Flexibility In Oral Health Program Funding

The bill authorizes money from the tobacco master settlement agreement allocated to the state dental loan repayment program to also be used for oral health programs administered by the department of public health and environment. The bill renames the "state dental loan repayment fund" the "state dental loan repayment and oral health programs fund" (fund).

The bill modernizes statutory language relating to the fund.

The bill requires the department of public health and environment to report annually for 6 years to the joint budget committee concerning the amount of money allocated to the state dental loan repayment program and the number of qualified professionals applying for and receiving loan repayment. The report must also include information concerning the proportion and use of money from the fund for oral health programs.

(Note: Italicized words indicate new material added to the original summary; dashes through words indicate deletions from the original summary.)

(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)