SECTION 1. Chapter 118E of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2014 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following new section:-

Section 78. The division shall establish a community health center nurse practitioner residency program for the purposes of establishing training programs for newly certified nurse practitioners who elect to practice in a community health center setting, and promoting access to primary care through community health centers.

Community health center nurse practitioner residency programs shall:

(i) Provide a 12 month post-graduate residency program, administered by community health centers as defined under section 8A of this chapter, for certified nurse practitioners who have graduated from an accredited nursing school within the past three years;

(ii) Provide certified nurse practitioner residents with patient panels under the supervision and mentorship of a physician or advance practice nurse at a community health center, and;

(iii) Encourage certified nurse practitioners to continue careers in primary care or family medicine fields at community health centers.

Nothing in this section shall be interpreted to conflict with, replace, or supersede any licensure requirements or standards for the advanced nursing practice established pursuant to chapters 94C or 112.

SECTION 2. The division may make expenditures towards this program through the “investments in primary care residency training” category as described in the MassHealth 1115 Demonstration proposal filed in June 2015 and further, shall seek federal Medicaid reimbursement for this program as graduate medical education.

SECTION 3. The division shall promulgate regulations to implement said program, including program details and grant guidelines as necessary, no later than six months after the passage of this act.