January 21, 2022 - Introduced by Senators Stafsholt and Felzkowski,
cosponsored by Representatives
Dallman, Cabral-Guevara, Edming,
Gundrum, Novak, Oldenburg and Zimmerman. Referred to Committee on
Sporting Heritage, Small Business and Rural Issues.
SB872,1,5
1An Act to create 20.235 (1) (fr), 39.387 and 71.05 (6) (b) 58. of the statutes;
2relating to: creating a rural pharmacy practice grant program administered
3by the Higher Educational Aids Board, exempting from taxation amounts
4received from such a grant program, granting rule-making authority, and
5making an appropriation.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill creates a grant program administered by the Higher Educational Aids
Board (HEAB) for pharmacists who engage in the practice of pharmacy in medically
underserved areas in this state.
The bill establishes a rural pharmacy practice grant program to encourage
pharmacists to engage in the practice of pharmacy in medically underserved areas
in this state. To be eligible for the program, a pharmacist must engage in the practice
of pharmacy in a medically underserved area in this state and commit to do so for at
least three years after graduation from a school of pharmacy. For purposes of the bill,
a “medically underserved area" is an area designated as such by the secretary of the
federal Department of Health and Human Services. Under the program, an eligible
pharmacist may be provided up to $45,000 per year in financial assistance for up to
two years. However, HEAB may provide financial assistance to no more than 10
pharmacists per year. A student enrolled in a school of pharmacy may apply to the
program prior to becoming a licensed pharmacist. Financial assistance to a
pharmacist participating in the program is provided after the pharmacist's year of
pharmacy practice in a medically underserved area in this state.
Under the bill, any amount of financial assistance that a pharmacist receives
under the program is exempt from taxation.
Because this bill relates to an exemption from state or local taxes, it may be
referred to the Joint Survey Committee on Tax Exemptions for a report to be printed
as an appendix to the bill.
For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as
an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
SB872,1
1Section 1
. 20.005 (3) (schedule) of the statutes: at the appropriate place, insert
2the following amounts for the purposes indicated:
-
See PDF for table ![PDF](https://docs-preview.legis.wisconsin.gov/assets/image/file_acrobat.gif)
SB872,2
3Section 2
. 20.235 (1) (fr) of the statutes is created to read:
SB872,2,64
20.235
(1) (fr)
Rural pharmacy practice grant program. As a continuing
5appropriation, the amounts in the schedule for the rural pharmacy practice grant
6program under s. 39.387.
SB872,3
7Section
3. 39.387 of the statutes is created to read:
SB872,2,9
839.387 Rural pharmacy practice grant program. (1) Definitions. In this
9section:
SB872,2,1110
(a) “Grant program" means the rural pharmacy practice grant program under
11this section.
SB872,3,3
1(b) “Medically underserved area" means a medically underserved area
2designated by the federal secretary of health and human services as provided in
42
3CFR 51c.102 (e).
SB872,3,54
(c) “Pharmacist" means a person licensed by the pharmacy examining board
5under s. 450.03 or 450.05.
SB872,3,66
(d) “Practice of pharmacy” has the meaning given in s. 450.01 (16).
SB872,3,77
(e) “School of pharmacy" has the meaning given in s. 255.35 (1m) (g).
SB872,3,11
8(2) Establishment of program. There is established, to be administered by the
9board, a rural pharmacy practice grant program to encourage pharmacists to engage
10in the practice of pharmacy in medically underserved areas in this state by providing
11grants of financial assistance to those pharmacists as provided in sub. (4).
SB872,3,13
12(3) Eligibility. A pharmacist is eligible for financial assistance as provided
13under sub. (4) if the pharmacist meets all of the following requirements:
SB872,3,1514
(a) He or she engages in the practice of pharmacy in a medically underserved
15area in this state.
SB872,3,1816
(b) He or she commits to engage in the practice of pharmacy in a medically
17underserved area in this state for at least 3 years after graduation from a school of
18pharmacy.
SB872,3,2219
(c) He or she does not appear on the statewide support lien docket under s.
2049.854 (2) (b), unless the pharmacist provides to the board a payment agreement that
21has been approved by the county child support agency under s. 59.53 (5) and that is
22consistent with rules promulgated under s. 49.858 (2) (a).
SB872,4,2
23(4) Financial assistance. (a) 1. From the appropriation account under s.
2420.235 (1) (fr), the board shall grant financial assistance to pharmacists who meet
25the eligibility requirements specified in sub. (3), who apply for participation in the
1grant program as provided in par. (b), and who submit claims for that financial
2assistance as provided in par. (c).
SB872,4,83
2. The board may grant financial assistance under the grant program to no
4more than 10 pharmacists in a fiscal year. If more than 10 pharmacists apply for
5participation in the grant program in a fiscal year, the board shall consider the order
6in which those applications are received and the need for pharmacists in the
7medically underserved area for which the application is made in selecting
8participants in the grant program.
SB872,4,109
3. A pharmacist may not receive financial assistance under the grant program
10in more than 2 fiscal years and may not receive more than $45,000 in any fiscal year.
SB872,4,1611
(b) A pharmacist or student enrolled in a school of pharmacy may apply for
12participation in the grant program by submitting an application to the board in a
13form prescribed by the board. The application shall include such information as the
14board may require to establish that the pharmacist or student meets or will meet the
15eligibility requirements specified in sub. (3) for participation in the grant program
16and any other information the board may require by rule promulgated under sub. (5).
SB872,4,2517
(c) After each year in which a pharmacist participating in the grant program
18engages in the practice of pharmacy in a medically underserved area in this state,
19the pharmacist may submit to the board a claim for financial assistance. The claim
20shall include the signature of the pharmacist and of a representative of the pharmacy
21in which the pharmacist is employed or otherwise affiliated certifying that during
22the period for which financial assistance is claimed the pharmacist engaged in the
23practice of pharmacy in a medically underserved area in this state and such other
24information as the board may require by rule promulgated under sub. (5) to verify
25the pharmacist's eligibility for financial assistance.
SB872,5,4
1(d) If the board determines that a pharmacist who submits a claim for financial
2assistance under par. (c) is eligible to receive that assistance, the board shall provide
3that assistance, subject to the amounts available in the appropriation account under
4s. 20.235 (1) (fr).
SB872,5,6
5(5) Rules. The board shall promulgate rules to implement and administer this
6section, including rules specifying all of the following:
SB872,5,97
(a) The information a pharmacist or student enrolled in a school of pharmacy
8must include in an application for participation in the grant program under sub. (4)
9(b).
SB872,5,1110
(b) The information a pharmacist must include in a claim for financial
11assistance under sub. (4) (c).
SB872,4
12Section 4
. 71.05 (6) (b) 58. of the statutes is created to read:
SB872,5,1513
71.05
(6) (b) 58. For taxable years beginning after December 31, 2020, any
14amount received by a pharmacist, in the taxable year to which the subtraction
15relates, from the rural pharmacy practice grant program under s. 39.387.
SB872,5
16Section 5
.
Initial applicability.
SB872,5,1817
(1)
Rural pharmacy practice grant program. This act first applies to an
18individual who graduates from a school of pharmacy in 2021.