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1 State of Arkansas As Engrossed: H2/10/25
2 95th General Assembly
A Bill
3 Regular Session, 2025 HOUSE BILL 1384
4
5 By: Representative L. Johnson
6 By: Senator J. Dismang
7
8 For An Act To Be Entitled
9 AN ACT TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE GRADUATE
10 MEDICAL EDUCATION RESIDENCY EXPANSION BOARD; TO
11 DECLARE AN EMERGENCY; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
12
13
14 Subtitle
15 TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING THE GRADUATE
16 MEDICAL EDUCATION RESIDENCY EXPANSION
17 BOARD; AND TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY.
18
19 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS:
20
21 SECTION 1. Arkansas Code �� 6-82-2002 through 6-82-2005 are amended to
22 read as follows:
23 6-82-2002. Planning Implementation grants -- Definition.
24 (a) As used in this subchapter, a "planning grant" is a grant awarded
25 by the Graduate Medical Education Residency Expansion Board to eligible
26 entities and individuals under this subchapter.
27 (b) The board Graduate Medical Education Residency Expansion Board
28 shall:
29 (1) Allocate funds appropriated for purposes of this subchapter;
30 (2) Award a one-time planning implementation grant under this
31 section to an in-state based entity in this state that:
32 (A) Is in the process of creating a new graduate medical
33 education program; or
34 (B) Is expanding an existing graduate medical education
35 program;
36 (3) Award planning implementation grants on a competitive basis
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1 according to the criteria adopted by the board under its rules to include
2 without limitation consideration of the following:
3 (A) Development of a new or expanded program with a
4 specialty defined in the rules;
5 (B) Increasing positions for medical specialties having a
6 shortage within the state; and
7 (C) Increasing graduate medical education positions in
8 medically underserved areas in the state; and
9 (4) Determine the number of planning implementation grants
10 awarded and the amount of each planning implementation grant; and
11 (5) Determine the annual amount of grant award and the total
12 amount of grant award to be provided over the implementation period of the
13 new or expanding program.
14 (c)(1) An application for a planning grant under this section shall be
15 submitted by an entity to the board no later than July 15 of the year
16 preceding the year for which the planning grant will be used.
17 (2) The board shall award a planning grant to an eligible entity
18 under this section no later than August 15 of the year in which the eligible
19 entity's application was submitted.
20 (d) An entity that is awarded a planning grant under this section and
21 establishes additional first-year residency positions after the receipt of a
22 planning grant is eligible for additional funds for each position
23 established.
24
25 6-82-2003. Planning Implementation grants for program expansion or new
26 programs.
27 (a) The Graduate Medical Education Residency Expansion Board shall
28 award planning implementation grants to enable entities with existing
29 graduate medical education programs to:
30 (1) Increase the number of first-year residency or fellowship
31 positions in existing graduate medical education programs; and
32 (2) Provide for the establishment of new graduate medical
33 education programs with first-year residency positions.
34 (b) The board shall determine the number of planning grants awarded
35 under this section and the amount of each planning grant awarded under this
36 section.
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1 (c) A planning An implementation grant under this section shall be
2 used to support the direct resident start-up costs to the graduate medical
3 education program, including without limitation stipends and benefits at the
4 board's discretion.
5 (d)(c) An entity applying for a planning an implementation grant under
6 this section shall:
7 (1) Include submit a plan for receiving accreditation for the
8 increased number of residency positions or for the new graduate medical
9 education program, as applicable, that shall include without limitation:
10 (1) A timeline;
11 (2) A budget;
12 (3) A proposed program;
13 (4) The number of existing slots within a proposed program
14 expansion;
15 (5) Letters of support from both the sponsoring institution and
16 clinical site;
17 (6) The number of current residency slots available; and
18 (7) The number of new residency slots that will be established
19 in a new program.; and
20 (2) Be submitted to the board no later than October 1 preceding
21 the academic year for which the planning grant is made.
22 (e)(d) The board shall:
23 (1) Award a planning grant award an implementation grant under
24 this section no later than January 1 of the year in which the planning grant
25 will be used in the fourth calendar quarter on an annual basis as funding is
26 available; and
27 (2) Distribute a planning grant amount for a residency position
28 under this section only upon receiving verification that the applicable
29 residency position has been filled.
30 (f)(1)(e) A planning An implementation grant awarded under this
31 section shall be in effect for no more than three (3) consecutive fiscal
32 years the number of years of the program plus two (2) years for
33 implementation and accreditation before enrolling a resident or fellow.
34 (2) For each first-year residency position for which an entity
35 with a graduate medical education program receives an initial planning grant
36 under this section, the board shall award the entity with the graduate
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1 medical education program an equal planning grant amount for the following
2 fiscal year, not to exceed three (3) fiscal years.
3 (f) An entity awarded an implementation grant under this section shall
4 provide a progress report to the board before the distribution of grant funds
5 for the following year.
6
7 6-82-2004. Priority of planning implementation grants -- Adjustment of
8 amounts.
9 (a) If the Graduate Medical Education Residency Expansion Board
10 determines that the number of first-year residency positions proposed by
11 eligible applicants under � 6-82-2003 exceeds the amount of funding
12 appropriated for the planning implementation grants under this subchapter,
13 the board:
14 (1) May give priority for up to fifty percent (50%) of the
15 funded first-year residency positions implementation grant awards to be in:
16 (A) Primary care; or
17 (B) A field in which this state has less than eighty
18 percent (80%) of the national average of physicians per one hundred thousand
19 (100,000) people, as determined by the board based on the Association of
20 American Medical Colleges State Physician Workforce Data Report there is a
21 shortage in the state as determined by the board; or
22 (C) A new program or a program expansion that:
23 (i) Has the earliest start date; or
24 (ii) Will expand the cap of an Arkansas hospital;
25 and
26 (2) Shall not reduce planning grant amounts awarded for each
27 resident position, but may proportionately reduce the number of positions
28 funded for each graduate medical education program.
29 (b) If the board determines that, based on the applications it has
30 received for planning grants under � 6-82-2003, the entire appropriation for
31 planning grants under this subchapter shall not be awarded for a particular
32 year, the board may transfer and use the funds appropriated to award planning
33 grants under � 6-82-2002.
34
35 6-82-2005. Planning grants for additional years of residency.
36 (a) If the Graduate Medical Education Residency Expansion Board
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1 determines that funds appropriated under this subchapter are available after
2 all eligible planning grant applications under �� 6-82-2002 and 6-82-2003
3 have been funded, the board shall award planning grants from excess funds to
4 support medical residents who:
5 (1) Have completed at least three (3) years of residency; and
6 (2) Are enrolled in a residency program in a field in which this
7 state has less than eighty percent (80%) of the national average of
8 physicians per one hundred thousand (100,000) people, as determined by the
9 board.
10 (b) The board shall determine the following with respect to planning
11 grants under this section:
12 (1) The amount of a planning grant awarded under this section;
13 (2) The number of planning grants awarded under this section;
14 and
15 (3) The residency fields in which recipients of planning grants
16 under this section work.
17 (c) A planning grant under this section shall be used to support the
18 direct resident costs to the graduate medical education program, including
19 without limitation stipends and benefits.
20 (d) The board shall distribute a planning grant amount for a residency
21 position under this section only upon receiving verification that the
22 applicable residency position has been filled.
23
24 SECTION 2. Arkansas Code Title 6, Chapter 82, Subchapter 20, is
25 amended to add an additional section to read as follows:
26 6-82-2006. Definitions.
27 As used in this subchapter:
28 (1) "Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education" means
29 the private, not-for-profit organization that oversees the accreditation of
30 residency and fellowship programs for physicians in the United States;
31 (2) "Entity" means an:
32 (A) Arkansas hospital or medical facility that seeks to
33 provide medical residency opportunities; and
34 (B) Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education
35 sponsoring institution;
36 (3) "First-year residency position" means a position during the
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1 first year of residency occurring after medical school graduation;
2 (4) "Fiscal year" means the fiscal year of the state for the
3 conduct of its financial affairs commencing on July 1 and ending on June 30 of
4 the following year;
5 (5) "Graduate medical education program" means the period of
6 education in a particular specialty or residency or subspecialty or
7 fellowship following medical school;
8 (6) "Implementation grant" means a grant awarded by the Graduate
9 Medical Education Residency Expansion Board to eligible entities and
10 individuals under this subchapter;
11 (7)(A) "Implementation period" means the amount of time in years
12 to establish a new program or expanded slots for a program.
13 (B) "Implementation period" includes the number of years
14 required for a resident or fellow to complete the program plus up to two (2)
15 years of start-up costs before enrolling the first resident or fellow.
16 (8)(A) "Primary care" includes without limitation the following:
17 (i) Internal medicine;
18 (ii) Pediatrics;
19 (iii) Family medicine;
20 (iv) Obstetrics and gynecology;
21 (v) General Surgery; and
22 (vi) Psychiatry.
23 (B) "Primary care" also includes without limitation the
24 transitional year;
25 (9) "Resident" means an individual enrolled in an Accreditation
26 Council for Graduate Medical Education-accredited residency program;
27 (10)(A) "Residency program" means a structured educational
28 activity comprising a series of clinical or other learning experiences in
29 graduate medical education designed to prepare a physician to enter the
30 unsupervised practice of medicine in a primary specialty.
31 (B) "Residency program" includes a program available for
32 physician admission:
33 (i) Immediately upon graduation from a medical
34 school or a college of osteopathic medicine as described in the institutional
35 requirements of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education; and
36 (ii) After completion of prerequisite clinical
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1 education and training as described in the relevant specialty-specific
2 program requirements;
3 (11) "Specialty" means a field of medical practice that focuses
4 on a specific set of patient care skills;
5 (12) "Sponsoring institution" means an entity that oversees,
6 supports, and administers one (1) or more Accreditation Council for Graduate
7 Medical Education-accredited residency or fellowship programs; and
8 (13) "Start-up costs" means a cost associated with program
9 planning, Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education application
10 preparation and submission, and other preliminary activities before a
11 resident is present in the program.
12
13 SECTION 3. EMERGENCY CLAUSE. It is found and determined by the
14 General Assembly of the State of Arkansas that there is a great need for
15 medical professionals throughout the state to serve residents; that summer
16 deadlines are quickly approaching for programs that train new medical
17 professionals and funding needs to be distributed as soon as possible to
18 prepare these programs to begin training in the fall; and that this act is
19 immediately necessary because having trained medical professionals to fill
20 worker shortages throughout the state is vital to ensuring the health and
21 safety of Arkansans. Therefore, an emergency is declared to exist, and this
22 act being immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace,
23 health, and safety shall become effective on:
24 (1) The date of its approval by the Governor;
25 (2) If the bill is neither approved nor vetoed by the Governor,
26 the expiration of the period of time during which the Governor may veto the
27 bill; or
28 (3) If the bill is vetoed by the Governor and the veto is
29 overridden, the date the last house overrides the veto.
30
31 /s/L. Johnson
32
33
34
35
36
7 02-10-2025 10:01:30 CRH077Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.