GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1997

H	2 

HOUSE BILL 1620*
Corrected Copy 6/2/98

Short Title:  School Nurse Funds.	(Public)

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Sponsors: Representatives Watson; Alexander, Earle, Jarrell, Jeffus, Mosley, and Sexton.

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Referred to:  Appropriations.

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May 28, 1998

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO APPROPRIATE FUNDS FOR SCHOOL NURSES.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1. (a) There is appropriated from the General Fund to State Aid to Local School Administrative Units the sum of nine million dollars ($9,000,000) for the 1998-99 fiscal year for school nurses.  The State Board of Education shall allocate half of these funds on the basis of one position for each 1,000 students in a local school administrative unit, with a minimum of one position per county.  The State Board of Education shall allocate the remaining half of these funds through a system of competitive grants using a fifty percent (50%) to fifty percent (50%) match with local monies.  These competitive grant applications shall be reviewed jointly by the Department of Public Instruction and the Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Women's and Children's Health.
(b)	The State Board of Education shall make these funds available to the local school administrative unit only after the unit has developed a plan for the use of the funds in collaboration with local health department and local health care providers.
(c)	Local school administrative units may use these funds to contract with local health departments or other public or private providers for school nursing services.
(d)	All school nurses employed under this act must hold school nurse certification by the American Nurses Credentialing Center of the National Association of School Nurses.
(e)  In addition, those school nurses employed by the local school districts and holding certification shall be treated in all legal respects as other noninstructional certified personnel under the Department of Public Instruction.
(f)  The State Board of Education shall not grant a waiver for the use of these funds pursuant to G.S. 115C-105.26(a).
Section 2.  This act becomes effective July 1, 1998.