MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2000 Regular Session

To: Universities and Colleges; Appropriations

By: Representative Frierson

AN ACT TO CREATE NEW SECTION 37-146-6, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO ESTABLISH A MEDICAL EDUCATION SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM TO PROVIDE FIFTEEN NEW STUDENTS EACH YEAR WITH A FULL SCHOLARSHIP TO OBTAIN A MEDICAL EDUCATION AND A FAMILY MEDICINE RESIDENCY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT NO COST; TO PROVIDE THAT THE PROGRAM SHALL BE ADMINISTERED BY THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF STATE INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING; TO PROVIDE THAT THE PROGRAM SHALL BE FUNDED FROM MONIES APPROPRIATED FROM THE HEALTH CARE EXPENDABLE FUND; TO PROVIDE THAT SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS MUST AGREE TO PRACTICE FAMILY MEDICINE FOR AT LEAST TEN YEARS IN AN AREA OF THE STATE THAT IS A PRIMARY MEDICAL CARE SHORTAGE AREA AND A RURAL AREA NOT LOCATED WITHIN A CERTAIN DISTANCE OF MAJOR URBAN AREAS; TO PROVIDE THAT IF A SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT LEAVES MEDICAL SCHOOL OR THE FAMILY MEDICINE RESIDENCY BEFORE COMPLETION OR LEAVES PRACTICING FAMILY MEDICINE IN A MEDICAL CARE SHORTAGE AREA BEFORE THE END OF TEN YEARS, THE FULL AMOUNT THAT THE RECIPIENT RECEIVED UNDER THE SCHOLARSHIP SHALL BE DUE AND PAYABLE WITHIN 90 DAYS, TOGETHER WITH INTEREST; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. The following shall be codified as Section 37-146-6, Mississippi Code of 1972:

37-146-6. (1) There is established a medical education scholarship program, which shall be administered by the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning. The program shall provide a certain number of eligible applicants each year with a full scholarship to obtain a medical education and a family medicine residency at the University of Mississippi School of Medicine at no cost to the recipient, if the recipient meets the conditions upon which the scholarship is granted.

(2) The program shall provide scholarships to fifteen (15) new students each year, and the program shall be funded from monies appropriated from the Health Care Expendable Fund established under Section 43-13-407 and from any other funds appropriated to or otherwise made available to the board of trustees for that purpose.

(3) The scholarship shall be in an amount that will pay the full cost of the tuition and other expenses of recipient at the University of Mississippi School of Medicine for the entire time necessary to complete the requirements for a medical degree and a residency in family medicine.

(4) Before being granted a scholarship, each applicant shall enter into a contract with the board of trustees, which shall be deemed a contract with the State of Mississippi, agreeing to the terms and conditions upon which the scholarship will be granted. In order to receive a scholarship under the program, the recipient must agree in the contract to practice family medicine for a period of not less than ten (10) years after completion of his or her residency, in an area of the state that is, at the time of his or her entry into medical practice:

(a) A Group 1 degree-of-shortage health professional shortage area for primary medical care, as designated by the United States Department of Health and Human Services;

(b) Classified as a rural area by the United States Census Bureau; and

(c) Located more than fifty (50) miles from any standard metropolitan statistical area, as defined and established by the United States Census Bureau, and from any incorporated municipality having a population of twenty-five thousand (25,000) or more, according to the most recent federal decennial census.

(5) If a scholarship recipient leaves the University of Mississippi School of Medicine before graduation, or leaves the family medicine residency before completion, or fails to practice family medicine in an area of the state described in subsection (4) of this section for a period of ten (10) years, the full amount that the recipient received under the scholarship shall be due and payable within ninety (90) days, together with interest. The amount of interest due shall be equal to the annual rate of return on the Health Care Trust Fund established under Section 43-13-405 for each year from the time the recipient received the scholarship money until the time the scholarship money is repaid. The board of trustees may bring suit against any scholarship recipient to recover the amount due to the state under this section for the recipient's failure to comply with the conditions upon which the scholarship was granted, as provided in this section and in the contract between the recipient and the board of trustees.

(6) The board of trustees shall establish such rules and regulations as it deems necessary and proper to carry out the purposes and intent of this section.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2000.