SB228: Bill Text

2019 Senate BILL 228

May 23, 2019 - Introduced by Senators Testin, Tiffany, Feyen, Marklein, Wirch and Bernier, cosponsored by Representatives Kurtz, James, Edming, Felzkowski, Krug, Kulp, Mursau, Oldenburg, Petryk, Plumer, Quinn, Snyder, Spiros, Summerfield, Swearingen, Tauchen, Tranel, Tusler, VanderMeer, Zimmerman, Novak, Katsma, Milroy, Fields, Doyle, Skowronski, Brandtjen, Dittrich, Ott, Rodriguez, Thiesfeldt and Billings. Referred to Committee on Universities, Technical Colleges, Children and Families.

SB228,1,3 An Act to create 20.235 (1) (dg), 20.235 (1) (dr) and 36.635 of the statutes; relating to: Marquette University School of Dentistry rural scholarship program and making an appropriation.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

This bill requires the Higher Educational Aids Board, in consultation with the Department of Health Services, to establish a program for awarding annual scholarships of $75,000 to no more than five first-year students enrolled in the Marquette University School of Dentistry (school). The scholarships are awarded for each year of enrollment in the school, but not exceeding four years. To be eligible for a scholarship, a student must be a state resident and enter into an agreement with HEAB that he or she will practice dentistry upon graduation for a required number of months in an eligible area in this state, which is a federally designated dental health shortage area that is not located in Brown, Dane, Kenosha, Milwaukee, or Waukesha County. The number of months required is 18 months for each annual scholarship awarded to the student. In addition, the agreement must specify that if a student does not practice dentistry in an eligible area in this state for the required number of months, he or she is liable to the state for an amount that is based on the number of months he or she did not practice in an eligible area in this state. Also, the bill requires HEAB, in cooperation with the school, to make every effort to ensure that students in the program practice dentistry upon graduation in eligible areas in this state that are geographically diverse. Finally, the bill requires HEAB to make grants to the school to defray the school's administrative costs related to the program.

For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

SB228,1 Section 1. 20.005 (3) (schedule) of the statutes: at the appropriate place, insert the following amounts for the purposes indicated: - See PDF for table - See PDF for table

SB228,2 Section 2. 20.235 (1) (dg) of the statutes is created to read:

SB228,2,6 20.235 (1) (dg) Rural dentistry scholarship program; scholarships. The amounts in schedule for scholarships under the program established under s. 36.635 (2).

SB228,3 Section 3. 20.235 (1) (dr) of the statutes is created to read:

SB228,2,9 20.235 (1) (dr) Rural dentistry scholarship program; administration. Biennially, the amounts in the schedule for grants under s. 36.635 (5).

SB228,4 Section 4. 36.635 of the statutes is created to read:

SB228,2,12 36.635 Rural dentistry scholarship program. (1) Definitions. In this section:

SB228,3,3 (a) “Actual practice total” is the total number of months that a student upon graduation practices dentistry in a dental health shortage area in this state. For purposes of this paragraph, a fraction of a month is counted as one month.

SB228,3,6 (b) “Dental health shortage area” has the meaning given in s. 36.60 (1) (ad), except that “dental health shortage area” does not include an area in the county of Brown, Dane, Kenosha, Milwaukee, or Waukesha.

SB228,3,9 (c) “Repayment liability percentage” means the percentage that results from dividing the difference between a student's required practice total and the student's actual practice total by the student's required practice total.

SB228,3,12 (d) “Required practice total” means the total number of months a student upon graduation is required under sub. (3) to practice dentistry in a dental health shortage area in this state.

SB228,3,13 (e) “School” means the Marquette University School of Dentistry.

SB228,3,18 (2) Scholarships. In consultation with the department of health services, the board shall establish a program for awarding to no more than 5 first-year students an annual scholarship, including a stipend, equal to $75,000 for each year of a student's enrollment but not exceeding 4 years. The board shall pay the scholarships from the appropriation account under s. 20.235 (1) (dg).

SB228,3,24 (3) Eligibility; agreements. (a) A student is not eligible for a scholarship under the program established under sub. (2) unless he or she is a resident of the state and enters into an agreement with board in which he or she agrees upon graduation to practice dentistry in a dental health shortage area in this state for a period equal to 18 months multiplied by the number of annual scholarships the board awards to the student under the program.

SB228,4,5 (b) An agreement under par. (a) shall specify that if a student fails to practice dentistry in a dental health shortage area in this state for the period required under par. (a), he or she is liable to the state for an amount equal to the total dollar amount of annual scholarships awarded to the student multiplied by the student's repayment liability percentage.

SB228,4,9 (4) Geographic diversity. In cooperation with the school, the board shall make every effort to ensure that students who are awarded scholarships under the program established under sub. (2) practice dentistry upon graduation in geographically diverse dental health shortage areas in this state.

SB228,4,12 (5) Administrative grants. The board shall make grants from the appropriation account under s. 20.235 (1) (dr) to the school to defray the school's administrative costs related to the program established under sub. (2).

SB228,5 Section 5. Effective date.

SB228,4,15 (1) This act takes effect on the day after publication, or on the 2nd day after publication of the 2019 biennial budget act, whichever is later.

SB228,4,16 (End)