AB269 - Revises provisions relating to education. (BDR 18-618)

- 83rd Session (2025) Assembly Bill No. 269–Assemblymember D’Silva CHAPTER.......... AN ACT relating to education; revising provisions relating to the Student Loan Repayment for Providers of Health Care in Underserved Communities Program; renaming the Program; and providing other matters properly relating thereto. Legislative Counsel’s Digest: Existing law creates the Student Loan Repayment for Providers of Health Care in Underserved Communities Program to repay the student education loans of qualified providers of health care who work in certain underserved communities. (NRS 226.458) Existing law also creates the Account for Student Loan Repayment for Providers of Health Care in Underserved Communities to be used to repay those student education loans. (NRS 226.466) Existing law defines “provider of health care” for purposes of the Program. (NRS 226.454) Section 4 of this bill adds a licensed speech-language pathologist, physical therapist, occupational therapist, marriage and family therapist, clinical alcohol and drug counselor, alcohol and drug counselor, assistant behavior analyst and behavior analyst and a certified problem gambling counselor to the definition of “provider of health care” for such purposes, thereby expanding the applicability of the Program. Sections 5-7 of this bill also expand the Program to include public health professionals, which are defined in section 1 of this bill as: (1) the Chief Medical Officer and county and district health officers who are appointed under existing law; and (2) a person who is employed by the Division of Public and Behavioral Health of the Department of Health and Human Services or a local board of health in a position for which the Division or local board of health experiences substantial difficulty in recruitment and retention. Such positions are required by section 7 to be designated by regulation by the State Treasurer, based on recommendations that are required to be made by the State Board of Health pursuant to section 9 of this bill. Section 8 of this bill changes the name of the Account for the Program to the Account for Student Loan Repayment for Providers of Health Care and Public Health Professionals in Underserved Communities as a result of the expansion of the Program to include public health professionals. Section 2 of this bill applies the definitions in existing law and section 1 to the provisions of existing law relating to the Program. Section 3 of this bill makes a conforming change as a result of the expansion and change of the name of the Program. EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: Section 1. Chapter 226 of NRS is hereby amended by adding thereto a new section to read as follows: “Public health professional” means: 1. A person who is employed full-time or part-time as: (a) The Chief Medical Officer appointed pursuant to NRS 439.085; – 2 – - 83rd Session (2025) (b) A county health officer appointed pursuant to NRS 439.290; or (c) A district health officer appointed pursuant to NRS 439.368 or 439.400; or 2. A person who is employed by the Division of Public and Behavioral Health of the Department of Health and Human Services or a local board of health in a position designated by the regulations adopted pursuant to paragraph (e) of subsection 2 of NRS 226.462. Sec. 2. NRS 226.450 is hereby amended to read as follows: 226.450 As used in NRS 226.450 to 226.466, inclusive, and section 1 of this act, unless the context otherwise requires, the words and terms defined in NRS 226.452, 226.454 and 226.456 and section 1 of this act have the meanings ascribed to them in those sections. Sec. 3. NRS 226.452 is hereby amended to read as follows: 226.452 “Program” means the Student Loan Repayment for Providers of Health Care and Public Health Professionals in Underserved Communities Program created by NRS 226.458. Sec. 4. NRS 226.454 is hereby amended to read as follows: 226.454 “Provider of health care” means: 1. A physician; 2. A physician assistant licensed pursuant to chapter 630 or 633 of NRS; 3. A dentist; 4. A licensed nurse; 5. A person who holds a license as an attendant or is certified as an emergency medical technician, advanced emergency medical technician or paramedic pursuant to chapter 450B of NRS; 6. An optometrist; 7. An audiologist; 8. A practitioner of respiratory care; 9. A podiatric physician; 10. A psychologist; 11. A clinical professional counselor; 12. A perfusionist; 13. A pharmacist or pharmacy technician; 14. An associate in social work, a social worker, a master social worker, an independent social worker or a clinical social worker licensed pursuant to chapter 641B of NRS; 15. A midwife; [or] 16. A provider of doula services who is enrolled with the Division of Health Care Financing and Policy of the Department of – 3 – - 83rd Session (2025) Health and Human Services to receive reimbursement through Medicaid pursuant to NRS 422.27177 [.] ; 17. A speech-language pathologist licensed pursuant to chapter 637B of NRS; 18. A physical therapist licensed pursuant to chapter 640 of NRS; 19. An occupational therapist licensed pursuant to chapter 640A of NRS. 20. A marriage and family therapist licensed pursuant to chapter 641A of NRS; 21. A clinical alcohol and drug counselor or an alcohol and drug counselor licensed pursuant to chapter 641C of NRS; 22. A problem gambling counselor certified pursuant to chapter 641C of NRS; or 23. An assistant behavior analyst or a behavior analyst licensed pursuant to chapter 641D of NRS. Sec. 5. NRS 226.458 is hereby amended to read as follows: 226.458 1. The Student Loan Repayment for Providers of Health Care and Public Health Professionals in Underserved Communities Program is hereby created to repay the student education loans of providers of health care and public health professionals who are eligible for the Program pursuant to NRS 226.460 and 226.462 and any regulations adopted pursuant thereto. 2. The State Treasurer shall administer the Program. 3. In administering the Program, the State Treasurer shall: (a) Ensure that persons who receive repayment of student education loans are committed to providing health care services or are committed to working as a public health professional, as applicable, in an underserved community in this State; (b) Ensure that at least 15 percent of money available for the Program in any year be used to repay the student education loans of providers of health care who commit to practicing or persons who commit to working as public health professionals, as applicable, in a county whose population is less than 100,000, to the extent that such providers or public health professionals are participating in the Program; (c) With regard to money available for the Program other than money used for the purpose described in paragraph (b), prioritize , for providers of health care, the repayment of student education loans for providers of primary care, providers of health care who commit to accepting as patients recipients of Medicaid or insurance pursuant to the Children’s Health Insurance Program and other – 4 – - 83rd Session (2025) providers of health care specified by the regulations adopted by the State Treasurer pursuant to NRS 226.462; and (d) Work collaboratively to raise awareness about the Program with organizations that work with providers of health care and public health professionals and students studying to become providers of health care [,] or public health professionals, including, without limitation: (1) Educational institutions in this State, including, without limitation, institutions in the Nevada System of Higher Education; (2) Organizations that represent medical students and other students studying to become providers of health care [;] or public health professionals; (3) Organizations that represent providers of health care [;] or public health professionals; (4) Tribal governments; and (5) Organizations who advocate for improved health outcomes in minority communities. 4. As used in this section, “primary care” means the practice of family medicine, pediatrics, internal medicine, psychiatry or obstetrics and gynecology. Sec. 6. NRS 226.460 is hereby amended to read as follows: 226.460 A provider of health care or public health professional is eligible for repayment of a student education loan under the Program if the provider of health care [:] or public health professional: 1. Is a current resident of this State; 2. Is actively licensed, certified or registered in good standing to practice in this State as a provider of health care [;] or is working as a public health professional, as applicable; and 3. Commits to at least 5 years of clinical practice as a licensed, certified or registered provider of health care in this State [:] or at least 5 years of employment as a public health professional, as applicable: (a) In a census tract which, upon commencement of such clinical practice [,] or employment, is designated as a qualified census tract by the United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development pursuant to 26 U.S.C. § 42(d)(5)(B)(ii); (b) In a census tract which, upon commencement of such clinical practice [,] or employment, has a high level of social vulnerability as determined according to the Social Vulnerability Index developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the United States Department of Health and Human Services; – 5 – - 83rd Session (2025) (c) In a community in which, according to the decennial census immediately preceding the commencement of such clinical practice [,] or employment, at least 20 percent of households were not proficient in the English language; (d) On tribal lands or in a community where tribal members commonly reside; (e) In a geographic area that has been subject to historical instances of redlining, segregation or other discriminatory practices on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, sex or gender identity or expression, as determined by the State Treasurer in accordance with the regulations adopted pursuant to NRS 226.462; or (f) In a county whose population is less than 100,000. Sec. 7. NRS 226.462 is hereby amended to read as follows: 226.462 1. A provider of health care or public health professional who meets the qualifications set forth in NRS 226.460 and wishes to receive repayment of student education loans from the Program must submit an application to the State Treasurer in the form prescribed by the State Treasurer and comply with any regulations adopted pursuant to subsection 2. 2. The State Treasurer: (a) Shall adopt regulations prescribing the procedures and standards, in addition to those prescribed by NRS 226.460, for determining the eligibility of a provider of health care or public health professional to receive repayment of a student education loan from the Program. (b) Shall adopt regulations establishing a methodology for determining the amount of repayment of a student education loan that a provider of health care or public health professional is eligible to receive from the Program. That methodology must include, without limitation, a sliding scale that conditions the amount a provider of health care or public health professional should receive from the Program on areas of specialization, type of degree and average loan burden for the particular field of health care in which the provider practices [.] or the professional works. (c) Shall adopt regulations establishing the: (1) Procedure that the State Treasurer will use to carry out the provisions of paragraph (b) of subsection 3 of NRS 226.458; and (2) Manner in which the Program must prioritize the repayment of student education loans for the providers of health care pursuant to paragraph (c) of subsection 3 of NRS 226.458. – 6 – - 83rd Session (2025) (d) Shall adopt regulations prescribing the manner in which the State Treasurer will determine whether a geographic area meets the requirements of paragraph (e) of subsection 3 of NRS 226.460. (e) Shall, based on the recommendations made by the State Board of Health pursuant to subsection 5 of NRS 439.200, designate positions for which the Division of Public and Behavioral Health of the Department of Health and Human Services or a local board of health experiences substantial difficulty in recruitment and retention. (f) Shall adopt regulations prescribing the procedures for the repayment of a student education loan of a provider of health care or public health professional who has been found eligible to receive such repayment from the Program. [(f)] (g) May adopt any other regulations necessary to carry out the Program. 3. The Program may not provide to a provider of health care or public health professional more than $120,000 for the repayment of student education loans. 4. The application of a provider of health care or public health professional for repayment of a student education loan and any related personally identifiable information of the applicant is confidential. Sec. 8. NRS 226.466 is hereby amended to read as follows: 226.466 1. The Account for Student Loan Repayment for Providers of Health Care and Public Health Professionals in Underserved Communities is hereby created in the State General Fund. The State Treasurer shall administer the Account. 2. Money for the Account may be provided: (a) By direct legislative appropriation; (b) By transfer from another account, including, without limitation, the Abandoned Property Trust Account created by NRS 120A.620; or (c) As provided in subsection 5. 3. Money in the Account must be used solely: (a) To administer the Account and the Program; and (b) To repay the student education loans of providers of health care and public health professionals who have qualified for such repayment pursuant to NRS 226.460 and 226.462. 4. The interest and income earned on the money in the Account, after deducting any applicable charges, must be credited to the Account. Any money remaining in the Account at the end of a fiscal year does not revert to the State General Fund, and the balance in the Account must be carried forward to the next fiscal year. – 7 – - 83rd Session (2025) 5. The State Treasurer may apply for and accept a [Text truncated for display. Full text available on LegiScan.]