AB269

Existing law creates the Student Loan Repayment for Providers of Health Care in Underserved Communities Program to repay the student education loans of qualified providers of health care who work in certain underserved communities. (NRS 226.458) Existing law also creates the Account for Student Loan Repayment for Providers of Health Care in Underserved Communities to be used to repay those student education loans. (NRS 226.466) Existing law defines “provider of health care” for purposes of the Program. (NRS 226.454) Section 4 of this bill adds a licensed speech-language pathologist, physical therapist, occupational therapist, marriage and family therapist, clinical alcohol and drug counselor, alcohol and drug counselor, assistant behavior analyst and behavior analyst and a certified problem gambling counselor to the definition of “provider of health care” for such purposes, thereby expanding the applicability of the Program. Sections 5-7 of this bill also expand the Program to include public health professionals, which are defined in section 1 of this bill as: (1) the Chief Medical Officer and county and district health officers who are appointed under existing law; and (2) a person who is employed by the Division of Public and Behavioral Health of the Department of Health and Human Services or a local board of health in a position for which the Division or local board of health experiences substantial difficulty in recruitment and retention. Such positions are required by se