WICHE-repayment program.

WORKING DRAFT

ORIGINAL HOUSE
BILL

NO.
0103

ENROLLED ACT NO. 95, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

SIXTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF
WYOMING
2011 GENERAL SESSION

AN ACT relating to
the Western Regional Higher Education Compact; imposing a repayment provision on specified students; defining the requirements of the loan or service repayment program;
and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of
Wyoming
:

Section 1.

W.S. 21
‑
16
‑
202(b)(ii), (iii) and by creating a new paragraph (iv) are amended to read:

21
‑
16
‑
202.

When binding; notice of ratification; power of governor to appoint commissioners; powers of commissioners generally; appropriation of monies.

(b)

In addition to those powers granted to the commissioners in the compact, the commission
ers are directed and empowered:

(ii)

To ratify any contracts entered into by the western interstate commission for higher education or its officers which are deemed to be in the best interest of the state of Wyoming and its qualified students;

and

(iii)

To impose residency requirements on admission to compact programs. Applicants may appeal any admission decisions rendered pursuant to this paragraph directly to the commission
;
.

and

(iv)

In the interest of recruiting health care professionals to Wyoming, to impose a repayment program for participating students in dentistry, medicine, podiatry
, occupational therapy, physical therapy, optometry, physician assistant programs

and
osteopathic medicine and obtain an agreement from each student
first
admitted as a
W
ICHE program student to a participating institution of higher education for the 201
3
-201
4
academic year and thereafter,
subject to the following
:

(A)

The student agrees to:

(I)

Actively
engage in full-time professional

practice in
Wyoming

in the field in which he was educated
for not less than three (3) years as the commission requires. The taking of a
medical
residency program in the state shall be credited toward the practice requirements at the rate of one-third (1/3) year of full-time practice for each year of service in a
medical
residency program in the state; or

(
II
)

Repay all amounts expended by the state of Wyoming on the student's education through the WICHE program, together with interest which shall begin accruing after the student's graduation or residency, whichever is later, but in no event later than eight (8)
years
after the student enters into an agreement, upon terms specified by the commission. However, interest shall begin to accrue
when
the student has withdrawn from
the professional school
or a residency program
as determined by the commission
or is otherwise not making satisfactory progress toward completion of the degree program
as determined by the commission
. Money expended under this
paragraph
shall accrue at an annual interest rate equal to that charged for federal Stafford loans at the time interest
begins
to accrue, which rate shall be adjusted annually to equal the federal
Stafford
loan rate. In no event shall the interest rate be greater than eight percent (8%)
.

(
B
)

Upon application of the student, the commission may relieve
a
student of the obligation to repay
amounts
expended under
subparagraph (A) of this paragraph, in whole or in part, where repayment would cause undue hardship. The commission shall annually report the number of students relieved from repayment under this subparagraph to the joint labor, health and social services interim committee not later than October 1;

(
C
)

Any amounts paid by medical, podiatry, osteopathic
, occupational therapy, physical therapy, optometry, physician assistant
or dental students in accordance with the contractual arrangements authorized under this paragraph shall be credited to a WICHE program repayment account which shall be expended upon appropriation by the legislature;

(
D
)

The provisions of this paragraph shall not apply
to the field of veterinary medicine.

Section 2.

This act is effective immediately upon co
m
pletion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constit
u
tion.

(END)

Speaker of the House

President of the Senate

Governor

TIME APPROVED: _________

DATE APPROVED: _________

I hereby certify that this act originated in the House.

Chief Clerk

1