Health care practitioners: student loans.

Existing law authorizes a board, defined as a licensing board or agency having jurisdiction over a licensee, as specified, to cite and fine a licensed health care practitioner who is in default on a United States Department of Health and Human Services education loan, including a Health Education Assistance Loan. Existing law authorizes the board to deny a license to an applicant to become a health care practitioner or deny renewal of a license if he or she is in default on a loan until the default is cleared or until the applicant or licensee makes satisfactory repayment arrangements. Existing law requires a board, prior to taking these actions, to take into consideration the population served by the health care practitioner and his or her economic status. Existing law requires that each board that issues citations and imposes fines retain the money from these fines for deposit into its appropriate fund. This bill would repeal these provisions.