Report Title:
UH; WICHE
Description:
Requires dental graduates who received support through the WICHE program to serve underserved communities.
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THE SENATE |
S.B. NO. |
2064 |
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TWENTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2002 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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A BILL FOR AN ACT
RELATING TO THE WESTERN INTERSTATE COMMISSION FOR HIGHER EDUCATION.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
SECTION 1. The legislature finds that state funds are invested in supporting dental professional education for certain Hawaii residents through the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education program. Additionally, the State supports the costs of training dental residents in a hospital-based setting. The purpose of this Act is to require dentists who were recipients of state support for dental school through the WICHE program, or who participated in the state-subsidized dental residency program, to repay their obligation through service in an underserved community or with a community health center.
SECTION 2. Section 310-4, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:
"§310-4 State commissioners. (a) The governor, with the advice and consent of the senate, shall appoint the members of the commission for this State of the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education which is created under the provisions of Article III of the Western Regional Education Compact. The positions of commissioners shall be placed within the University of Hawaii for administrative purposes.
(b) The qualifications and terms of office of the members of the commission for this State shall conform with Article IV of the compact.
(c) The commissioners shall serve without compensation and they shall be reimbursed for their actual and necessary expenses by the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education.
(d) The commissioners for this State [shall], with the help of an advisory committee selected by them, shall certify those students from the State of Hawaii who may receive special assistance in their professional education from the State, under contracts provided for in the Western Regional Education Compact.
(e) The commissioners shall require students receiving special assistance for dental education or who participated in a dental residency program subsidized by the State to provide underserved communities in the State, upon their graduation and receipt of licensure by the State, with one year of service for each year of financial support received after July 1, 2002, in the following order of priority:
(1) Employment at federally qualified health centers;
(2) Employment at an agency or in a private practice located in a federally designated dental health professional shortage area.
The dental students shall be placed in appropriate underserved communities by, and may receive the advice of the Hawaii Primary Care Association. The dental students shall serve uninsured patients without regard to their ability to pay, shall use a sliding fee schedule based on the federal poverty level, and shall not restrict the number of patients covered by Medicaid in the practice. Dental students who are unwilling or unable to fulfill their service obligations required by this section shall repay the commissioner or, in the case of the dental residency program, the general fund at double the value of the state financial support received."
SECTION 3. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.
SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.
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INTRODUCED BY: |
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