Bill Caption

Relating to the establishment of a rural resident physician grant program.

Fiscal Notes

Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for HB 1065, As Introduced: a negative impact of ($1,123,494) through the biennium ending August 31, 2021.

The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of the bill.

Bill Analysis

This bill would create the Rural Resident Physician grant program to help establish graduate medical education programs in rural and non-metropolitan areas.

Vote Recommendation Notes

This bill likely seeks to help remedy the shortage of physicians in rural areas of this state, however, this bill violates our free market and limited government principles by seeking to remedy this problem by establishing a new grant program to establish residencies in those areas. It is not the proper role of state government to expend taxpayer dollars in an effort to attract doctors to rural areas; it is the responsibility of the healthcare facilities in those areas. For these reasons, we oppose this bill.