76-387. Medical residency bridging program; loan agreements; qualifications, terms and conditions; service obligation, postponement and satisfaction; practice service agreement defined; rural health bridging psychiatry fund; OBGYN medical residency bridging fund. (a) (1) There is hereby established the Kansas medical residency bridging program at the university of Kansas school of medicine, which shall be developed and implemented in order to provide encouragement, opportunities and incentives for persons to:

(A) Enter and complete medical residency training programs in general pediatrics, general internal medicine, family medicine, family practice, obstetrics and gynecology, general psychiatry or child psychiatry that are operated by or affiliated with the university of Kansas school of medicine or other such medical residency training program that is operated in Kansas and approved by the state board of healing arts; and

(B) locate their medical practice in rural Kansas communities upon completion of such residency training.

(2) The Kansas medical residency bridging program shall be administered by the institute for rural health care of the university of Kansas school of medicine.

(b) Subject to the provisions of appropriation acts, the university of Kansas school of medicine may enter into residency bridging loan agreements with any person who has completed the first year of a medical residency training program in general pediatrics, general internal medicine, family medicine, family practice, obstetrics and gynecology, general psychiatry or child psychiatry that is operated by or affiliated with the university of Kansas school of medicine or other such medical residency training program that is operated in Kansas and approved by the state board of healing arts.

(c) Subject to the provisions of appropriation acts, each person entering into a residency bridging loan agreement under this section shall receive a payment of $5,000 each year of medical residency training, or any part of a year of such training, after the date that the residency bridging loan agreement is entered into by the resident and the university of Kansas school of medicine and, upon completion of the medical residency training program, a payment of $6,000.

(d) Each residency bridging loan agreement shall require that the person receiving the loan:

(1) Complete the medical residency training program;

(2) engage in the full-time practice of medicine and surgery in any county in Kansas other than Douglas, Johnson, Sedgwick, Shawnee or Wyandotte for three years under a practice commitment agreement;

(3) commence such full-time practice of medicine and surgery within 90 days after completing the medical residency training program; and

(4) upon failure to satisfy the obligation to engage in the full-time practice of medicine and surgery in accordance with the provisions of the residency bridging loan agreement and this section, the person receiving the loan under this section shall repay to the university of Kansas school of medicine, within 90 days of such failure, the amount equal to the amount of moneys received by such person from the university of Kansas school of medicine, less credits earned, under such agreement plus interest at the annual rate of 15% from the date such moneys were received. Any person who fails to satisfy the obligation to engage in the full-time practice of medicine and surgery in accordance with this section due to active military service of such person or such person's spouse shall not be required to pay the 15% annual interest rate on any moneys received under such agreement.

(e) An obligation to engage in the practice of medicine and surgery in accordance with the provisions of a residency bridging loan agreement and this section shall be postponed during: (1) Any period of temporary medical disability during which the person obligated is unable to practice medicine and surgery because of such medical disability; (2) any period of not more than one year during which the person participates in a healthcare-related fellowship program; (3) any required period of active military service of the person obligated or such person's spouse; or (4) any other period of postponement agreed to or determined in accordance with criteria agreed to in the practice commitment agreement.

(f) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (g), an obligation to engage in the practice of medicine and surgery in accordance with the provisions of a residency bridging loan agreement and this section shall be satisfied: (1) If the obligation to engage in the practice of medicine and surgery in accordance with such agreement has been completed; (2) if the person obligated dies; or (3) if, because of permanent physical disability, the person obligated is unable to practice medicine and surgery.

(g) For any person who completed a medical residency training program in obstetrics and gynecology pursuant to this section, such person's obligation to engage in the practice of medicine and surgery in accordance with the provisions of a residency bridging loan agreement and this section shall be deemed to not be satisfied if such person is employed by, provides services at or establishes any clinic or facility as such terms are defined in K.S.A. 65-4a01, and amendments thereto, or performs or induces, or attempts to perform or induce, an abortion, except in the case of a medical emergency as defined in K.S.A. 65-6701, and amendments thereto, or in the case of a pregnancy resulting from rape or incest, at any time in which such person is obligated to satisfy the provisions of such person's loan agreement made pursuant to this section.

(h) The university of Kansas school of medicine may adopt additional provisions, requirements or conditions for participation in the Kansas medical residency bridging program as are practicable and appropriate to accomplish the purposes of the program or as may be required for the implementation or administration of the program and, in any case, as are not inconsistent with the provisions of this section or the provisions of appropriation acts.

(i) As used in this section, "practice commitment agreement" means an agreement to commence the full-time practice of medicine and surgery in a city located in any county in Kansas other than Douglas, Johnson, Sedgwick, Shawnee or Wyandotte county, that:

(1) Was entered into by a person in a medical residency training program in general pediatrics, general internal medicine, family medicine, family practice, obstetrics and gynecology, general psychiatry or child psychiatry, that is operated by or affiliated with the university of Kansas school of medicine or other such medical residency training program that is operated in Kansas and approved by the state board of healing arts, with the city where such practice is to commence or another contracting entity other than the university of Kansas school of medicine that is representative of the interests of such city; and

(2) provides benefits to such person that have an aggregate monetary value equal to or greater than the aggregate amount of payments to such person from the university of Kansas school of medicine under a residency bridging loan agreement under this section.

(j) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, no moneys appropriated for the Kansas medical residency bridging program at the university of Kansas school of medicine, except moneys appropriated to the OBGYN medical residency bridging fund or the rural health bridging psychiatry fund, shall be expended for residency bridging loan agreements for medical residents training in obstetrics and gynecology, general psychiatry or child psychiatry.

(k) Subject to appropriations, the university of Kansas school of medicine shall enter into residency bridging loan agreements with three medical residents training in general psychiatry or child psychiatry.

(l) There is hereby established in the state treasury the rural health bridging psychiatry fund. All moneys credited to the rural health bridging psychiatry fund shall be used only for purposes related to residency bridging loan agreements for medical residents training in general psychiatry or child psychiatry pursuant to this section. All expenditures from the rural health bridging psychiatry fund shall be made in accordance with appropriation acts upon warrants of the director of accounts and reports issued pursuant to vouchers approved by the chancellor of the university of Kansas or the chancellor's designee.

(m) There is hereby established in the state treasury the OBGYN medical residency bridging fund. All moneys credited to the OBGYN medical residency bridging fund shall be used only for purposes related to residency bridging loan agreements for medical residents training in obstetrics and gynecology pursuant to this section. All expenditures from the OBGYN medical residency bridging fund shall be made in accordance with appropriation acts upon warrants of the director of accounts and reports issued pursuant to vouchers approved by the chancellor of the university of Kansas or the chancellor's designee.

(n) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, no moneys shall be transferred from the comprehensive grant program account of the state board of regents to the rural health bridging psychiatry fund or the OBGYN medical residency bridging fund or expended for any purposes related to the Kansas medical residency bridging program.

History: L. 1992, ch. 260, § 1; L. 1993, ch. 215, § 1; L. 2017, ch. 12, § 6; L. 2023, ch. 95, § 11; July 1.