HOUSE BILL NO. 395
INTRODUCED BY W. JONES
A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: "AN ACT PROVIDING FOR A REGIONAL INITIATIVE IN DENTAL EDUCATION PROGRAM; PROVIDING THAT STUDENT TUITION COSTS BE PAID BY THE PROGRAM; PROVIDING FOR REPAYMENT OF TUITION IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES; PROVIDING AN APPROPRIATION; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE."
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:
NEW SECTION. Section 1. Regional initiative in dental education. The board of regents shall provide access to publicly funded dental education for Montana students by establishing a regional initiative in dental education program in which Montana resident students complete their first year of dental training at Montana state university-Bozeman and then transfer to the university of Washington school of dentistry to complete their dental training, with clinical rotations across Montana in the later years of dental school, especially in rural and under-served communities.
NEW SECTION. SECTION 2. REPAYMENT REQUIREMENT. (1) PRIOR TO EXPENDING ANY FUNDS TO PROVIDE TUITION COSTS FOR A DENTAL STUDENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON SCHOOL OF DENTISTRY PURSUANT TO THE REGIONAL INITIATIVE IN DENTAL EDUCATION PROGRAM, THE BOARD OF REGENTS SHALL OBTAIN AN AGREEMENT FROM THE STUDENT WHEREBY THE STUDENT AGREES TO:
(A) AUTHORIZE THE STATE OF MONTANA TO PAY THE TUITION COSTS INCURRED IN THE STUDENT'S DENTAL EDUCATION AS DETERMINED BY A CONTRACT BETWEEN THE STATE OF MONTANA AND THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON SCHOOL OF DENTISTRY PROVIDING THAT EDUCATION; AND
(B) ACTIVELY ENGAGE IN PROFESSIONAL DENTAL PRACTICE IN MONTANA OR REPAY AMOUNTS EXPENDED BY THE STATE OF MONTANA, AS PROVIDED IN SUBSECTION (2).
(2) (A) A DENTIST, UPON GRADUATING FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON SCHOOL OF DENTISTRY PURSUANT TO THE REGIONAL INITIATIVE IN DENTAL EDUCATION PROGRAM, WHO DOES NOT ENGAGE IN PROFESSIONAL DENTAL PRACTICE WITHIN THE STATE OF MONTANA SHALL REPAY 100% OF THE AMOUNT EXPENDED BY THE STATE OF MONTANA FOR TUITION COSTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON SCHOOL OF DENTISTRY.
(B) IF A DENTIST, UPON GRADUATION FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON SCHOOL OF DENTISTRY, ENGAGES IN PROFESSIONAL DENTAL PRACTICE IN MONTANA IN AN AREA OTHER THAN AN UNDERSERVED AREA FOR AT LEAST 6 YEARS, THE DENTIST SHALL REPAY 50% OF THE AMOUNT EXPENDED BY THE STATE OF MONTANA FOR TUITION COSTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON SCHOOL OF DENTISTRY.
(C) IF A DENTIST, UPON GRADUATION FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON SCHOOL OF DENTISTRY, ENGAGES IN PROFESSIONAL DENTAL PRACTICE IN MONTANA IN AN UNDERSERVED AREA FOR AT LEAST 6 YEARS, THE DENTIST IS NOT REQUIRED TO REPAY ANY OF THE AMOUNT EXPENDED BY THE STATE OF MONTANA FOR TUITION COSTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON SCHOOL OF DENTISTRY.
(D) REPAYMENT OF AMOUNTS EXPENDED BY THE STATE OF MONTANA ON THE STUDENT'S DENTAL EDUCATION, TOGETHER WITH INTEREST, MUST BE MADE ACCORDING TO A REPAYMENT SCHEDULE AND TERMS SPECIFIED BY THE BOARD OF REGENTS. HOWEVER, INTEREST BEGINS TO ACCRUE IF THE BOARD FINDS THAT THE STUDENT HAS WITHDRAWN FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON SCHOOL OF DENTISTRY OR IS OTHERWISE NOT MAKING SATISFACTORY PROGRESS TOWARD COMPLETION OF THE DEGREE OR PROGRAM. INTEREST CHARGED UNDER THIS SECTION ACCRUES AT AN ANNUAL INTEREST RATE EQUAL TO THAT CHARGED FOR FEDERAL STAFFORD LOANS AT THE TIME THAT THE INTEREST BEGINS TO ACCRUE, AND THE RATE MUST BE ADJUSTED ANNUALLY TO MATCH THE FEDERAL STAFFORD LOAN RATE. THE INTEREST RATE MAY NOT BE GREATER THAN 8%.
(E) UPON RECOMMENDATION OF THE DEAN OF THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON SCHOOL OF DENTISTRY, THE BOARD OF REGENTS MAY RELIEVE A STUDENT OF THE OBLIGATION TO REPAY AMOUNTS EXPENDED UNDER THIS SECTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IF REPAYMENT WOULD CAUSE UNDUE HARDSHIP.
(3) FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, THE MONTANA BOARD OF DENTISTRY SHALL IDENTIFY AND DEFINE AN "UNDERSERVED AREA" IN MONTANA.
(4) ANY AMOUNTS PAID BY DENTAL STUDENTS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONTRACTUAL ARRANGEMENTS AUTHORIZED UNDER THIS SECTION MUST BE DEPOSITED INTO A SPECIAL REVENUE ACCOUNT DESIGNATED AS THE DENTAL SCHOOL STUDENT FUND, MAINTAINED AND SEPARATELY ACCOUNTED FOR BY THE BOARD OF REGENTS. THE FUND MAY BE ADDED TO BY SPECIFIC CONTRIBUTIONS FROM OTHER SOURCES. THE FUND MUST BE EXPENDED BY THE BOARD OF REGENTS FOR TUITION COSTS RELATED TO THE REGIONAL INITIATIVE IN DENTAL EDUCATION PROGRAM.
NEW SECTION. Section 3. Appropriation. There is appropriated $2,397,000 from the general fund to the board of regents for the biennium ending June 30, 2009, to establish the regional initiative in dental education program as envisioned by the feasibility study conducted pursuant to House Bill No. 522 (Chapter 339, Laws of 2005).
NEW SECTION. Section 4. Codification instruction. [Section 1] is [SECTIONS 1 AND 2] ARE intended to be codified as an integral part of Title 20, chapter 25, and the provisions of Title 20, chapter 25, apply to [section 1] [SECTIONS 1 AND 2].
NEW SECTION. SECTION 5. CONTINGENT VOIDNESS. IF HOUSE BILL NO. 807 IS NOT PASSED AND APPROVED, THEN [THIS ACT] IS VOID.
NEW SECTION. Section 6. Effective date. [This act] is effective July 1, 2007.
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Latest Version of HB 395 (HB0395.02)
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