SB 572 — Creating Forensic Pathology Recruitment Program

CS for SB 572 WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION IntroducedCommittee Substitute for Senate Bill 572 FISCAL NOTE By Senators Takubo, Woelfel, Plymale, Deeds, Hamilton, and Woodrum [Introduced[Originating Januaryin 26,the 2024;Committee on Health and Human Resources;

referredreported on February 7, 2024] CS for SB 572 A BILL to amend the CommitteeCode onof HealthWest Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding thereto a new article, designated §16-5EE-1, §16-5EE-2, §16-5EE-3, §16-5EE-4, §16-5EE-5, §16-5EE-6, §16- 5EE-7, §16-5EE-8, and Human§16-5EE-9, Resources;all relating to recruitment of forensic pathologists;

and then to the Committee on Finance] Intr SB 2024R3294 A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding thereto a new article, designated §16-5EE-1, §16-5EE-2, §16-5EE-3, §16-5EE-4, §16-5EE-5, §16-5EE-6, §16- 5EE-7, §16-5EE-8, and §16-5EE-9, all relating to recruitment of forensic pathologists;

For purpose of this article:article, the following words have the meanings indicated:

Intr1 CS for SB 2024R3294572 (4) Applicants must fulfill 12 consecutive months of employment service for each year of loan repayment award requested and are subject to the following requirements:

(A) Employment prior to the start date with the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner cannot be used to fulfill the twelve12 consecutive months employment service requirement;

This eligibility determination will be conducted on a yearyear-to-year to year basis and is subject to the other provisions of this article.

(6) The student loan shall be andan eligible loan and in the name of the applicant;

(a) An applicant seeking loan repayment shall submit the required documentation to the Department of Health by July 1 each year, which documentation shall includeinclude, at a minimumminimum, an application seeking loan repayment, an employer verification, and a lender verification.

The award shall only be made on a yearyear-to-year to year basis.

(2) The applicant shall submit,submit an account number, loan balance, and loan status for a loan Intr2 CS for SB 2024R3294572 repayment to be made on an applicant's behalf.

(b) TheIn the Department of HealthHealth’s isadministering toof administer the loan repayment programprogram, in administering the program it shall:

(b) The maximum loan payment amount for each year shall not exceed 10% of the total amount of the loan,loan or the remaining balance of a loan if the balance is under $30,000, including interest as provided in the lender verification form;

The funds do not expire to the General Revenue Fund but shall Intr3 CS for SB 2024R3294572 remain in the account and be available for expenditure in succeeding fiscal years.

In the event that no funding exists in this fund, there is no obligation to administer a loan repayment program.

The Department of Health shall maintain accurate records, books, and other evidence concerning the Forensic Pathology Recruitment Program and its related fund, includingincluding, but not limited toto, individual applicant files for whichever is longer:

of this code to administer this program and which are consistent with this article, includingincluding, but not limited toto, setting for a listing of eligible loans.

The salary of a physician serving as a forensic pathologist in the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner shall be paid at or above the 90 percentile for Westthe VirginiaUnited States as established by the Medical Group Management Association and shall be updated every twothree years thereafter.

NOTE:

The purpose of this bill is to create a student loan repayment program for forensic pathology loan repayment program and to establish the salary requirements for a physician serving as a forensic pathologist.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.