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SF3408 (Legislative Session 94 (2025-2026))

Health professional education loan forgiveness program physician and medical resident eligibility modifications

Related bill: HF3133

AI Generated Summary

Purpose of the Bill

The purpose of this bill is to modify eligibility criteria for physicians and medical residents to qualify for loan forgiveness under Minnesota's Health Professional Education Loan Forgiveness Program. This aims to support healthcare workers serving in underserved areas.

Main Provisions

  1. Expansion of Definitions: The bill revises the definitions related to eligible healthcare practitioners, including physicians, medical residents, and others within the healthcare system. These definitions are necessary to clarify who can benefit from the loan forgiveness program.

  2. Healthcare Professions Included:

    • Advanced Dental Therapist
    • Alcohol and Drug Counselor
    • Dental Therapist
    • Dentist
    • Hospital Nurse and Public Health Nurse
    • Mental Health Professional
    • Medical Resident
    • Midlevel Practitioners (including Nurse Practitioners, Nurse-Midwives, etc.)
    • Pharmacist
    • Physician and Physician Assistant

  3. Service Areas:

    • Emphasizes service in designated rural areas and underserved urban communities to address healthcare shortages.
    • Clarifies the definition of "designated rural area" and "underserved urban community" to prioritize these areas for loan forgiveness.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

  • The bill extends eligibility for loan forgiveness to include more specific health specialties such as hospitalist medicine, in addition to the previously covered areas like family practice, internal medicine, and pediatrics.
  • It provides precise definitions for terms like "emergency circumstances" to expand or explain conditions under which loan forgiveness may still apply if one is unable to fulfill their service commitments due to critical situations such as death or long-term disability.

Relevant Terms

health professional education loan forgiveness, medical resident, physician, underserved area, rural area, healthcare professionals, advanced dental therapist, mental health professional, primary medical care, shortage areas, metropolitan area, disability.

Bill text versions

Actions

DateChamberWhereTypeNameCommittee Name
April 22, 2025SenateFloorActionIntroduction and first reading
April 22, 2025SenateFloorActionReferred toHealth and Human Services

Citations

 
[
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [
        "Expanded definitions for more medical roles eligible for loan forgiveness."
      ],
      "removed": [
        "None reported."
      ],
      "summary": "This bill modifies physician and medical resident eligibility for loan forgiveness under the health professional education loan forgiveness program in Minnesota Statutes 2024 section 144.1501 subdivision 1.",
      "modified": [
        "Refines definition of 'medical resident' to include various specialized practices."
      ]
    },
    "citation": "144.1501",
    "subdivision": "subdivision 1"
  },
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [
        "Provides clarification on the roles certified under this section."
      ],
      "removed": [],
      "summary": "The definition of 'advanced dental therapist' aligns with licensing under section 150A.06.",
      "modified": []
    },
    "citation": "150A.06",
    "subdivision": ""
  },
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [],
      "removed": [],
      "summary": "Related to certification criteria for an advanced dental therapist.",
      "modified": [
        "Aligns certification requirement for advanced practice."
      ]
    },
    "citation": "150A.106",
    "subdivision": ""
  },
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [],
      "removed": [],
      "summary": "Pertains to licensing of alcohol and drug counselors as referenced in the definitions.",
      "modified": []
    },
    "citation": "148F",
    "subdivision": ""
  },
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [
        "Excludes additional cities from rural area designation."
      ],
      "removed": [],
      "summary": "Defines what constitutes a 'designated rural area' as per section 473.121 subdivision 2.",
      "modified": [
        "Updated definition of metropolitan area exclusion."
      ]
    },
    "citation": "473.121",
    "subdivision": "subdivision 2"
  },
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [
        "Allows broader inclusion within treatment practices."
      ],
      "removed": [],
      "summary": "Refers to qualification criteria for mental health professionals.",
      "modified": []
    },
    "citation": "245.462",
    "subdivision": "subdivision 18"
  },
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [],
      "removed": [],
      "summary": "Licensing requirements for pharmacists under chapter 151.",
      "modified": []
    },
    "citation": "151",
    "subdivision": ""
  },
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [],
      "removed": [],
      "summary": "Licensing information for physician assistants referenced under chapter 147A.",
      "modified": []
    },
    "citation": "147A",
    "subdivision": ""
  }
]

Progress through the legislative process

17%
In Committee

Sponsors