[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6551 Introduced in House (IH)]
110th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 6551
To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for a loan repayment
program for faculty members at programs of general dentistry or
pediatric dentistry to alleviate faculty shortages.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 17, 2008
Ms. Solis (for herself, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Jones of North Carolina, Mr.
Cummings, and Mr. Simpson) introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for a loan repayment
program for faculty members at programs of general dentistry or
pediatric dentistry to alleviate faculty shortages.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Primary Care Dental Academic
Workforce Development Act of 2008''.
SEC. 2. LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAM FOR FACULTY AT DENTISTRY PROGRAMS.
Section 747 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 293k) is
amended--
(1) in subsection (a)--
(A) in paragraph (6), by striking ``financial
assistance to residents'' and inserting ``financial
assistance to residents and faculty''; and
(B) at the end of the matter following paragraph
(6), by adding the following: ``Programs supported
under paragraph (6) may include loan repayment programs
described in subsection (e).'';
(2) by redesignating subsection (e) as subsection (f); and
(3) by inserting after subsection (d) the following:
``(e) Loan Repayment Program for Faculty at Dentistry Programs.--
``(1) In general.--A grant or contract under subsection
(a)(6) may be awarded to a program of general dentistry or
pediatric dentistry described in such subsection to plan,
develop, and operate a loan repayment program under which--
``(A) individuals agree to serve full-time as
faculty members; and
``(B) the program of general dentistry or pediatric
dentistry agrees to pay the principal and interest on
the outstanding student loans of the individuals.
``(2) Manner of payments.--The payments described in
paragraph (1)(B) shall be made as follows:
``(A) Upon completion by an individual of each of
the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth years of
service specified in the agreement between the
individual and the program of general dentistry or
pediatric dentistry, the program shall pay an amount
equal to 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 percent, respectively,
of the individual's student loan balance as calculated
based on principal and interest owed at the initiation
of the agreement.
``(B) The payments with respect to any individual--
``(i) shall not exceed $250,000 in
aggregate;
``(ii) shall not exceed the total principal
and interest owed by the individual; and
``(iii) shall be applied to the principal,
interest, and related expenses of government
(whether Federal, State, or local) and
commercial loans obtained by the individual for
school tuition, other reasonable educational
expenses, and reasonable living expenses.
``(3) Diversity.--The Secretary shall encourage programs
receiving support through a grant or contract described in
paragraph (1) to use such support to broadly recruit diverse
faculty.
``(4) Penalties.--The Secretary shall establish, and
require that loan repayment agreements between programs and
individuals under paragraph (1) include, appropriate financial
penalties to be applied with respect to individuals not
completing their service obligations under such agreements.''.
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