(2)__That the applicant have outstanding dental education loans; and

(3)__That the applicant be willing to serve an underserved population area.

Sec. 3. 20-A MRSA §12302, sub-§8, as enacted by PL 1999, c. 401, Pt. NN, §2 and affected by §4 and enacted by c. 496, §2, is amended to read:

8. Deferments. Deferments on the repayment of a loan under the loan program may be granted for causes established by rule of the authority. Interest at a rate to be determined by rule of the authority must be assessed during the deferment. The student's total debt to the authority, including principal and interest, must be repaid either through return service or cash payments. The chief executive officer shall make determinations of deferment on a case-by-case basis. The decision of the chief executive officer is final.

Sec. 4. 20-A MRSA §12302-A is enacted to read:

§12302-A.__Maine Pediatric Dental Recruitment Incentive

1.__Establishment.__The Maine Pediatric Dental Recruitment Incentive, referred to in this chapter as the "incentive," is established.__The authority shall administer the incentive.__ Under this incentive, the chief executive officer shall award up to 3 incentive grants annually up to an aggregate of 12.__As provided in subsection 3, incentive grants are available to any person who is eligible for licensure as a doctor of dental medicine in the State and who holds board certification as a pediatric dentist.

2.__Application process.__Application must be made directly to the authority.

3.__Eligibility.__Persons eligible to participate in the incentive are applicants under subsection 1 who meet eligibility criteria established by rule of the authority, which at a minimum must require:

A.__That the applicant is not currently residing in or practicing dentistry in the State;

B.__That the applicant is eligible for licensure to practice dental medicine in the State;

C.__That the applicant holds board certification in pediatric dentistry; and

D.__That the applicant is willing to serve children enrolled in Medicaid, expanded Medicaid and Cub Care programs.

4.__Maximum amount.__The maximum amount of an incentive grant to each participant is $25,000 per year for a period of up to 2 years.

5.__Grant award.__An applicant under subsection 1 who meets the eligibility criteria under subsection 3 and who is selected for receipt of an incentive grant by the authority is an awardee and is entitled to receive first-year grant funds after submitting to the authority satisfactory evidence of the following criteria:

A.__That the awardee has established a permanent residence in the State;

B.__That the awardee has been actively engaged in the practice of pediatric dentistry in the State for at least one year; and

C.__That the awardee is serving children enrolled in the Medicaid, expanded Medicaid or Cub Care programs.

The award of 2nd-year grant funds is conditioned upon the submission of satisfactory evidence that these criteria continue to be met no less than 12 months following the award of the first-year grant.

Sec. 5. 20-A MRSA §12303, sub-§1, as enacted by PL 1999, c. 401, Pt. NN, §2 and affected by §4 and enacted by c. 496, §2, is amended to read:

1. Fund created. A nonlapsing, interest-earning, revolving fund under the jurisdiction of the authority is created to carry out the purposes of this chapter. Any unexpended balance in the fund carries over for continued use under this chapter. 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. Loan repayments under this chapter or other repayments to the authority must be invested by the authority, as provided by law, with the earned income to be added to the fund. Money received by the authority on behalf of the fund, except interest income, must be used for the designated purpose; interest income may be used for the designated purpose or to pay student financial assistance

administrative costs incurred by the authority for the operation of the loan program.

Sec. 6. 20-A MRSA §12303, sub-§3 is enacted to read:

3.__Loan repayments and grant funds maintained in separate accounts.__The authority shall maintain separate accounts for purposes of the loan program and the incentive.__Annual loan repayments may not be used for the purpose of making incentive grants pursuant to section 12302-A.__Funds allocated for the purpose of making incentive grants may be used only for that purpose.

Sec. 7. Appropriation. The following funds are appropriated from the General Fund to carry out the purposes of this Act.

2001-02

FINANCE AUTHORITY OF MAINE

Maine Dental Education Loan

Program

All Other $75,000

Provides funds for incentive grants for pediatric dentists who will move to the State and who will serve children enrolled in the Medicaid, expanded Medicaid and Cub Care programs.

SUMMARY

This bill establishes a grant program to attract pediatric dentists to the State in order to alleviate the shortage of this dental specialty.