An Act To Amend the Maine Dental Education Loan Program
Maine Legislature, Session 129, LD 0681
Committee: Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Business
Sponsors: MASTRACCIO
Amends: 5 MRSA §12004-I, 20-A MRSA §12301, 20-A MRSA §12302, 20-A MRSA §12304, 20-A MRSA §12305, 20-A MRSA §12306

Legislative Document
No. 681
H.P. 502
House of Representatives, February 7, 2019
An Act To Amend the Maine Dental Education Loan Program
Submitted by the Finance Authority of Maine pursuant to Joint Rule 204.
Reference to the Committee on Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and 
Business suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative MASTRACCIO of Sanford.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  5 MRSA §12004-I, sub-§7-C, as enacted by PL 1999, c. 401, Pt. NN, §1 
and c. 496, §1, is repealed.
Sec. 2.  20-A MRSA §12301, sub-§4, as repealed and replaced by PL 2001, c. 
471, Pt. B, §11 and amended by PL 2003, c. 689, Pt. B, §§6 and 7, is further amended to 
read:
4.  Underserved population area.  "Underserved population area" means a 
population group or geographical area receiving insufficient oral health care, as 
determined by the Commissioner of Health and Human Services and as defined in rules 
adopted by the Department of Health and Human Services pursuant to section 12305.  
The rules must take into consideration factors that include, but are not limited to, family 
income levels, availability of dental care and percentage of families qualifying for 
Medicaid coverage an area in the State that is a dental health professional shortage area or 
medically underserved area or that contains a medically underserved population as 
defined by the federal Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and 
Services Administration.
Sec. 3.  20-A MRSA §12302, sub-§4, as enacted by PL 1999, c. 401, Pt. NN, §2 
and affected by §4 and enacted by c. 496, §2, is amended to read:
4.  Maximum amount.  The maximum loan or loan repayment amount available to 
each participant is $20,000 per year for a period of up to 4 years.  For a loan recipient 
who receives a first loan after January 1, 2020 or a loan repayment participant who signs 
a first agreement after January 1, 2020, the maximum loan or loan repayment amount 
available is $25,000 per year for a period of up to 4 years.
Sec. 4.  20-A MRSA §12302, sub-§5, ¶C, as enacted by PL 1999, c. 401, Pt. NN, 
§2 and affected by §4 and enacted by c. 496, §2, is amended to read:
C.  A loan recipient serving an underserved population area pursuant to paragraph A, 
subparagraph (2) must serve all patients regardless of ability to pay through insurance 
or other payment source.
Sec. 5.  20-A MRSA §12302, sub-§6, ¶¶A and B, as enacted by PL 1999, c. 
401, Pt. NN, §2 and affected by §4 and enacted by c. 496, §2, are amended to read:
A.  An applicant will receive payment from the authority on the applicant's 
outstanding indebtedness for dental education at a rate of $20,000 per year of service 
for up to 4 years as long as the applicant continues to serve as a practitioner of dental 
medicine in an underserved population area.  A loan repayment participant who signs 
a first agreement after January 1, 2020 receives payment from the authority on the 
participant's outstanding indebtedness for dental education at a rate of up to $25,000 
per year of service for up to 4 years as long as the participant continues to serve as a 
practitioner of dental medicine in an underserved population area.
B.  A person receiving loan repayment payments under this subsection must serve all 
patients regardless of ability to pay through insurance or other payment source.
Sec. 6.  20-A MRSA §12304, as amended by PL 2001, c. 471, Pt. B, §12 and PL 
2003, c. 689, Pt. B, §6, is repealed.
Sec. 7.  20-A MRSA §12305, as enacted by PL 1999, c. 401, Pt. NN, §2 and 
affected by §4 and enacted by c. 496, §2 and amended by PL 2003, c. 689, Pt. B, §7, is 
further amended to read:
§12305.  Rules
The authority shall establish rules necessary to implement this chapter.  The 
Commissioner of Health and Human Services shall develop rules for determining 
underserved population areas.  These rules must include a process for ensuring 
guaranteed access to dental care through technical assistance and site visits to 
participating providers.  The rules authorized by this section must be adopted in 
accordance with Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter II 2.  Rules adopted pursuant to this 
section are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter II-A 2-A.
Sec. 8.  20-A MRSA §12306 is enacted to read:
§12306.  Stakeholder consultation
In administering the program and assessing its effectiveness, the chief executive 
officer may consult stakeholders from the dental community, including, but not limited 
to, representatives of dental education and practitioner communities in the State and 
organizations representing the interests of low-income communties in the State.
SUMMARY
This bill amends the Maine Dental Education Loan Program by clarifying the 
definition of underserved population areas; increasing maximum loan amounts under the 
program; eliminating the advisory committee on dental education; and enabling the Chief 
Executive Officer of the Finance Authority of Maine to consult key stakeholders in 
administering the program and evaluating its effectiveness.