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2004 Budget Session
SF 45 expanded the current loan repayment program for health care practitioners.
Under current statute, the state will pay outstanding educational loans up to $30,000 per year for physicians, nurses, eye doctors and other health care providers in Wyoming if they agree to practice in Wyoming for three years. The amount the state pays must be matched equally with money from the community, either the county, city, school district or hospital.
SF 45 specifically included dentists, radiological service providers and mental health service providers in the loan repayment program. SF 45 reduced the required community match to 25%, and allowed the match to come from health care facilities or associations in addition to the existing identified community sources.
SF 45 appropriated $960,000 from the budget reserve account to pay for three years of loan repayments (2005, 2006 and 2007).
Supporters of SF 45 felt it would encourage more doctors and other health care providers to remain in Wyoming.
Opponents believed the program was sufficient as currently written.
The Senate passed SF 45, 29-1.
The House amended SF 45 to require that health care providers who received loan repayment assistance under this program must agree to work for at least three years in an underserved area of the state, as defined by the Wyoming Department of Health. Then they passed the bill, 58-1 (1 excused). The Senate concurred with this change.
The two representatives who voted against SF 45 were Senator Dick Erb (R-S24, Gillette) and Representative Jack Landon (R-H30, Sheridan).