Florida Senate - 2018                      CS for CS for SB 1486
       
       
        
       By the Committees on Appropriations; and Health Policy; and
       Senator Grimsley
       
       
       
       
       576-04125-18                                          20181486c2
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to physician workforce development;
    3         amending s. 381.4018, F.S.; requiring the Department
    4         of Health to adopt any rules necessary to implement a
    5         specified federal program to further encourage
    6         qualified physicians to relocate to and practice in
    7         underserved areas; providing an effective date.
    8          
    9  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   10  
   11         Section 1. Paragraph (f) of subsection (3) of section
   12  381.4018, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
   13         381.4018 Physician workforce assessment and development.—
   14         (3) GENERAL FUNCTIONS.—The department shall maximize the
   15  use of existing programs under the jurisdiction of the
   16  department and other state agencies and coordinate governmental
   17  and nongovernmental stakeholders and resources in order to
   18  develop a state strategic plan and assess the implementation of
   19  such strategic plan. In developing the state strategic plan, the
   20  department shall:
   21         (f) Develop strategies to maximize federal and state
   22  programs that provide for the use of incentives to attract
   23  physicians to this state or retain physicians within the state.
   24  Such strategies should explore and maximize federal-state
   25  partnerships that provide incentives for physicians to practice
   26  in federally designated shortage areas. Strategies shall also
   27  consider the use of state programs, such as the Medical
   28  Education Reimbursement and Loan Repayment Program pursuant to
   29  s. 1009.65, which provide for education loan repayment or loan
   30  forgiveness and provide monetary incentives for physicians to
   31  relocate to underserved areas of the state. To further encourage
   32  qualified physicians to relocate to and practice in underserved
   33  areas, the department, following federal requirements, shall
   34  adopt any rules necessary for the implementation of the Conrad
   35  30 Waiver Program established under s. 214(1) of the Immigration
   36  and Nationality Act.
   37         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2018.