Committee hears bill to create tax credit for unpaid health‑care preceptors

Representative Kaye Walsh introduced House Bill 163 to the House Taxation Committee, proposing an income tax credit for unpaid health‑care preceptors who supervise eligible students in Montana health‑care training programs. The bill would award $1,000 per 100 hours of supervised clinical time, up to $5,000 per preceptor per year, and is written as a nonrefundable individual income tax credit, sponsor Walsh said.

Supporters told the committee the state faces a severe shortage of preceptors needed to give students required clinical experience, and that out‑of‑state programs sometimes pay Montana preceptors and draw those clinical placements away. "Clinical learning experiences have become a precious natural resource, particularly in rural states," said Representative Walsh. Dean of Nursing Sarah Shannon of Montana State University said preceptors enable students to learn diagnosis and patient care in real settings and described clinical placements as scarce: "Rather than giving this resource away to out‑of‑state programs and the highest bidder, Montana needs to step forward to preserve its…