HB2218

Report Title:

Health Care; Student Loan Default

Description:

Requires licensing authorities to suspend the license of health care professionals who default on certain state- or federally-guaranteed educational loans.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	2218
TWENTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2002
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

RELATING TO PROFESSIONS AND OCCUPATIONS.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. Chapter 436B, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"§436B-   License suspension; nonpayment or default on educational loan; health care professions. (a) Subject to a hearing under section 436B-24, the licensing authority for a health care provider shall suspend the license of any health care provider who has been certified by a lending agency and reported to the licensing authority for nonpayment or default on a federally or state-guaranteed educational loan. The health care provider's license shall not be reissued until the health care provider provides the licensing authority a written release issued by the lending agency stating that the health care provider is making payments on the loan in accordance with a repayment agreement approved by the lending agency. If the health care provider has continued to meet all other requirements for licensure during the suspension, reinstatement shall be automatic upon receipt of the notice and payment of any reinstatement fee the licensing authority may impose.

(b) For the purposes of this section, a "health care provider" shall be any health care professional as that term is defined under section 451D-2, but shall specifically include any optometrist licensed under chapter 459. A "lending agency" shall be a financial institution licensed under chapter 412, the Secondary Market Services Corp.-Hawaii established under chapter 309, or the University of Hawaii through its student loans assistance program."

SECTION 2. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 3. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:	_____________________________