HI SB1404

Appropriates $150,000 in general revenues for fiscal year 2019-2020 to fund the Health Care Provider Loan Repayment Program administered through the John A. Burns School of Medicine at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

Requires all appropriated funds to be matched on a dollar-for-dollar basis by private or other public sources before release.

Provides loan repayment for physicians, physician assistants, psychologists, nurse practitioners, social workers, marriage and family therapists, and nurses who commit to work in federally-designated health professional shortage areas or geographically underserved areas of Hawaii.

Addresses healthcare workforce shortages in rural and neighbor island areas by reducing the financial burden of student loan debt that typically drives professionals toward higher-paying specialized practices in urban areas.

Takes effect on July 1, 2019.