Senate Bill No. 55–Committee on Human
Resources and Facilities
Prefiled January 26, 2001
____________
Referred to Committee on Human Resources and Facilities
SUMMARY—Makes various changes to provisions
regarding Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education. (BDR 34‑814)
FISCAL NOTE: Effect on Local Government: No.
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EXPLANATION
– Matter in bolded italics is new; matter
between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.
Green numbers along
left margin indicate location on the printed bill (e.g., 5-15 indicates page 5, line 15).
AN ACT relating to the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education; requiring the
collection of an application fee to receive financial support from the
commission; revising the conditions under which such support may be granted;
eliminating the limitation placed on the amount of such support; authorizing
money in the commission’s fund for student loans to be used for administrative
expenses; and providing other matters properly relating thereto.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN
SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
1-1 Section
1. Chapter 397 of NRS is hereby
amended by adding thereto a
1-2 new section to read as follows:
1-3 1. The three commissioners from the State of Nevada, acting jointly,
1-4 shall require the
submission of an application fee of $50 for the
1-5 consideration of
each application from a resident of Nevada to
1-6 participate in
the program pursuant to this chapter.
1-7 2. The
money received pursuant to subsection 1 must be deposited in
1-8 the Western
Interstate Commission for Higher Education’s fund for
1-9 student loans
created pursuant to NRS 397.063.
1-10 Sec. 2. NRS
397.0617 is hereby amended to read as follows:
1-11 397.0617 1. The
provisions of this section apply only to support fees
1-12 received by a student on or after July 1, 1997.
1-13 2. The three commissioners from the State of
Nevada, acting jointly,
1-14 may require a student who is certified to study to
practice in a profession
1-15 which could benefit a medically underserved area of
this state, as that term
1-16 is defined by the officer of rural health of the
University of Nevada School
1-17 of Medicine, to practice in [such]
:
1-18 (a) Such an area or [to practice in]
an area designated by the Secretary
1-19 of Health and Human Services:
2-1 [(a)] (1) Pursuant to 42 U.S.C.
§ 254c, as containing a medically
2-2 underserved population; or
2-3 [(b)] (2) Pursuant to 42 U.S.C.
§ 254e, as a health professional shortage
2-4 area [,] ; or
2-5 (b) A facility of the University and Community
College System of
2-6 Nevada,
2-7 as a condition to receiving a support fee.
2-8 3. If a person agrees to practice in a [medically underserved area of]
2-9 location in this state pursuant to :
2-10 (a) Paragraph (a) of subsection 2 for at least 2
years [,] ; or
2-11 (b) Paragraph (b) of subsection 2 for at least
4 years,
2-12 the three commissioners from the State of Nevada,
acting jointly, may
2-13 forgive the portion of the support fee designated as
the loan of the person.
2-14 4. If a person returns to this state but does
not practice in a [medically
2-15 underserved area
of] location in this state pursuant to :
2-16 (a) Paragraph (a) of subsection 2 for at least 2
years [,] ; or
2-17 (b) Paragraph (b) of subsection 2 for at least
4 years,
2-18 the three commissioners from the State of Nevada,
acting jointly, shall
2-19 assess a default charge in an amount not less than
three times the portion of
2-20 the support fee designated as the loan of the
person, plus interest.
2-21 5. As used in this section, a “profession which
could benefit a
2-22 medically underserved area of this state” includes,
without limitation,
2-23 dentistry, physical therapy, pharmacy and practicing
as a physician’s
2-24 assistant.
2-25 Sec. 3. NRS
397.063 is hereby amended to read as follows:
2-26 397.063 1. All
contributions from students must be accounted for in
2-27 the Western Interstate Commission for Higher
Education’s fund for student
2-28 loans which is hereby created as a special revenue
fund.
2-29 2. The three commissioners from the State of
Nevada, acting jointly,
2-30 shall administer the fund , and the money in the fund must be used
solely to
2-31 : [provide:]
2-32 (a) Meet necessary administrative expenses;
and
2-33 (b) Provide:
2-34 (1) Loans to; and
2-35 (b)] (2) Contractual
arrangements for educational services and facilities
2-36 for,
2-37 residents of Nevada who are certified to attend
graduate or professional
2-38 schools in accordance with the provisions of the
Western Regional Higher
2-39 Education Compact.
2-40 3. Loans from the Western Interstate Commission
for Higher
2-41 Education’s fund for student loans, before July 1,
1985, and loans made to
2-42 students classified as continuing students before
July 1, 1985, must be
2-43 made upon the following terms:
2-44 (a) All
student loans must bear interest at 5 percent per annum from the
2-45 date when the student receives the loan.
2-46 (b) Each
student receiving a loan must repay the loan with interest
2-47 following the termination of his education or
completion of his internship
2-48 in accordance with the following schedule:
2-49 (1) Within
5 years for loans which total less than $10,000.
3-1 (2) Within
8 years for loans which total $10,000 or more but less than
3-2 $20,000.
3-3 (3) Within
10 years for loans which total $20,000 or more.
3-4 (c) No
student loan may exceed 50 percent of the student fees for any
3-5 academic year.
3-6 Sec. 4. NRS
397.064 is hereby amended to read as follows:
3-7 397.064 Loans, from the Western Interstate Commission
for Higher
3-8 Education’s fund for student loans, to students who
enter the program on or
3-9 after July 1, 1985, must be made upon the following
terms:
3-10 1. All loans must bear interest at 8 percent per
annum from the first
3-11 day of the academic term for which the student
received the loan.
3-12 2. Except as otherwise provided in NRS 397.0617,
each student
3-13 receiving a loan must repay the loan with interest
following the termination
3-14 of his education or completion of his internship for
which the loan is made.
3-15 3. The loan must be repaid in monthly
installments over the period
3-16 allowed, as set forth in subsection 4, with the
first installment due 1 year
3-17 after the date of the termination of his education
or the completion of his
3-18 internship for which the loan is made. The amounts
of the installments may
3-19 not be less than $50 and may be calculated to allow
a smaller payment at
3-20 the beginning of the repayment period, with each
succeeding payment
3-21 gradually increasing so that
the total amount due will have been paid
3-22 within the period allowed for repayment.
3-23 4. The three commissioners from the State of
Nevada, acting jointly,
3-24 shall, or shall delegate to the director of the
Western Interstate Commission
3-25 for Higher Education the power to, schedule the
repayment within the
3-26 following periods:
3-27 (a) Five
years for loans which total less than $10,000.
3-28 (b) Eight
years for loans which total $10,000 or more but less than
3-29 $20,000.
3-30 (c) Ten years
for loans which total $20,000 or more.
3-31 5. [A student
loan may not exceed 50 percent of the student fees for
3-32 any academic year.
3-33 6.] A delinquency charge may be
assessed on any installment delinquent
3-34 10 days or more in the amount of 8 percent of the
installment or $4,
3-35 whichever is greater, but not more than $15.
3-36 [7.] 6. The reasonable costs of collection and an attorney’s
fee may be
3-37 recovered in the event of delinquency.
3-38 Sec. 5. NRS
397.0605 is hereby repealed.
3-39 Sec. 6. The
repeal of NRS 397.0605 pursuant to section 5 of this act
3-40 does not affect any agreement entered into pursuant
to NRS 397.0605
3-41 before July 1, 2001.
4-1 Sec. 7. This
act becomes effective on July 1, 2001.
4-2 TEXT OF REPEALED SECTION
4-3 NRS
397.0605 Regulations regarding
condition of placement of
4-4 student in educational program for physicians’ assistants. The
4-5 provisions
of NRS 397.0615, 397.0645 and 397.0653 to the contrary
4-6 notwithstanding, the Western Interstate Commission for Higher
Education
4-7 may adopt
regulations which require as a condition of placement of a
4-8 student in
an educational program for physicians’ assistants and receipt of
4-9 the related
financial support that the student submit to the director of the
4-10 Western
Interstate Commission for Higher Education:
4-11 1. A written statement from a licensed provider
of health care who
4-12 practices
his profession in a rural area of this state that he agrees to
4-13 employ the
student for the term necessary to fulfill the requirements of
4-14 NRS 397.0645
upon the completion of the student’s education,
4-15 examination
and licensure.
4-16 2. A written statement from the student that in
lieu of repayment of all
4-17 state
contributions for the stipend he received he will practice his
4-18 profession
in a rural area of this state in accordance with the schedule set
4-19 forth in
subsection 1 of NRS 397.0645.
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