(1) Subject to available appropriations, the department of public health and environment shall develop and maintain a state dental loan repayment program in which the state agrees to pay all or part of the principal, interest, and related expenses of the educational loans of each eligible dental professional. The department of public health and environment shall operate the program in cooperation with other health professional loan repayment programs. (2) A dental professional is eligible for loan repayment assistance if the dental professional meets at least one of the following criteria: (a) The dental professional is employed by a federally qualified health center, as defined in the federal "Social Security Act", 42 U.S.C. sec. 1395x (aa)(4); (b) The dental professional owns or is employed by a practice that remains open to new clients enrolled in the medicaid program or the children's basic health plan program; (c) The dental professional owns or is employed by a practice that provides a significant level of service to underserved populations as defined in rule by the board; or (d) The dental professional provides, on a pro bono basis, a significant level of service to underserved populations. (3) Loan repayments shall be available to eligible dental professionals on an annual basis, however, an eligible dental professional shall enter into a contract, as a condition of qualifying for the loan repayment assistance, in which the dental professional agrees to provide care to underserved populations for a minimum of two years. The department of public health and environment shall enter into contracts with eligible dental professionals on or after April 1, 2002. (4) The board may establish the total amount of annual financial assistance available under the loan repayment program to any dental professional in order to promote recruitment and retention of a dental professional. Any contracts for loan repayment shall include reasonable penalties for breach of contract. In the event of a breach of contract for a loan repayment entered into pursuant to this article, the department of public health and environment shall be responsible for enforcing the contract and collecting any damages or other penalties owed. (5) Nothing in this article shall be interpreted to create a legal entitlement to loan repayment assistance. The amount of assistance available is limited by available appropriations. (6) The department of public health and environment may apply for any available matching federal funds on behalf of an eligible dental professional and shall use such federal funds to provide all or part of the financing for loan repayment for an eligible dental professional. (7) Repealed.
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