Mental Health Employee Retention Loan Repayment Program; create and provide funding for.

HB 572 would create a loan repayment program for new mental health employees in Mississippi. Eligible full-time mental health employees (working 30+ hours/week for 12 consecutive months) with qualifying student loans could receive up to $6,000 annually for up to three years of service. The program would be funded by a new excise tax on vapor products, with funds deposited into a dedicated state "Mental Health Employee Retention Loan Repayment Fund." It excludes applicants with defaulted loans or prior participation in state-forgivable loan programs.