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132nd MAINE LEGISLATURE
FIRST SPECIAL SESSION-2025
Legislative Document No. 1311
S.P. 541 In Senate, March 27, 2025
An Act to Expand Maine's Health Care Workforce by Improving
Educational Opportunities
Reference to the Committee on Health and Human Services suggested and ordered printed.
DAREK M. GRANT
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator INGWERSEN of York.
Cosponsored by Representative ZAGER of Portland and
Senators: BENNETT of Oxford, MOORE of Washington, NANGLE of Cumberland,
TALBOT ROSS of Cumberland, Representatives: DUCHARME of Madison, JAVNER of
Chester.
Page 1 - 132LR1626(01)
1Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
2Sec. 1. 22 MRSA c. 279 is enacted to read:
3CHAPTER 279
4MAINE HEALTH CARE EDUCATION TRAINING AND MEDICAL
5RESIDENCY FUND
6§1700-F. Maine Health Care Education Training and Medical Residency Fund
71. Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the
8 following terms have the following meanings.
9 A. "Earn as you learn program" means a program in which a student or learner is
10 employed and is paid for learning specific skills and expertise for a particular role.
11 B. "Rural" means, with regard to areas in the State, the areas that are designated as
12 health professional shortage areas or medically underserved areas or that contain a
13 medically underserved population as defined by the federal Department of Health and
14 Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration.
152. Fund established. The Maine Health Care Education Training and Medical
16 Residency Fund, referred to in this chapter as "the fund," is established within the
17 department as a dedicated, nonlapsing account to support health care in rural and
18 underserved communities and physician workforce development.
193. Fund sources and administration. The fund consists of appropriations, allocations
20 and contributions from public and private sources. The department may apply for federal
21 and private grant funding for the purposes of this section. Money received by the
22 department on behalf of the fund must be used for the purposes of this section. The fund
23 must be maintained and administered by the department. Any unexpended balance in the
24 fund carries forward for continued use under this section, except for federal funds that must
25 be expended according to guidelines issued by the Federal Government governing the use
26 of those funds.
274. Use of fund. The department shall make distributions from the fund to programs
28 based in the State to support the following purposes:
29 A. Expanding rural primary care clinical rotations for 3rd-year medical students to
30 support long-term professional health care practice in the rural parts of the State;
31 B. Expanding rural primary care clinical rotations for 4th-year medical students to
32 support long-term professional health care practice in the rural parts of the State;
33 C. Expanding rural residency positions and rotations for medical students in the State;
34 D. Establishing and expanding clinical preceptorships in rural and underserved
35 communities, including the costs of preceptor recruiting, training and compensation for
36 preceptor time and the costs of travel and housing for medical students in rural
37 rotations;
38 E. Supporting programs that seek to develop local health care education leaders for the
39 purpose of expanding clinical rotations, residencies and preceptorships;
Page 2 - 132LR1626(01)
1 F. Providing competitive grants through a program designed by the department for
2 innovative solutions, technological advancements and earn as you learn programs to
3 support and expand clinical education, training and placements for clinical health care
4 roles. The department shall consult with experts in the field of health care in designing
5 the grant program; and
6 G. Supporting electronic platforms used to make clinical health care placements.
75. Rules. The department may adopt rules to implement this section. Rules adopted
8 pursuant to this subsection are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375,
9 subchapter 2-A.
10Sec. 2. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and
11 allocations are made.
12HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF
13Maine Health Care Education Training and Medical Residency Fund N433
14 Initiative: Provides ongoing funding to the Maine Health Care Education Training and
15 Medical Residency Fund.
GENERAL FUND 2025-26 2026-27
All Other $5,000,000 $5,000,000
__________ __________
GENERAL FUND TOTAL $5,000,000 $5,000,000
16SUMMARY
17 This bill establishes the Maine Health Care Education Training and Medical Residency
18 Fund and appropriates $5,000,000 annually to support health care in rural and underserved
19 communities and physician workforce development.
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