Amends TCA Title 49, Chapter 4, Part 7 and Title 63.

This bill establishes an advanced practice registered nurse student loan repayment grant ("grant") program to incentivize advanced practice registered nurses to provide health services in areas determined to be health resource shortage areas by the department of health ("department"), office of rural health. ELIGIBILITY In order to be eligible for a grant, this bill requires a person to (i) be an advanced practice registered nurse; (ii) apply to the health for a grant, on forms provided by the department; and (iii) enter into a contract with the department to provide health services in a health resource shortage area for at least five years. ADMINISTRATION AND RULEMAKING This bill requires the department to administer the grant program. The department, in consultation with the Tennessee student assistance corporation and the board of nursing, is authorized to promulgate rules for the management and administration of the grant program. FUNDING This bill requires the department to issue program monies to pay grants to grant recipients for the amount of principal, interest, and related expenses of an advanced practice registered nurse's educational loans, not to exceed the advanced practice registered nurse's total student loan indebtedness. Subject to the appropriation of sufficient funds and verification that an advanced practice registered nurse meets the eligibility requirements, this bill authorizes the department to award grants to qualifying nurses of up to $25,000 per year for a maximum of five years, if the sum of all grants made to the qualifying nurse does not exceed the nurse's total student loan indebtedness. ADDITIONAL FUNDING SOURCES AND REPORTING This bill authorizes the department to use private donations, grants, federal monies, and state monies to implement, support, promote, or maintain the advanced practice registered nurse student loan repayment program. The department must issue an annual report to the governor, the chair of the education administration committee of the house of representatives, and the chair of the senate education committee detailing the number of advanced practice registered nurses applying for and awarded grants, including information regarding the number of applicants and grant recipients identified by health resource shortage areas. BREACH OF CONTRACT This bill clarifies that an advanced practice registered nurse who receives a grant and breaches the contract by failing to begin or to complete the obligated services is liable for liquidated damages in an amount equivalent to the amount that would be owed for default and any other penalties as determined and authorized by the department. This bill authorizes the department to retain legal counsel and commence whatever actions necessary to collect loan payments and charges if there is a default or a breach of a contract. The department may waive the liquidated damages provision if it determines that death or permanent physical disability accounted for the failure of the participant to fulfill the contract. The department may prescribe additional conditions for default, cancellation, waiver, or suspension. RETROACTIVE AWARDS This bill prohibits a retroactive award of a grant.