AB2123:v98#DOCUMENTBill Start
Amended
IN
Assembly
April 07, 2022
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CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE—
2021–2022 REGULAR SESSION
Assembly Bill
No. 2123
Introduced by Assembly Member Villapudua
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February 15, 2022 |
An act to add Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 50260) to Part 1 of Division 31 of the Health and Safety Code, relating to health care availability.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 2123, as amended, Villapudua.
Bringing Health Care into Communities Act of 2023.
Existing law establishes various programs, including the Family Homelessness Challenge Grants and Technical Assistance Program, with the goal of providing housing. Existing law charges various agencies with the administration of these programs, including the Department of Housing and Community Development and the California Housing Finance Agency. Existing law also establishes various programs to facilitate the expansion of the health care workforce in rural and underserved communities, including, but not limited to, the Health Professions Career Opportunity Program and the California Registered Nurse Education Program.
This bill, the Bringing Health Care into Communities Act of 2023, would establish the Bringing Health Care into Communities Program to be administered by the agency to provide housing grants to specified health professionals to
be used for mortgage payments for a permanent residence in a health professional shortage area, as specified. Under the bill, a health professional would be eligible for a grant for up to 5 years. The bill would make its provisions operative upon appropriation by the Legislature.
Digest Key
Vote:
MAJORITY
Appropriation:
NO
Fiscal Committee:
YES
Local Program:
NO
Bill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:(a) California continues to experience shortages of health professionals, particularly in primary care and in areas declared to be health professional shortage areas.
(b) Individuals living in health professional shortage areas have reduced health outcomes due to the lack of availability of medical care.
(c) Incentivizing health professionals to own homes in those health
professional shortage areas would encourage health professionals to become permanently tied to and serving those areas.
SEC. 2.
Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 50260) is added to Part 1 of Division 31 of the Health and Safety Code, to read:
CHAPTER
9. Bringing Health care Care into Communities Act of 2023. 2023
50260.
This act shall be known, and may be cited, as the Bringing Health Care into Communities Act of 2023.50261.
(a) The Bringing Health Care into Communities Program is hereby established with the purpose of providing housing assistance grants in accordance with this chapter.(b) The agency shall administer the program. The agency shall provide housing grants to health professionals listed in Section 50262 to be used for mortgage payments for a permanent residence in a health professional shortage area, as designated by the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development in accordance with existing office guidelines.
(c) A health professional eligible for a grant pursuant to this chapter shall be eligible for up
to five years.
(d) A health professional who begins receiving a housing grant based on residency in a health professional shortage area is eligible to continue to receive a housing grant pursuant to this chapter if that area is no longer a health professional shortage area but shall not receive a housing grant for more than five years.
50262.
The following health professionals are eligible for housing grants pursuant to this chapter. chapter:(a) Primary care physicians.
(b) Dentists. Primary care dentists.
(c) Dental hygienists.
(d) Physician Primary care physician assistants.
(e) Nurse Primary care nurse practitioners.
(f) Certified nurse midwives. nurse-midwives.
(g) Pharmacists.
(h) Mental health providers.
(i) Behavioral health providers.
50263.
This chapter shall be become operative upon appropriation by the Legislature. Legislature for the purpose of implementing the provisions of this chapter.