GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
1989 SESSION

CHAPTER 794
SENATE BILL 244

AN ACT TO ALLOCATE FUNDS FOR NURSING EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROGRAMS.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

Section 1. Funds appropriated in Section 3 of Senate Bill 44, 1989 Session, AN ACT TO MAKE EXPANSION BUDGET APPROPRIATIONS FOR CURRENT OPERATIONS OF STATE DEPARTMENTS, INSTITUTIONS, AND AGENCIES, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES, to the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina in a Reserve for the Enhancement of Nursing Programs shall be allocated as provided in this act. 
Sec. 2.  Recruitment. (a)  There is allocated from the Reserve to the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina the sum of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) for the 1989-90 fiscal year, and the sum of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) for the 1990-91 fiscal year, for the Area Health Education Centers for use in developing more varied clinical training sites for nursing students.  These funds shall be allocated among the schools of nursing within the community colleges and the constituent institutions of The University of North Carolina.
(b)	There is allocated from the Reserve to the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina the sum of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) for the 1989-90 fiscal year, and the sum of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) for the 1990-91 fiscal year, for the Area Health Education Centers to provide information and training programs which help retain new nursing graduates for employers of nurses.
(c)	There is allocated from the Reserve to the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina the sum of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) for the 1989-90 fiscal year, and the sum of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) for the 1990-91 fiscal year, to provide materials and training about health careers for middle-school career exploration teachers.
(d)	There is allocated from the Reserve to the Department of Community Colleges the sum of two hundred ten thousand dollars ($210,000) for the 1989-90 fiscal year, and the sum of four hundred ten thousand dollars ($410,000) for the 1990-91 fiscal year.  All of these funds shall be used to enhance formula funding to the nursing programs and shall be allocated to those institutions with nursing programs. All institutions receiving this funding shall, at a minimum, fund their nursing programs at this enhanced level.  Any increases in regular curriculum per student funding shall also provide proportional increases in nursing programs.
(e)	There is allocated from the Reserve to the North Carolina Foundation for Nursing, Inc., the sum of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) for the 1989-90 fiscal year, and the sum of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) for the 1990-91 fiscal year, to be used for covering the costs of promoting nursing as a profession.  These funds may not become a part of the continuation budget.
(f)	There is allocated from the Reserve to the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina, the sum of seventy-five thousand dollars ($75,000) for the 1989-90 fiscal year, to be used for awarding competitive grants to the schools of nursing of The University of North Carolina and of the community colleges for innovative efforts to recruit various groups of students into the nursing schools. The Board of Governors shall create an advisory group composed of the Deans of the schools of nursing from The University of North Carolina and the community college system, selected administrators and officers of The University of North Carolina and the community college system, and representatives of the nursing profession.  The advisory group shall set criteria for grant awards and shall make recommendations for the selection of grant recipients based on grant applications received.  Each grant recipient shall submit an evaluation of its efforts to the Legislative Commission on Nursing, the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina, and the Department of Community Colleges.
(g)	There is allocated from the Reserve to The University of North Carolina Board of Governors, the sum of seventy-five thousand dollars ($75,000) for the 1989-90 fiscal year, and the sum of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) for the 1990-91 fiscal year, to be used to continue and to expand its pilot efforts in nursing recruitment through the Area Health Education Centers Program.
(h)	There is allocated from the Reserve to the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina the sum of seventy-five thousand dollars ($75,000) for the 1989-90 fiscal year, and the sum of seventy-five thousand dollars ($75,000) for the 1990-91 fiscal year, for the Area Health Education Centers Program for the purpose of increasing the availability of refresher courses for nurses.  The Area Health Education Centers Program may use the funds as incentives to nursing schools which provide courses to nurses who are subsequently relicensed by the North Carolina Board of Nursing or who reenter the practice of nursing.
Sec. 2.1.  Retention.  (a)  There is allocated from the Reserve to the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina the sum of seventy-five thousand dollars ($75,000) for the 1989-90 fiscal year, and the sum of seventy-five thousand dollars ($75,000) for the 1990-91 fiscal year, to be used for the awarding of competitive grants to employers of nurses for developing innovative pilot efforts to retain nurses in patient care. The Board of Governors shall create an advisory group composed of representatives of the following: the North Carolina Hospital Association, the North Carolina Health Care Facilities Association, the North Carolina Association for Home Care, private industry, and the nursing profession. The advisory group shall set criteria for the solicitation of grant proposals and for the award of grant funds, and shall make recommendations for the selection of grant recipients based on grant applications received. All grants shall require that an evaluation of each grant recipient's efforts be conducted and submitted to the Legislative Commission on Nursing within three years of receipt of grant funds, and that the results of the evaluation be made available for publication.  Funds which are unspent at the end of the fiscal year may not revert to the General Fund but shall remain available for the purposes stated herein.
(b)	There is allocated from the Reserve to the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina the sum of one hundred fifty thousand dollars ($150,000) for the 1989-90 fiscal year, and the sum of one hundred fifty thousand dollars ($150,000) for the 1990-91 fiscal year, to be used to continue and to expand pilot efforts to retain nurses in the nursing profession through the Area Health Education Centers Program.
(c)	There is allocated from the Reserve to the Legislative Commission on Nursing the sum of seventy-five thousand dollars ($75,000) for the 1989-90 fiscal year, to be used to plan for a Center for Excellence in Nursing.  The Legislative Commission on Nursing may contract with other groups for this planning effort.  In contracting with other groups for the planning effort, the Legislative Commission on Nursing shall comply with the provisions of G.S. 120-32.02.
(d)	There is allocated from the Reserve to the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina the sum of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) for the 1989-90 fiscal year, for the Area Health Education Centers Program to conduct two pilot institute programs for nurses involved in direct patient care.  The Director of the Area Health Education Centers Program shall provide an evaluation of the pilot institutes to the Legislative Commission on Nursing not later than May 1, 1990.  The evaluation shall include the institutes' effect on retaining nurses in the nursing profession.
Sec. 3.  Education.  (a)  There is allocated from the Reserve to the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina the sum of one hundred fifty thousand dollars ($150,000) for the 1989-90 fiscal year, and the sum of one hundred seventy-five thousand dollars ($175,000) for the 1990-91 fiscal year, for the Area Health Education Centers Program to use for targeting recruitment efforts for nursing schools, for improvement of on-campus nursing programs for working registered nurses, and for the expansion of off-campus nursing degree programs.  The Area Health Education Centers Program shall report on the use of these funds to the General Assembly and the Legislative Commission on Nursing not later than March 1, 1990.
(b)	There is allocated from the Reserve to the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina the sum of eighty-five thousand dollars ($85,000) for the 1989-90 fiscal year, and the sum of eighty-five thousand dollars ($85,000) for the 1990-91 fiscal year, to be used for funding need-based scholarship loans for nursing students.  Of the funds appropriated to the Board of Governors, eighteen thousand dollars ($18,000) shall be allocated for each fiscal year to the State Education Assistance Authority for allocation to private colleges in North Carolina which have nursing programs. Funds already appropriated to the Board of Governors for allocation to constituent institutions with nursing programs for emergency financial assistance to nursing students, shall be reallocated for need-based scholarship loans for nursing students.  These funds shall be administered in accordance with Article 9D of Chapter 90 of the General Statutes.
(c)	There is allocated from the Reserve to the State Board of Community Colleges the sum of two hundred sixty-five thousand dollars ($265,000) for the 1989-90 fiscal year, and the sum of two hundred sixty-five thousand dollars ($265,000) for the 1990-91 fiscal year, to be used for funding need-based scholarship loans for nursing students. The four hundred ten thousand dollars ($410,000) already appropriated to the State Board of Community Colleges for allocation to the Department of Community Colleges for emergency financial assistance to nursing students shall be reallocated for need-based scholarship loans for nursing students.  These funds shall be administered in accordance with the provisions of Article 9D of Chapter 90 of the General Statutes.
Sec. 4.  Salary.  (a)  There is allocated from the Reserve to the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina the sum of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) for the 1989-90 fiscal year, and the sum of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) for the 1990-91 fiscal year, to be used for funding demonstration grants for employers of nurses. The demonstration grants shall be competitive and shall be designed to experiment with salary programs for nurses within professional practice models.  These funds may not be used to pay nursing salaries.  The Board of Governors shall create an advisory group composed of representatives of the following: the North Carolina Hospital Association, the North Carolina Health Care Facilities Association, the North Carolina Association for Home Care, private industry, and the nursing profession.  The advisory group shall set criteria for grant awards, and shall make recommendations for the selection of grant recipients based on grant applications received. Grant criteria shall include the requirement that there be an evaluation and reporting of the results of the grant project to the Legislative Commission on Nursing, the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina, the North Carolina Hospital Association, and the North Carolina Health Care Facilities Association.
(b)	There is allocated from the Reserve to the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina the sum of thirty thousand dollars ($30,000) for the 1989-90 fiscal year, and the sum of thirty thousand dollars ($30,000) for the 1990-91 fiscal year, to be used to fund demonstration grants for employers of nurses.  The grants shall be competitive and shall be designed to stimulate innovative approaches to providing child care and flexible fringe benefit plans for nurses.  These funds may not be used to pay nursing salaries.  The Board of Governors shall create an advisory group composed of representatives of the following: the North Carolina Hospital Association, the North Carolina Health Care Facilities Association, the North Carolina Association for Home Care, private industry, and the nursing profession. The advisory group shall set criteria for the award of grants and shall make recommendations for the selection of grant recipients based on grant applications received. Grant criteria shall include the requirement that there be an evaluation and reporting of the results of the grant project to the Legislative Commission on Nursing, the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina, the North Carolina Hospital Association, and the North Carolina Health Care Facilities Association.
(c)	There is allocated from the Reserve to the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina the sum of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) for the 1989-90 fiscal year, to be used to provide competitive demonstration grants to health care facilities for the improvement of nursing support services and productivity efforts, which may include computerization efforts.  The Board of Governors shall create an advisory group, the membership of which shall include representatives of the following: the North Carolina Hospital Association, the North Carolina Health Facilities Association, the North Carolina Association for Home Care, private industry, and the nursing profession. The advisory group shall set criteria for the award of grants, including the potential for the proposed project's replication at other facilities, and shall make recommendations for the selection of grant recipients based on grant applications received.  Awards criteria shall include the requirement that an evaluation report on the results of the project be conducted and submitted to the Legislative Commission on Nursing, the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina, and other entities designated by the Board of Governors.  Funds which are unspent at the end of each fiscal year may not revert to the General Fund but shall remain available for the purposes designated herein.
(d)	There is allocated from the Reserve to the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina the sum of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) for the 1989-90 fiscal year to be used for incentive planning grants for the development of integrated pay, career advancement, and education plans for nurses. The Board of Governors shall create an advisory group composed of representatives of the following: the North Carolina Hospital Association, the North Carolina Health Care Facilities Association, the North Carolina Association for Home Care, private industry, and the nursing profession. The advisory group shall set criteria for grant awards and shall make recommendations for the selection of grant recipients based on grant applications received.  Grant awards shall be designed to stimulate plans which are applicable to various types and sizes of health care institutions, and shall require that evaluations of the project be conducted and reported to the Legislative Commission on Nursing and other entities designated by the Board of Governors.
Sec. 5. (a)  There is allocated from the Reserve to the General Assembly the sum of seventy-five thousand dollars ($75,000) for the 1989-90 fiscal year to be used for the operations of the Legislative Commission on Nursing.
(b)	There is allocated from the Reserve to the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina the sum of one million five hundred fifty thousand dollars ($1,550,000) for the 1990-91 fiscal year to provide scholarships under the Nursing Scholars Program established in G.S. 90-171.61 and administered by the State Educational Assistance Authority.
(c)	There is allocated from the Reserve to the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina the sum of seventy-five thousand dollars ($75,000) for the 1989-90 fiscal year, and the sum of seventy-five thousand dollars ($75,000) for the 1990-91 fiscal year, to be used to enable the State Education Assistance Authority to provide staff and administrative support in carrying out the provisions of Article 9C of Chapter 90 of the General Statutes.
Sec. 6. This act shall become effective July 1, 1989.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 12th day of August, 1989.