Sub.
S.B. 147
127th General Assembly
(As Reported by S. Health, Human Services, and Aging)
Sens. Faber, Schuring, Grendell, Wagoner, Morano, Seitz
BILL SUMMARY
· Permits the Department of Rehabilitation and Correction to establish a loan repayment program for recruitment of nurses or dentists.
CONTENT AND OPERATION
(R.C. 5120.55)
Current law authorizes the Department of Rehabilitation and Correction to establish a physician recruitment program under which the Department, by means of a contract, agrees to repay all or part of the principal and interest of a government or other educational loan of a physician in exchange for the physician's agreement to provide services to inmates of correctional institutions administered by the Department. The Department has not exercised its authority to establish such a program.
Based on the existing law authorizing establishment of a physician recruitment program, the bill permits the Department to establish a loan repayment program for the recruitment of nurses or dentists.
For a nurse[1] to be eligible to participate in the recruitment program, the nurse must have attended either of the following:
· A nursing school in this country that during the time of attendance was accredited by the Commission of Collegiate Nursing Education or the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission.
· A foreign nursing school that during the time of attendance was acknowledged by the World Health Organization (WHO) and verified by a WHO member state as operating within that state's jurisdiction.
For a dentist[2] to be eligible to participate in the program, the dentist must have attended a school that was, during the time of attendance, a dental college that enabled the dentist to meet the requirements under existing law to be granted a license to practice dentistry in Ohio.
The Department must enter into a contract with each nurse or dentist it recruits under the program. Each contract must include the scope of services to be provided, the number of hours per week and the number of years of service to be provided, the expenses that were covered by a loan that may be repaid by the Department, and the amount the nurse or dentist must pay to the Department as damages should the nurse or dentist fail to complete the service obligation or comply with other terms of the contract. The lending institution of the nurse or dentist, or the Ohio Board of Regents, may be a party to the contract and the contract may include an assignment to the Department of the duty of the nurse or dentist to repay the principal and interest of the loan.
If the Department elects to implement a recruitment program for nurses or dentists, the Department must adopt rules in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act (R.C. Chapter 119.) to establish all of the following:
· Criteria for designating institutions for which nurses or dentists will be recruited.
· Criteria for selecting nurses or dentists for participation in the program.
· Criteria for determining the portion of a loan the Department will agree to repay.
· Criteria for determining reasonable amounts of the expenses covered by a loan to be repaid.
· Procedures for monitoring compliance by nurses or dentists with the terms of their contracts.
· Any other criteria or procedures necessary to implement the program.
HISTORY
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ACTION |
DATE |
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Introduced |
04-19-07 |
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Reported, S. Health, Human Services & Aging |
04-03-08 |
s0147-rs-127.doc/kl
[1] The bill defines
"nurse" as a registered nurse or licensed practical nurse. "Registered nurse" is defined as
an individual who holds a current, valid license issued by the Ohio Nursing Board
that authorizes the practice of nursing as a registered nurse and includes a
registered nurse who is a clinical nurse specialist, certified nurse-midwife,
or certified nurse practitioner.
"Licensed practical nurse" is defined as an individual who
holds a current, valid license issued by the Ohio Nursing Board that authorizes
the practice of nursing as a licensed practical nurse.
[2] The bill defines
"dentist" as an individual who holds a current, valid license to
practice dentistry issued by the State Dental Board.