A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT appropriating funds to the office of rural health, department of health and human services, for THE state loan repayment program and directing THE office of rural health, department of health and human services, to ensure its loan repayment program is targeted to benefit health care providers in rural north carolina, including identifying the need for dentists in rural areas and to make recommendations to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services, as recommended by the legislative research commission.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Office of Rural Health, Department of Health and Human Services, the sum of three million dollars ($3,000,000) for the 2018‑2019 fiscal year. This funding shall be used to supplement current funding for the North Carolina State Loan Repayment Program and this additional funding shall be recurring. Eight hundred thousand dollars ($800,000) of the three million dollars ($3,000,000) shall be used for repayment of loans owed by physician assistants and nurse practitioners who provide primary care services in rural areas of the State.
SECTION 2.(a)  The Office of Rural Health, Department of Health and Human Services, is directed to structure the North Carolina State Loan Repayment Program so that it is aligned with all of the following goals:
(1)	The Program is targeted to increase the number of health care providers in rural areas of the State.
(2)	The Program is coordinated with the National Health Service Corps and Federal Loan Repayment programs, as well as any other publicly or privately funded programs, to maximize funding in order to increase the number of health care providers in rural areas of the State.
(3)	The Program encourages both recruitment and retention of health care providers in rural areas of the State.
SECTION 2.(b)  The Office of Rural Health, Department of Health and Human Services, is directed to work with data from the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, and other sources, to identify the need for dentists in rural areas in North Carolina and to develop a recommendation to target loan repayment funds for dentists in rural areas that have been identified as having the greatest need for dentists.
SECTION 2.(c)  On or before October 1, 2018, the Office of Rural Health, Department of Health and Human Services, shall provide an interim report to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services on the actions required by this section. On or before October 1, 2019, the Office of Rural Health, Department of Health and Human Services, shall provide a final report to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Health and Human Services on the actions required by this section.
SECTION 3.  This act becomes effective July 1, 2018.