The bill proposes the establishment of the Medical Primary Care Scholarship Program in Rhode Island to address the shortage of primary care healthcare providers. It aims to support medical students, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants who wish to work in primary care in the state. The program will be administered by the commissioner of postsecondary education in consultation with the director of the department of health. The bill includes new legal language that details the establishment, administration, and eligibility criteria for the scholarship program, offering up to five new scholarships per academic year for each category of medical professionals. The bill does not mention any deletions from current law.

Under the program, scholarships will be awarded for four years to medical students and for two years to nurse practitioners and physician assistants, with a maximum award of $70,000 and $47,000 per academic year, respectively. Recipients are required to sign a contract to work in Rhode Island providing primary care services after their education and licensing, with the scholarship being forgiven incrementally over eight years of service. Failure to fulfill the contract will result in the requirement to repay the scholarship with interest. The bill appropriates $3,580,000 for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2024, and includes provisions for audits, annual reports, and the severability of the program's provisions. The act will take effect on July 1, 2024.