House Bill 84 Summary

• Establishes the Rural Nursing Loan Repayment Program administered by the Department of Health and Welfare to repay nursing education loans for eligible nurses working in rural and underserved areas of Idaho.

• Creates a Rural Nursing Loan Repayment Fund in the state treasury supported by legislative appropriations, health care industry contributions, private donations, and federal funds, with administrative expenses capped at 10% of annual appropriation.

• Authorizes grant awards of up to $5,000 after one year, $10,000 after two years, and $10,000 after three years of continuous employment, with a maximum total of $25,000 per recipient over three years.

• Requires a nine-member review board composed of hospital and long-term care representatives, nursing faculty, health center representatives, and nursing association representatives to evaluate applications and select grant recipients from up to 50 qualified applicants annually.

• Establishes application periods from October 1 to November 30, requires a letter of support from eligible employers, prioritizes Idaho residents who graduated from Idaho nursing programs, and sunsets the program on June 30, 2029.