HB226 Alabama 2016 Session

Updated Feb 26, 2026

Notable

Summary

Primary Sponsor: Connie C. Rowe
Republican
Session: Regular Session 2016
Title: Board of Dental Scholarship Awards, Alabama Dental Service Program established, funding through Education Trust Fund provided, procedures for awarding loans provided, process for repaying by serving in medically underserved areas provided, Secs. 16-47-76 to 16-47-81, inclusive, am'd.
Summary: This bill creates the Alabama Dental Service Program inside the Board of Dental Scholarship Awards, funds it with Education Trust Fund money, and requires loan recipients to repay through practice in designated underserved areas (with Medicaid participation), or face penalties and potential loss of license.
What This Bill Does
It establishes the Alabama Dental Service Program and details how it will be administered and funded. It creates four types of scholarships/loans and outlines how recipients are selected and how loans are repaid, including service-based repayment in specific Alabama areas of need. It defines areas of critical need using HRSA Dental HPSA criteria, requires Medicaid participation during repayment, imposes penalties for breach of contract, and requires annual program reporting by the Board.

Who It Affects
Alabama dental students and dental school applicants who would receive scholarships or loans (including Rural Dental Health Scholars and Rural Dental Scholars programs) and must sign repayment contracts.
Dentists who participate in the program by repaying loans through full-time clinical practice in designated medically underserved areas and who must participate in the state Medicaid program during repayment.

Key Provisions
Creates and authorizes the Alabama Dental Service Program within the Board of Dental Scholarship Awards; funds are provided as direct appropriations from the Education Trust Fund.
The Board must establish four types of scholarships: (1) loans up to 20% of in-state dental school enrollment cost or four years of that amount for Alabama residents; (2) merit scholarships up to 5% of students; (3) Rural Dental Health Scholars Program loans; (4) Rural Dental Scholars Program reimbursements.
Program funds and any remaining appropriations stay with the Board and do not revert to other funds; retroactive effect applies to certain provisions dating back to 2005.
Loans for the Alabama Dental Service Program can be awarded for up to four years, covering up to the annual cost of in-state tuition and fees at the University of Alabama School of Dentistry.
Repayment can be cash with six percent interest or service-based, requiring full-time practice in a designated area of critical need for a specified period (18, 15, or 12 months depending on indigent/Medicaid thresholds).
Areas of critical need are defined using Dental Health Professional Shortage Area (Dental HPSA) scores and must be in Alabama; the Board can adjust eligibility scores to maintain program viability.
Participants must also participate in the state Medicaid program during repayment and may transfer areas of need, with minimum service durations maintained.
Breach of contract triggers penalties (20-50% of loan principal depending on the amount of loan time received) and possible license revocation; death or total disability can excuse repayment.
Localities with populations under 100,000 can apply to be listed as areas in need of dentists, allowing program participants to select practice locations for loan repayment if they meet the area’s critical-need criteria.
The Board must annually report to the Governor, lieutenant governor, key legislative leaders, and health committees on program status, including service locations and Medicaid/indigent patient benchmarks.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.
Subjects: Colleges and Universities