete lines 42 - 150 4 and insert: 5 381.4019 Dental Student Loan Repayment Program.—The 6 Legislature shall establish the Dental Student Loan Repayment 7 Program to promote access to dental care by supporting qualified 8 dentists who treat medically underserved populations in dental 9 health professional shortage areas or medically underserved 10 areas. 11 (1) As used in this section, the term: 12 (a) “Dental health professional shortage area” means a 13 geographic area designated as such by the Health Resources and 14 Services Administration of the United States Department of 15 Health and Human Services. 16 (b) “Department” means the Department of Health. 17 (c) “Loan program” means the Dental Student Loan Repayment 18 Program. 19 (d) “Medically underserved area” means a geographic area, 20 an area having a special population, or a facility which is 21 designated by department rule as a health professional shortage 22 area as defined by federal regulation and which has a shortage 23 of dental health professionals who serve Medicaid recipients and 24 other low-income patients. 25 (e) “Public health program” means a county health 26 department, the Children’s Medical Services program, a federally 27 funded community health center, a federally funded migrant 28 health center, or other publicly funded or nonprofit health care 29 program designated by the department. 30 (2) The department shall establish a dental student loan 31 repayment program to benefit Florida-licensed dentists who 32 demonstrate, as required by department rule, active employment 33 in a public health program that serves Medicaid recipients and 34 other low-income patients and is located in a dental health 35 professional shortage area or a medically underserved area. 36 (3) The department shall award funds from the loan program 37 to repay the student loans of a dentist who meets the 38 requirements of subsection (2). 39 (a) An award may not exceed $50,000 per year per eligible 40 dentist. 41 (b) Only loans to pay the costs of tuition, books, dental 42 equipment and supplies, uniforms, and living expenses may be 43 covered. 44 (c) All repayments shall be contingent upon continued proof 45 of eligibility and shall be made directly to the holder of the 46 loan. The state shall bear no responsibility for the collection 47 of any interest charges or other remaining balances. 48 (d) A dentist is eligible to receive funds under the loan 49 program for at least 1 year, up to a maximum of 5 years. 50 (e) The department shall limit the number of new dentists 51 participating in the loan program to not more than 10 per fiscal 52 year. 53 (4) A dentist is no longer eligible to receive funds under 54 the loan program if the dentist: 55 (a) Is no longer employed by a public health program that 56 meets the requirements of subsection (2). 57 (b) Ceases to participate in the Florida Medicaid program. 58 (c) Has disciplinary action taken against his or her 59 license by the Board of Dentistry for a violation of s. 466.028. 60 (5) The department shall adopt rules to administer the loan 61 program. 62 (6) Implementation of the loan program is subject to 63 legislative appropriation. 64 Section 3. Section 381.40195, Florida Statutes, is created 65 to read: 66 381.40195 Donated Dental Services Program.— 67 (1) This act may be cited as the “Donated Dental Services 68 Act.” 69 (2) As used in this section, the term: 70 (a) “Department” means the Department of Health. 71 (b) “Program” means the Donated Dental Services Program as 72 established pursuant to subsection (3). 73 (3) The department shall establish the Donated Dental 74 Services Program for the purpose of providing comprehensive 75 dental care through a network of volunteer dentists and other 76 dental providers to needy, disabled, elderly, and medically 77 compromised individuals who cannot afford necessary treatment 78 but are ineligible for public assistance. An eligible individual 79 may receive treatment in a volunteer dentist’s or participating 80 dental provider’s private office or at any other suitable 81 location. An eligible individual is not required to pay any fee 82 or cost associated with the treatment he or she receives. 83 (4) The department shall implement and administer the 84 program. The department shall contract with a nonprofit 85 organization that has experience in providing similar services 86 or administering similar programs. The contract must specify the 87 responsibilities of the nonprofit organization, which may 88 include, but are not limited to: 89 (a) Maintaining a network of volunteer dentists and other 90 dental providers, including, but not limited to, dental 91 specialists and dental laboratories, to provide comprehensive 92 dental services to eligible individuals. 93 (b) Maintaining a system to refer eligible individuals to 94 the appropriate volunteer dentist or participating dental 95 provider. 96 (c) Developing a public awareness and marketing campaign to 97 promote the program and educate eligible individuals about its 98 availability and services. 99 (d) Providing the necessary administrative and technical 100 support to administer the program. 101 (e) Submitting an annual report to the department which 102 must include, at a minimum: 103 1. Financial data relating to administering the program. 104 2. Demographic data and other information relating to the 105 eligible individuals who are referred to and receive treatment 106 through the program. 107 3. Demographic data and other information relating to the 108 volunteer dentists and participating dental providers who 109 provide dental services through the program. 110 4. Any other data or information that the department may 111 require. 112 (f) Performing any other program-related duties and 113 responsibilities as required by the department. 114 (5) The department shall adopt rules to administer the 115 program. 116 (6) Implementation of the program is subject to legislative 117 appropriation. 118 119 ================= T I T L E A M E N D M E N T ================ 120 And the title is amended as follows: 121 Delete lines 13 - 21 122 and insert: 123 specifying that implementation of the program is 124 subject to legislative appropriation; creating s. 125 381.40195, F.S.; providing a short title; providing 126 definitions; requiring the Department of Health to 127 establish the Donated Dental Services Program to 128 provide comprehensive dental care to certain eligible 129 individuals; requiring the department to contract with 130 a nonprofit organization to implement and administer 131 the program; specifying minimum contractual 132 responsibilities; requiring the department to adopt 133 rules; specifying that implementation of the program 134 is subject to legislative appropriation; providing an 135 effective date.