WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE

2024 REGULAR SESSION

Introduced

Senate Bill 330

By Senators Deeds, Grady, and Hamilton

[Introduced January 12, 2024; referred
to the Committee on Health and Human Resources; and then to the Committee on Finance]

A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated §18C-10-1, relating to a state-funded psychiatric residency program; creating a program fund; and setting forth proposed appropriations.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

ARTICLE 10. psychiatric residency grant program.

§18C-10-1 State-funded psychiatric residency program funds and appropriations.

(a) Marshall University and clinics shall administer a state-funded psychiatric residency program in cooperation with the state mental health institute at Mildred Mitchell-Bateman Hospital. The program shall provide financial support for residency positions which are in excess of the federal residency cap established by the federal Balanced Budget Act of 1997, Pub. L. No. 105-33, and the residency positions established by Marshall as of July 1, 2023.  Participating residents shall complete their residency training at Mildred Mitchell-Bateman Hospital or similar entity as approved by Marshall.

(b) The residency program shall provide for the awarding of four residency positions for each class of residents. Preference in the awarding of residency positions shall be given to candidates who are residents of West Virginia, attended and earned an undergraduate degree from a West Virginia school of higher education, or attended and earned a medical degree from a medical school in West Virginia.

(c) Funds for this program shall be a designated line item within the Marshall University School of Medicine.  Money in the fund at the end of each fiscal year shall not revert to any other fund but shall remain in the psychiatric residency program fund for use in subsequent fiscal years. Moneys in the fund are appropriated to the hospitals and clinics to be used for the purposes of the program. For fiscal years beginning on or after July 1, 2025, there is appropriated from the general fund of the state to the psychiatric residency program fund the following amounts to be used for the purposes of the program:

(1) For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025, $1,000,000.

(2) For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026, $2,000,000.

(3) For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2027, $3,000,000.

(4) For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2028, and each fiscal year thereafter, $4,000,000.

(d) Marshall University shall report on the status of this program to LOCHHRA by December 1, 2027.  

(e) The Legislature recognizes the importance of this program and will endeavor to provide sufficient funds to meet program goals and objectives. However, funding is subject to appropriation by the Legislature and nothing in this article requires any specific level of appropriation.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to create and fund a psychiatric residency program.

The bill was recommended for passage during the 2024 legislative session, by the Joint Committee on Health.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.