H. B. 4433
(By
Delegates M. Poling, Paxton
, Crosier, Gall, Pethtel,
Shaver, Williams, Wysong, Stephens, Wells and Rowan)
(Originating in the House Committee on Education)
[February 5, 2008]
A BILL to
amend and reenact §18C-3-1 of the Code of West
Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to health education
student loan fund; and increasing the portion of a medical
student loan that may be cancelled under certain
circumstances.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That §18C-3-1 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as
amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 3. HEALTH PROFESSIONALS STUDENT LOAN PROGRAMS.
§18C-3-1. Health Education Loan Program; establishment;
administration; eligibility and loan cancellation; required
report.
(a) For the purposes of this section, "Vice Chancellor
of
for Administration" means the person employed pursuant to section
two, article four, chapter eighteen-b of this code.
(b) There is continued a special revolving fund account
under administered by the Commission in the state treasury to be
known as the Health Education Student Loan Fund which shall be
used to carry out the purposes of this section. The fund
consists of:
(1) All funds on deposit in the medical student loan fund in
the state treasury or which are due or become due for deposit in
the fund as obligations made under the previous enactment of this
section;
(2) Those funds provided
for medical education pursuant to
the provisions of section four, article ten, chapter eighteen-b
of this code;
(3) Appropriations provided by the Legislature;
(4) Repayment of any loans made under this section;
(5) Amounts provided by medical associations, hospitals or
other medical provider organizations in this state, or by
political subdivisions of the state, under an agreement which
requires the recipient to practice his or her health profession
in this state or in the political subdivision providing the funds
for a predetermined period of time and in such capacity as set
forth in the agreement; and
(6) Other amounts which may be available from external
sources.
(c) Balances remaining in the fund at the end of the fiscal year do not expire or revert. All costs associated with
administering this section shall be paid from the Health
Education Student Loan Fund.
(c) (d) The Vice Chancellor for Administration may utilize
any funds in the Health Education Student Loan Fund for the
purposes of the Medical Student Loan Program. The Commission
shall give priority for the loans to residents of this state, as
defined by the Commission. An individual is eligible for loan
consideration if the individual:
(1) Demonstrates financial need;
(2) Meets established academic standards;
(3) Is enrolled or accepted for enrollment at
one of the
aforementioned schools of medicine the West Virginia University
School of Medicine, the Marshall University School of Medicine,
or the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine in a program
leading to the degree of medical doctor (M.D.) or doctor of
osteopathy (D.O.);
(4)
The individual Has not yet received one of the degrees
provided in subdivision (3) of this subsection; and
(5) Is not in default of any previous student loan.
(d) (e) At the end of each fiscal year, any individual who
has received a medical student loan and who has rendered services
as a medical doctor or a doctor of osteopathy in this state in a
medically underserved area or in a medical specialty in which there is a shortage of physicians, as determined by the Division
of Health at the time the loan was granted, may submit to the
Commission a notarized, sworn statement of service on a form
provided for that purpose. Upon receipt of the statement the
Commission shall cancel
five ten thousand dollars of the
outstanding loan or loans for every full twelve consecutive
calendar months of such service.
(e) (f) No later than thirty days following the end of each
fiscal year, the Vice Chancellor for Administration shall prepare
and submit a report to the Commission for inclusion in the
statewide report card required under section eight, article
one-b, chapter eighteen-b of this code to be submitted to the
Legislative Oversight Commission on Education Accountability
established under section eleven, article three-a, chapter
twenty-nine-a of this code. At a minimum, the report shall
include the following information:
(1) The number of loans awarded;
(2) The total amount of the loans awarded;
(3) The amount of any unexpended moneys in the fund; and
(4) The rate of default during the previous fiscal year on
the repayment of previously awarded loans.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to increase the maximum
amount of a medical student loan that may be cancelled annually
from $5,000 to $10,000 to match the increased maximum annual
$10,000 loan amount.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken
from the present law, and underscoring indicates new language
that would be added.