HB160 Alabama 2017 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Steve McMillan

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2017

Title

Physician Manpower Initiative, phase in of AL. College of Osteopathic Medicine medical students, scholarships for students who commit to practice family medicine in underserved areas of state, AL. Medical Education Consortium to administer, Dept. of Public Health to fund

Summary

HB160 would create the Alabama Physician Manpower Initiative to fund scholarships for Alabama medical students who commit to practicing family medicine in underserved rural areas after residency, with administration by the Alabama Medical Education Consortium and funding from the Department of Public Health.

What This Bill Does

It establishes a scholarship program to increase Alabama’s family medicine doctors by funding tuition for medical students who sign a service contract to practice in designated rural areas after residency. The program starts with Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine students and may include students from other in-state medical schools, with up to 100 scholars active at a time and up to 25 new selections each year. After residency, recipients must practice family medicine in Alabama for five years in primary care shortage areas, with location determined by the consortium; noncompliance requires repayment of funds with interest.

Who It Affects

• Medical students enrolled in Alabama medical schools (including Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine and other in-state colleges of medicine) who participate in the scholarship program and commit to five years of practice in Alabama after residency.
• Rural and other primary care shortage areas in Alabama that would gain more family medicine physicians as a result of the scholarships and service requirements.

Key Provisions

• Establishes the Alabama Physician Manpower Initiative and the Alabama Medical Education Consortium to administer it.
• Phases in 100 scholarships per year, with no more than 100 scholars active at once; up to 25 incoming first-year students selected each fall until the cap is reached; scholarships fund tuition.
• Requires students to sign a service contract with the consortium to complete residency in Alabama (if possible) and to practice family medicine in a designated rural/primary care shortage area for five years after residency.
• Funding for scholarships comes from direct allocations by the State Department of Public Health; the consortium requests funds annually.
• Allows scholarships to be awarded to students at any Alabama college of medicine located in-state; the college must contract with the consortium and cannot receive additional state funds for scholarship students.
• If a participant fails to meet contract terms, they must return the scholarship funds with interest.
• Effective date: the first day of the third month after passage and gubernatorial approval.

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

Subjects

Physician Manpower Initiative