Senate Engrossed

State of Arizona Senate Fifty-fourth Legislature First Regular Session 2019

SENATE BILL 1354

 

AN ACT

 

Appropriating monies to address the shortage of physicians and nurses.

 

 

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

 

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1.  Appropriations; shortage of physicians and nurses

The following sums are appropriated from the state general fund in fiscal year 2019‑2020 to address this state's shortage of physicians:

1.  $20,000,000 to the Arizona health care cost containment system administration for graduate medical education programs in critical access hospitals and community health centers in the rural areas of this state. 

2.  $11,000,000 to the university of Arizona health sciences center.

3.  $10,000,000 to the department of health services to create a grant program that provides funding, which supplements and does not supplant existing funding, for:

(a)  Assistance to universities and community colleges to operate and maintain faculty development, clinical education and training and program expansion for registered nursing and advanced practice nursing programs.

(b)  Assistance to health care institutions to develop and operate programs that use retired physicians and nurses through the payment of stipends, malpractice premiums or other benefits that provide oversight and guidance to new graduates of medical and nursing programs.

4.  $4,000,000 to the department of health services for the primary care provider loan repayment program established by section 36‑2172, Arizona Revised Statutes.

5.  $5,000,000 to the board of medical student loans established by section 15‑1722, Arizona Revised Statutes, for the purposes of title 15, chapter 13, article 7, Arizona Revised Statutes.

Sec. 2.  Intent

The legislature intends that the appropriations made in this act be a comprehensive package to immediately begin to address this state's shortage of physicians.