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SB0387 Engrossed |
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LRB095 10642 NHT 30868 b |
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| AN ACT concerning education.
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| Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
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| represented in the General Assembly:
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| Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Loan |
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| Repayment Assistance for Dentists Act.
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| Section 5. Purpose. The purpose of this Act is to establish |
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| a program in the Department of Public Health to increase the |
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| total number of dentists and dental specialists practicing in |
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| designated shortage areas in this State by providing |
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| educational loan repayment assistance grants to dentists and |
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| dental specialists.
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| Section 10. Definitions. In this Act, unless the context |
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| otherwise requires: |
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| "Dental payments" means compensation provided to dentists |
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| and dental specialists for services rendered under Article V of |
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| the Illinois Public Aid Code. |
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| "Dental specialist" means a person who has received a |
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| license as a dentist in this State and who is trained and |
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| qualified to practice in one or more of the following |
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| specialties of dentistry: endodontics, oral and maxillofacial |
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| surgery, orthodontics, pedodontics, periodontics, and |
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| prosthodontics. |
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SB0387 Engrossed |
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LRB095 10642 NHT 30868 b |
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| "Dentist" means a person who has received a general license |
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| pursuant to paragraph (a) of Section 11 of the Illinois Dental |
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| Practice Act, who may perform any intraoral and extraoral |
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| procedure required in the practice of dentistry, and to whom is |
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| reserved the responsibilities specified in Section 17 of the |
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| Illinois Dental Practice Act. |
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| "Department" means the Department of Public Health. |
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| "Designated shortage area" means a medically underserved |
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| area or health manpower shortage area as defined by the United |
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| States Department of Health and Human Services or as otherwise |
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| designated by the Department of Public Health. |
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| "Educational loans" means higher education student loans |
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| that a person has incurred in attending a registered |
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| professional dental education program in this State. |
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| "Program" means the educational loan repayment assistance |
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| program for dentists and dental specialists established by the |
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| Department under this Act.
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| Section 15. Establishment of program. The Department shall |
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| establish an educational loan repayment assistance program for |
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| dentists and dental specialists who practice in designated |
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| shortage areas in this State and who accept certain dental |
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| payments as defined under this Act. The Department shall |
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| administer the program and make all necessary and proper rules |
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| not inconsistent with this Act for the program's effective |
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| implementation. The Department may use up to 5% of the |
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SB0387 Engrossed |
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LRB095 10642 NHT 30868 b |
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| appropriation for this program for administration and |
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| promotion of dentist and dental specialist incentive programs.
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| Section 20. Application. Beginning July 1, 2007, the |
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| Department shall, each year, consider 4 applications for |
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| assistance under the program. The form of application and the |
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| information required to be set forth in the application shall |
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| be determined by the Department, and the Department shall |
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| require applicants to submit with their applications such |
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| supporting documents as the Department deems necessary.
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| Section 25. Eligibility. To be eligible for assistance |
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| under the program, an applicant must meet all of the following |
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| qualifications: |
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| (1) He or she must be a citizen or permanent resident
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| of the United States.
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| (2) He or she must be a resident of this State. |
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| (3) He or she must be practicing full time in
this |
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| State as a dentist or dental specialist.
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| (4) He or she must currently be repaying educational
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| loans.
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| (5) He or she must accept dental payments as defined in |
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| this Act. |
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| (6) He or she must continue full-time practice in this |
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| State in a designated shortage area for 2 years.
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LRB095 10642 NHT 30868 b |
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| Section 30. The award of grants. Under the program, for |
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| each year that a qualified applicant practices full time in |
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| this State in a designated shortage area as a dentist or dental |
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| specialist, the Department shall, subject to appropriation, |
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| award a grant to that person in an amount equal to the amount |
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| in educational loans that the person must repay that year. |
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| However, the total amount in grants that a person may be |
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| awarded under the program must not exceed $25,000 per year for |
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| a 4-year period. The Department shall require recipients to use |
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| the grants to pay off their educational loans.
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| Section 35. Penalty for failure to fulfill obligation. Loan |
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| repayment recipients who fail to practice full time in a |
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| designated shortage area, as provided in this Act, shall repay |
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| the Department a sum equal to the amount received under the |
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| program, plus interest.
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| Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1, |
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| 2007.
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