Amends existing law to revise provisions regarding contract requirements for state-supported medical and veterinary students.

LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO Sixty-eighth Legislature Second Regular Session - 2026 IN THE SENATE SENATE BILL NO. 1335 BY STATE AFFAIRS COMMITTEE AN ACT1 RELATING TO EDUCATION; AMENDING SECTION 33-3731, IDAHO CODE, TO REVISE PRO-2 VISIONS REGARDING STATE-SUPPORTED MEDICAL STUDENTS AND THE HUMAN MEDI-3 CAL EDUCATION REIMBURSEMENT FUND; AND DECLARING AN EMERGENCY.4

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Idaho:5

SECTION 1. That Section 33-3731, Idaho Code, be, and the same is hereby6 amended to read as follows:7 33-3731. CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS FOR STATE-SUPPORTED MEDICAL STUDENTS8 -- HUMAN MEDICAL EDUCATION REIMBURSEMENT FUND.9 (1)(a) An individual who qualifies as an Idaho resident pursuant to10 section 33-3717B, Idaho Code, and who is accepted into a human medical11 or veterinary education program enrolling Idaho students supported by12 Idaho state funds in slots reserved for Idaho students shall, before13 confirming enrollment in such program or school, enter into a contract14 with the state board of education or the board's designee, which.15 (b) For human medical and veterinary students, such contract shall16 specify that the individual will commit to entering active full-time17 professional practice in Idaho for a period of four (4) years within one18 (1) year of:19 (a) (i) Obtaining a license to practice medicine;20 (b) (ii) Finishing a residency or subspecialty residency; or21 (c) (iii) Finishing a human medical or veterinary education fel-22 lowship as defined by the state board of education or the board's23 designee.24 (c) For veterinary education students beginning the 2027 academic25 year, the contract shall specify that the individual will commit to a26 course of study and subsequent service that includes mixed practice27 agricultural animal veterinary medicine. The contract shall also re-28 quire that no less than six hundred (600) hours of annual full-time29 clinical practice shall be devoted to providing veterinary services to30 agricultural animals. Compliance with this requirement shall be re-31 viewed on an annual basis.32 (d) For purposes of this section, the term "agricultural animal" shall33 include cattle, sheep, goats, and swine.34 (2) Each year of a human medical or veterinary medicine residency35 served in Idaho, up to four (4) years, will be credited as one-half (1/2) year36 of the practice requirement provided in subsection (1) of this section. For37 veterinary education students, such residency training shall require that a38 majority of time be devoted to mixed practice agricultural animal veterinary39 medicine. After the fourth year, no credit shall be given for any additional40 residency years.41

2 (3) An individual who fails to abide by the contract described in sub-1 section (1) of this section shall reimburse the state for the state's fi-2 nancial obligation in supporting the individual's human medical or veteri-3 nary medicine education, as determined by the state board of education or the4 board's designee. Reimbursement must:5 (a) Begin within one (1) year of:6 (i) Obtaining a license to practice medicine;7 (ii) Finishing a residency or subspecialty residency; or8 (iii) Finishing a human medical or veterinary education fellow-9 ship as defined by the state board of education or the board's de-10 signee;11 (b) Be paid according to an amortized schedule established by the state12 board of education or the board's designee; and13 (c) Be completed within eight (8) years of the date the reimbursement14 requirement began.15 (4) The reimbursement obligation described in subsection (3) of this16 section:17 (a) Shall not accrue any interest; and18 (b) May, by act of the state board of education or the board's designee,19 be:20 (i) Suspended if reimbursement is temporarily impossible or21 would create extreme hardship for a temporary period, including22 but not limited to suspension for medical reasons, personal rea-23 sons, parental leave, or call to active duty in the armed forces;24 or25 (ii) Waived if:26 1. Reimbursement is permanently impossible or would create27 extreme hardship, including but not limited to death, in-28 ability to complete the program, or inability to obtain a li-29 cense to practice medicine; or30 2. The individual owing reimbursement is participating in31 a program of the federal government or United States armed32 forces that has a service requirement.33 (5) The provisions of this section shall apply to individuals matricu-34 lating in a medical education program enrolling Idaho students supported by35 Idaho state funds in slots reserved for Idaho human medical students in fall36 2023 and thereafter and to individuals matriculating in a veterinary edu-37 cation program enrolling Idaho students supported by Idaho state funds in38 slots reserved for Idaho veterinary students in fall 2027 and thereafter.39 (6) There is hereby established in the state treasury a human medical40 education reimbursement fund, which shall be administered by the state board41 of education or the board's designee. Moneys in the fund shall:42 (a) Consist of:43 (i) Reimbursement paid pursuant to subsection (3) of this sec-44 tion;45 (ii) Legislative appropriations;46 (iii) Donations; and47 (iv) Interest earned on idle moneys in the fund; and48 (b) Be used for, subject to availability:49

3 (i) The costs of administering and enforcing the provisions of1 this section; and2 (ii) Incentive grants in an amount and according to a pro-3 gram established under state board of education policy. Such4 grants shall be awarded to licensed physicians who practice human5 medicine in Idaho and who meet other criteria provided in board6 policy.7 (7) The state board of education is authorized to take such actions as8 are necessary to effectuate the provisions of this section.9

SECTION 2. An emergency existing therefor, which emergency is hereby10 declared to exist, this act shall be in full force and effect on and after its11 passage and approval.12