I 
110TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6551 
To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for a loan repayment 
program for faculty members at programs of general dentistry or pedi-
atric dentistry to alleviate faculty shortages. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 17, 2008 
Ms. SOLIS (for herself, Mr. KENNEDY, Mr. JONES of North Carolina, Mr. 
CUMMINGS, and Mr. SIMPSON) introduced the following bill; which was 
referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for 
a loan repayment program for faculty members at pro-
grams of general dentistry or pediatric dentistry to allevi-
ate faculty shortages. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Primary Care Dental 
Academic Workforce Development Act of 2008’’. 
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SEC. 2. LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAM FOR FACULTY AT 
DENTISTRY PROGRAMS. 
Section 747 of the Public Health Service Act (42 
U.S.C. 293k) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)— 
(A) in paragraph (6), by striking ‘‘finan-
cial assistance to residents’’ and inserting ‘‘fi-
nancial assistance to residents and faculty’’; 
and 
(B) at the end of the matter following 
paragraph (6), by adding the following: ‘‘Pro-
grams supported under paragraph (6) may in-
clude loan repayment programs described in 
subsection (e).’’; 
(2) by redesignating subsection (e) as sub-
section (f); and 
(3) by inserting after subsection (d) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(e) LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAM FOR FACULTY AT 
DENTISTRY PROGRAMS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—A grant or contract under 
subsection (a)(6) may be awarded to a program of 
general dentistry or pediatric dentistry described in 
such subsection to plan, develop, and operate a loan 
repayment program under which— 
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‘‘(A) individuals agree to serve full-time as 
faculty members; and 
‘‘(B) the program of general dentistry or 
pediatric dentistry agrees to pay the principal 
and interest on the outstanding student loans of 
the individuals. 
‘‘(2) MANNER OF PAYMENTS.—The payments 
described in paragraph (1)(B) shall be made as fol-
lows: 
‘‘(A) Upon completion by an individual of 
each of the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth 
years of service specified in the agreement be-
tween the individual and the program of general 
dentistry or pediatric dentistry, the program 
shall pay an amount equal to 10, 15, 20, 25, 
and 30 percent, respectively, of the individual’s 
student loan balance as calculated based on 
principal and interest owed at the initiation of 
the agreement. 
‘‘(B) The payments with respect to any in-
dividual— 
‘‘(i) shall not exceed $250,000 in ag-
gregate; 
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‘‘(ii) shall not exceed the total prin-
cipal and interest owed by the individual; 
and 
‘‘(iii) shall be applied to the principal, 
interest, and related expenses of govern-
ment (whether Federal, State, or local) 
and commercial loans obtained by the indi-
vidual for school tuition, other reasonable 
educational expenses, and reasonable living 
expenses. 
‘‘(3) DIVERSITY.—The Secretary shall encour-
age programs receiving support through a grant or 
contract described in paragraph (1) to use such sup-
port to broadly recruit diverse faculty. 
‘‘(4) PENALTIES.—The Secretary shall estab-
lish, and require that loan repayment agreements be-
tween programs and individuals under paragraph (1) 
include, appropriate financial penalties to be applied 
with respect to individuals not completing their serv-
ice obligations under such agreements.’’. 
Æ 
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