A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT authorizing the north carolina board of nursing to issue a volunteer license to an active or retired nurse who wishes to donate nursing services through a charitable organization.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  Article 9A of Chapter 90 of the General Statutes is amended by adding the following new section to read:
"§ 90‑171.36B.  Volunteer license.
(a)	The Board may issue a volunteer license to practice nursing to an active or retired nurse who wishes to donate nursing services through a charitable organization approved by the Board, if the following criteria are met:
(1)	The active or retired nurse properly submits an application to the Board on a form provided by the Board.
(2)	The active or retired nurse's application demonstrates that the active or retired nurse has completed no less than 25 hours of initial training with the charitable organization.
(3)	The nurse has been active for 10 years before applying for a volunteer license or has been on the official inactive status list for no more than 10 years.
(b)	If the Board issues a volunteer license to practice nursing to an active or retired nurse, the volunteer license authorizes the active or retired nurse to provide nursing services to others without remuneration of any kind through one specifically identified charitable organization only. A volunteer license is not transferable. A separate application must be filed and a separate license issued by the Board for each charitable organization to which the active or retired nurse wishes to donate nursing services.
(c)	A volunteer license may be renewed annually upon application to the Board and satisfactory demonstration to the Board that the nurse has completed no less than 50 hours of service and no less than 25 hours of additional training as mandated by the same charitable organization for which the initial volunteer license was issued during the year preceding the application for renewal.
(d)	A volunteer license may be renewed annually for an indefinite number of years if the license has been renewed without interruption with the same charitable organization for which the initial license was issued and the nurse meets all other qualifications for license renewal as required by the Board.
(e)	The Board may adopt any additional rules as necessary to carry out the provisions of this section."
SECTION 2.  This act is effective when it becomes law.