An Act To Create the Maine Health Care Provider Loan Repayment Program
Maine Legislature, Session 130, LD 1327
Committee: Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and Business
Sponsors: BAILEY, CROCKETT, EVANS, FAY, PEBWORTH, ROBERTS, SYLVESTER, DAUGHTRY
Amends: 5 MRSA §12004-I, 20-A MRSA §12955, 30-A MRSA §6054

Legislative Document
No. 1327
H.P. 979
House of Representatives, March 30, 2021
An Act To Create the Maine Health Care Provider Loan Repayment 
Program
Reference to the Committee on Innovation, Development, Economic Advancement and 
Business suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative BAILEY of Gorham.
Cosponsored by Representatives: CROCKETT of Portland, EVANS of Dover-Foxcroft, FAY 
of Raymond, PEBWORTH of Blue Hill, ROBERTS of South Berwick, SYLVESTER of 
Portland, Senator: DAUGHTRY of Cumberland.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  5 MRSA §12004-I, sub-§18-G is enacted to read:
18-G.   
Education: 
Financial Aid
Maine Health Care Provider Loan 
Repayment Program Advisory 
Committee
Not Authorized 
20-A MRSA 
§12955 
Sec. 2.  20-A MRSA c. 441 is enacted to read:
CHAPTER 441
MAINE HEALTH CARE PROVIDER LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAM
§12951.  Definitions
As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms 
have the following meanings.
1.  Advisory committee.  "Advisory committee" means the Maine Health Care 
Provider Loan Repayment Program Advisory Committee established in Title 5, section 
12004-I, subsection 18-G.
2.  Authority.  "Authority" means the Finance Authority of Maine.
3.  Direct care worker. "Direct care worker" means an individual who by virtue of 
employment generally provides to individuals direct contact assistance with personal care 
or activities of daily living or has direct access to provide care and services to clients, 
patients or residents regardless of setting.  "Direct care worker" does not include a certified 
nursing assistant employed in that person's capacity as a certified nursing assistant.
4.  Fund.  "Fund" means the Maine Health Care Provider Loan Repayment Program 
Fund established in section 12953.
5.  Program.  "Program" means the Maine Health Care Provider Loan Repayment 
Program established in section 12952.
6.  Underserved area.  "Underserved area" means an area in the State that is a health 
professional shortage area or medically underserved area or that contains a medically 
underserved population, as those terms are defined by the federal Department of Health 
and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration.
§12952.  Maine Health Care Provider Loan Repayment Program established
The Maine Health Care Provider Loan Repayment Program is established within the 
Finance Authority of Maine for the purpose of increasing the number of health care 
providers practicing in the State.
§12953.  Maine Health Care Provider Loan Repayment Program Fund
1.  Fund created.  The Maine Health Care Provider Loan Repayment Program Fund 
is established in the authority as a nonlapsing, interest-earning, revolving fund to carry out 
the purposes of this chapter. The fund consists of money received from 25% of the proceeds 
from the renewal of the contract for the operations of the State's wholesale spirits business 
under Title 28-A, section 90; existing funding for other authority programs that may, at the 
discretion of the authority, be combined with the program; and appropriations, allocations 
and contributions from private and public sources. The funds, to be accounted within the 
authority, must be held separate and apart from all other money, funds and accounts. 
Eligible investment earnings credited to the assets of the fund become part of the assets of 
the fund. Any unexpended balances remaining in the fund at the end of any fiscal year do 
not lapse and must be carried forward to the next fiscal year.
2.  Fund administration.  The authority may receive, invest and expend on behalf of 
the fund money from gifts, grants, bequests and donations in addition to money 
appropriated or allocated by the State and any federal funds received by the State for the 
benefit of health care providers who have outstanding student loans.  Money received by 
the authority on behalf of the fund must be used for the purposes of this chapter. The fund 
must be maintained and administered by the authority.  Any unexpended balance in the 
fund carries forward for continued use under this chapter.
3.  Fund expenses.  Costs and expenses of maintaining, servicing and administering 
the fund and of administering the program may be paid out of amounts in the fund.
§12954.  Program eligibility
1.  Application.  To be considered for an award under this chapter, as part of the 
application, the applicant must:
A.  Submit documentation, in a manner identified by the authority, validating:
(1)  The applicant's original student loan balance upon graduation;
(2)  The current balance owed on the student loan, including principal and interest; 
(3)  Current payment amounts on the student loan, including information on any 
federal student loan repayment plan described in 20 United States Code, Section 
1098e;
(4)  For federal loans, information regarding the applicant's expected eligibility for 
the federal loan forgiveness program described in 34 Code of Federal Regulations, 
Section 685.219; and
(5)  Loans related to expenses for a health care professional who was trained or has 
credentials in a country other than the United States and its territories and who is 
working towards a professional license in this State, as determined by the advisory 
committee;
B.  Submit an employer certification form certifying the applicant's employment status 
and salary or hourly wage; and
C.  Submit a signed statement of intent in a form acceptable to the authority to work in 
the applicant's identified health care profession in the State for a minimum of 5 years 
after acceptance into the program.
2.  Eligibility.  To be considered for an award under this chapter, the applicant:
A.  Must be a current resident of the State or become a resident of the State within 6 
months of being selected as a recipient under the program;
B.  Must, as determined by the authority:
(1)  Be currently practicing as an eligible health care provider in the State; or
(2)  Within 6 months of being selected as a recipient under the program, begin 
practicing as an eligible health care provider in the State;
C.  Must possess an outstanding student loan;
D.  May not be a current beneficiary of a state or federal loan repayment program.  
Applicants who were formerly beneficiaries of a state or federal loan repayment 
program or who intend to participate in such programs following completion of their 
5-year commitment under this chapter are eligible to apply for an award; and
E.  May not be a current recipient of a state-funded student loan.
§12955.  Maine Health Care Provider Loan Repayment Program Advisory 
Committee
The Maine Health Care Provider Loan Repayment Program Advisory Committee is 
established pursuant to Title 5, section 12004-I, subsection 18-G to make recommendations 
to the authority regarding the administration of the program.
1.  Membership.  The advisory committee consists of:
A.  The State Economist, serving in an ex officio capacity;
B.  A representative of the Department of Health and Human Services, appointed by 
the Commissioner of Health and Human Services; and
C.  The following members, selected by and serving at the pleasure of the chief 
executive officer of the authority:
(1)  Two representatives of organizations that provide primary and specialized 
health care services in multiple locations across the State, at least one of which 
must be an organization that provides services in rural areas;
(2)  An individual, not employed by the State, who is an expert in the State's 
workforce;
(3)  A representative of a college or university with a degree-granting program in 
a health care profession; 
(4)  A representative of an organization representing the interests of hospitals based 
in the State;
(5)  A representative of an organization representing the interests of federally 
qualified health centers, as defined in 42 United States Code, Section 1395x(aa) 
(1993), based in the State;
(6)  An individual representing the interests of health care professionals in the field 
of oral health;
(7)  An individual representing the interests of health care professionals in the field 
of behavioral health;
(8)  An individual representing the interests of health care professionals in the field 
of physical health;
(9)  An individual representing or designated by the Permanent Commission on the 
Status of Racial, Indigenous and Maine Tribal Populations established under Title 
5, section 25001;
(10)  An individual representing health care professionals who were trained in or 
have credentials from a country other than the United States and its territories; and
(11)  An individual representing direct care workers.
2.  Duties.  The advisory committee shall:
A.  Make recommendations regarding the administration of the program;
B.  Make recommendations for priority occupations for awards for the next application 
cycle; and
C.  Make recommendations for a point system to determine awards based on, at a 
minimum, the following criteria:
(1)  Priority and nonpriority occupations;
(2)  Work location and whether or not the location is an underserved area, except 
as applied to nurse educators; and
(3)  Student income-to-debt ratios.
§12956.  Awards
1.  Publication of priority occupations.  By January 1st of each year, the authority 
shall publicize, using a method determined by the authority and taking into consideration 
the recommendations of the advisory committee, the priority occupations for the upcoming 
application cycle.
2.  Application cycle.  The authority shall accept applications annually and shall open 
the application cycle by February 1st of each year.
3.  Award amounts.  The authority shall maintain financial projections and, based on 
the recommendations of the advisory committee, establish the targeted number of annual 
awards to be made to applicants each year who meet the criteria described in section 12954.  
In accordance with the priority occupations and point system established by the advisory 
committee pursuant to section 12955, subsection 2, an annual award may not:
A.  Exceed $30,000 annually;
B.  Exceed $150,000 in aggregate or 50% of a recipient's outstanding student loan debt 
at the time of application to the program, whichever is less; or
C.  Be awarded to a recipient for more than 5 years total.
4.  Nurse educators and direct care workers.  The authority and the advisory 
committee shall ensure that nurse educators and direct care workers are included among 
the occupations considered each year for priority consideration.
§12957.  Annual recertification and limitations
In order to remain eligible for an award, a recipient must annually submit to the 
authority an employer certification form certifying the recipient's employment status and 
salary or hourly wage.
§12958.  Rulemaking
The authority shall adopt rules to carry out the purposes of this chapter.  Rules adopted 
pursuant to this section are routine technical rules pursuant to Title 5, chapter 375, 
subchapter 2-A.
Sec. 3.  30-A MRSA §6054, sub-§5, ¶B, as enacted by PL 2013, c. 269, Pt. B, §2, 
is amended to read:
B.  Thirty-five percent to an account within the Department of Transportation for 
construction of highways and bridges; and
Sec. 4.  30-A MRSA §6054, sub-§5, ¶B-1 is enacted to read:
B-1.  Twenty-five percent to the Maine Health Care Provider Loan Repayment 
Program Fund established in Title 20-A, section 12953; and
Sec. 5.  Notification.  The Finance Authority of Maine shall notify the joint standing 
committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over innovation, development, economic 
advancement and business matters upon the capitalization of the Maine Health Care 
Provider Loan Repayment Program Fund pursuant to this Act.
SUMMARY
This bill creates a new loan repayment program, administered by the Finance Authority 
of Maine, for health care providers who agree to live and work in the State for a minimum 
of 5 years.  Under the program, the authority will pay up to $30,000 per year and the lesser 
of $150,000 in aggregate and 50% of the recipient's outstanding loan balance.  The bill 
establishes a fund for the program, sets parameters for the administration of the program 
and establishes an advisory committee to guide the work of the Finance Authority of Maine 
in administering the program.