AR HB1384

Renames "planning grants" to "implementation grants" for the Graduate Medical Education Residency Expansion Board, which funds new or expanded medical residency programs at Arkansas hospitals and medical facilities

Extends grant duration from three consecutive fiscal years to the full length of the residency program plus two years for implementation and accreditation before enrolling residents

Requires grant recipients to submit progress reports before receiving subsequent year funding, and applications must now include detailed plans with timelines, budgets, letters of support, and current/proposed slot numbers

Establishes priority criteria allowing up to 50% of grants to go toward primary care specialties (internal medicine, pediatrics, family medicine, OB/GYN, general surgery, psychiatry), fields with state shortages, new programs with earliest start dates, or expansions that increase Arkansas hospital caps

Declared an emergency effective February 27, 2025, to meet summer program deadlines and address medical professional shortages throughout the state