GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1991

H	1 

HOUSE BILL 313

Short Title:  Nursing Ed. and Training Funds.	(Public)
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Sponsors: Representatives Nesbitt; Barnes, Barnhill, Beall, Black, Bowie, Bowman, Brown, Buchanan, Church, Colton, N. J. Crawford, Culp, DeVane, Dial, Diamont, Easterling, Esposito, Fitch, Fletcher, Foster, Gardner, Gottovi, Grady, Greenwood, Hardaway, Hensley, Huffman, Judy Hunt, Hurley, James, Jeffus, Jeralds, Jones, Jordan, Kennedy, Kerr, Lilley, Lineberry, Luebke, Lutz, McAllister, McLawhorn, Mercer, Oldham, Payne, Privette, Ramsey, Redwine, Robinson, Rogers, Russell, Smith, Stamey, Stewart, Thompson, Wainwright, Wicker, Wilmoth, Wilson, Wood, and Woodard.
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Referred to:  Appropriations.
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March 25, 1991

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS FOR NURSING EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROGRAMS.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina the sum of $1,472,000 for the 1991-92 fiscal year and the sum of $1,883,000 for the 1992-93 fiscal year for awarding of the second and third year grants for the Nursing Scholars Program, as provided in Article 9C of Chapter 90 of the General Statutes.
Sec. 2.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina the sum of $54,000 for each year of the 1991-93 biennium for administrative costs of the Nursing Scholars Program.
Sec. 3.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina the sum of $150,000 for the 1991-92 fiscal year and the sum of $300,000 for the 1992-93 fiscal year for implementation of masters degree scholarships in the Nursing Scholars Program.
Sec. 4.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Community Colleges the sum of $2,600,000 for fiscal year 1991-92 and the sum of $2,600,000 for the 1992-93 fiscal year for the support of and expansion of enrollment in nursing education programs.  Any increases in regular curriculum per student funding shall also be provided to the nursing programs.
Sec. 5.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina the sum of $100,000 for the 1991-92 fiscal year and the sum of $100,000 for the 1992-93 fiscal year for use by the Area Health Education Centers in expanding off-campus degree programs for registered nurses.  This expansion shall include the provision of masters degree programs for community college nursing faculty if these programs can be provided in a cost-effective manner.
Sec. 6. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Community Colleges the sum of $100,000 for the 1991-92 fiscal year and the sum of $100,000 for the 1992-93 fiscal year for the development of a pilot project to improve  the transferability of community college associate degree nursing graduates into baccalaureate nursing programs.  The Department shall use an existing nursing education program to develop a pilot plan which shall consider such alternatives as the use of a total college transfer curriculum, the use of a semester system, prearranged articulation agreements, curriculum changes, and other options that would enhance the ability of associate degree nursing graduates to pursue a bachelors degree in nursing.  The Department shall report its efforts, findings, and recommendations to the General Assembly by May 1, 1993.
Sec. 7.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the North Carolina Center for Nursing the sum of $341,200 for the 1991-92 fiscal year and the sum of $460,000 for the 1992-93 fiscal year for operating costs of the Center and its activities.  The Center shall report to the General Assembly by April 30, 1993, on the availability of non-State money sufficient to fund one-fourth of the Center's projected budget for the 1993-95 fiscal biennium before additional General Fund appropriations for the Center may be considered.
Sec. 8.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina the sum of $20,000 for the 1991-92 fiscal year and the sum of $20,000 for the 1992-93 fiscal year for use in providing competitive grants to nursing programs of The University of North Carolina to reduce the number of disadvantaged nursing students who fail to complete nursing school.  Funds from the grants may be used to provide tutors, counseling, testing materials or other services to increase the completion rates of disadvantaged students.  The Board of Governors shall report to the General Assembly by April 30, l993, on the effectiveness of these efforts.  These funds shall not become part of the continuation budget.
Sec. 9.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of Community Colleges the sum of $80,000 for the 1991-92 fiscal year and the sum of $80,000 for the 1992-93 fiscal year for use in providing competitive grants to nursing programs of The University of North Carolina to reduce the number of disadvantaged nursing students who fail to complete nursing school.  Funds from the grants may be used to provide tutors, counseling, testing materials, or other services to increase the completion rates of disadvantaged students.  The Department shall report to the General Assembly by April 30, 1993, on the effectiveness of these efforts.  These funds shall not become part of the continuation budget.
Sec. 10.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina the sum of $75,000 for the 1991-92 fiscal year and the sum of $75,000 for the 1992-93 fiscal year to continue the statewide provision of refresher courses for nurses through the Area Health Education Center programs.
Sec. 11.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the North Carolina Center for Nursing the sum of $200,000 for the 1991-92 fiscal year and the sum of $200,000 for the l992-93 fiscal year to provide competitive grants to long-term care facilities for expanded continuing education opportunities for their nursing staff.  These grants shall focus on those activities that would improve retention, recruitment, and skills development for the nursing staff.
Sec. 12.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the North Carolina Center for Nursing the sum of $200,000 for the 1991-92 fiscal year for the purpose of encouraging the use of differentiated practice models that are based on clinical experience and expertise, as a personnel deployment system.  These funds shall be used to provide incentive grants for these pilot projects.  These grants shall be used to cover as many types of practice settings as practical.
Sec. l3.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina the sum of $25,000 for the Area Health Education Centers to provide information to health care employers on differentiating clinical experience and expertise and on using this information in personnel deployment systems for nursing care.
Sec. 14.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the North Carolina Center for Nursing the sum of $125,000 for the 1992-93 fiscal year, to be allocated as follows:
(1)	$50,000 shall be used to fund competitive demonstration grants for employers of nurses designed to experiment with salary programs for nurses within professional practice models.  The funds shall not be used to pay nursing salaries.
(2)	The remaining $75,000 shall be used to provide competitive demonstration grants to health care facilities for the improvement of nursing productivity through the use of information technology.
Grants criteria shall include requirements for evaluation of the results and the reporting of findings to the North Carolina Hospital Association, the North Carolina Health Care Facilities Association, and the Legislative Commission on Nursing.
Sec. 15.  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the General Assembly the sum of $25,000 for the 1991-92 fiscal year to be used for the Operations of the Legislative Commission on Nursing.
Sec. 16.  This act becomes effective July 1, 1991.