AB 255 — Relating to: creating a rural pharmacy practice grant program administered by the Higher Educational Aids Board, exempting from taxation amounts received from such a grant program, and granting rule-making authority.

- 2024 LEGISLATURE LRBa1016/1LRB-1608/1 ARG:klm&skwARG:emw ASSEMBLY AMENDMENTBILL 1,255 TOMay ASSEMBLY8, BILL2023 255- FebruaryIntroduced 14,by 2024Representatives -D OfferedALLMAN , TRANEL, BRANDTJEN , E DMING, GREEN , UNDRUM , MURPHY, MURSAU , NOVAK, OCONNOR , OLDENBURG , P ENTERMAN and SWEARINGEN , cosponsored by RepresentatiALLMAN.Senators TAFSHOLT and N ASS.

AtReferred theto locationsCommittee indicated,on amendRural theDevelopment. bill as follows:

1.A N A CT to create 39.387 and 71.05 (6) (b) 58.

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“(am)creating “Independenta pharmacy"rural meanspharmacy apractice pharmacygrant operatingprogram inadministered thisby statethe thatHigher isEducational anyAids ofBoard, theexempting following:from taxation amounts received from such a grant program, and granting rule-making authority.

1.Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau This bill establishes a rural pharmacy practice grant program administered by the Higher Educational Aids Board to encourage pharmacists to engage in the practice of pharmacy in medically underserved areas in this state.

LicensedTo underbe s.eligible for the program, a pharmacist must engage in the practice of pharmacy in a medically underserved area in this state and commit to do so for at least three years after graduation from a school of pharmacy.

450.06For orpurposes 450.065of andthe underbill, commona ownership“medically withunderserved noarea" moreis thanan 4area otherdesignated pharmacies.as such by the secretary of the federal Department of Health and Human Services.

Under the program, an eligible pharmacist may be provided up to $30,000 per year in financial assistance for up to three years.

However, HEAB may provide financial assistance to no more than 10 pharmacists per year.

A student enrolled in a school of pharmacy may apply to the program prior to becoming a licensed pharmacist.

Financial assistance to a pharmacist participating in the program is provided after the pharmacist's year of pharmacy practice in a medically underserved area in this state.

Under the bill, any amount of financial assistance that a pharmacist receives under the program is exempt from taxation.

- 2024 Legislature - 2 - LRB-1608/1 ARG:emw ASSEMBLY BILL 255 Because this bill relates to an exemption from state or local taxes, it may be referred to the Joint Survey Committee on Tax Exemptions for a report to be printed as an appendix to the bill.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

S ECTION 1.

39.387 of the statutes is created to read:

39.387 Rural pharmacy practice grant program.

(1) D EFINITIONS.In this section:

(a) “Grant program" means the rural pharmacy practice grant program under this section.

(b) “Medically underserved area" means a medically underserved area designated by the federal secretary of health and human services as provided in 42 CFR 51c.102 (e).

(c) “Pharmacist" means a person licensed by the pharmacy examining board under s.

450.03 or 450.05.

(d) “Practice of pharmacy” has the meaning given in s.

450.01 (16).

(e) “School of pharmacy" has the meaning given in s.

255.35 (1m) (g).

(2) ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM.

There is established, to be administered by the board, a rural pharmacy practice grant program to encourage pharmacists to engage in the practice of pharmacy in medically underserved areas in this state by providing grants of financial assistance to those pharmacists as provided in sub.

(4).

(3) E LIGIBILITY.A pharmacist is eligible for financial assistance as provided under sub.

(4) if the pharmacist meets all of the following requirements:

(a) He or she engages in the practice of pharmacy in a medically underserved area in this state.

LRB-1608/1 - 2024 Legislature - 3 - ARG:emw SECTION 1 ASSEMBLY BILL 255 (b) He or she commits to engage in the practice of pharmacy in a medically underserved area in this state for at least 3 of the first 5 years after graduation from a school of pharmacy.

(c) He or she does not appear on the statewide support lien docket under s.

49.854 (2) (b), unless the pharmacist provides to the board a payment agreement that has been approved by the county child support agency under s.

59.53 (5) and that is consistent with rules promulgated under s.

49.858 (2) (a).

(4) FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE.(a) 1.