West Virginia HB 5175: Eliminate funding for the Center for Nursing and transfer its duties and authorities to the Higher Education Policy Commission.

Bill Text

WEST virginia legislature

2024 regular session

Introduced

House Bill 5175

By Delegates Ellington, Tully, Summers, Statler, Toney, Hornby, Lucas, and Longanacre

[Introduced January 25, 2024; Referred to the Committee on Health and Human Resources then Education]

A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended by adding thereto a new section, designated §18B-16-6; to amend and reenact §18C-3-4 of said code; to repeal §30-7A-7a of said code; and to repeal §30-7B-1, §30-7B-2, §30-7B-3, §30-7B-4, §30-7B-5, §30-7B-6, and §30-7B-7 of said code, all relating to abolishing the center for nursing; repealing the supplemental licensure fee for licensed practical nurses, which funds the center for nursing; moving the functions of the center for nursing to the Higher Education Policy Commission; and clarifying that licensed nurses in a bridge program are eligible for the nursing scholarship from the beginning of their program.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

CHAPTER 18B. HIGHER EDUCATION.

ARTICLE 16. HEALTH CARE EDUCATION.

§18B-16-6. Nursing Education and Workforce Development Programs.

(a) There is hereby created within the commission an office of nursing education and workforce development for the purpose of addressing the issues of education, recruitment, and retention of nurses in West Virginia.  The commission is the state’s designated nursing workforce center.

(b) The duties of the office shall include, but are not limited to:

(1) Promoting and coordinating, through the schools of nursing in the state’s institutions of higher education, opportunities for nurses prepared at the certificate, associate degree, and bachelor degree levels to obtain higher degrees;  

(2) Supporting initiatives for expansion of nursing programs;

(3) Administering the nursing scholarship program designed to benefit nurses who practice or teach in state nursing programs as provided in §18C-3-4 of this code;

(4) Gathering, quantifying, and disseminating dependable data on current nursing educational programs and workforce capacities; and

(5) Performing other activities necessary or expedient to accomplish the purposes and implement the provisions of this section and §18C-3-4 of this code.

CHAPTER 18C. STUDENT LOANS; SCHOLARSHIPS AND STATE AID

ARTICLE 3. HEALTH PROFESSIONALS STUDENT LOAN PROGRAMS.

§18C-3-4. Nursing Scholarship Program; Center for Nursing Scholarship and Workforce Fund; administration, scholarship awards; service requirements.

(a) There is continued in the State Treasury a special revenue revolving fund account known as the "Center for Nursing Scholarship and Workforce Fund" to be administered by the commission to implement the provisions of this section and article seven-b, chapter thirty of this code §18B-16-6 of this code. Any moneys in the account on the effective date of this section are transferred to continued under the commission’s administrative authority. Balances remaining in the fund at the end of the fiscal year do not expire or revert to the general revenue. All costs associated with the administration of this section and article seven-b, chapter thirty §18B-16-6 of this code shall be paid from the Center for Nursing Scholarship and Workforce Fund under the direction of the Vice chancellor for Administration or his or her designee. Administrative costs are to be minimized and the maximum amount feasible is to be used to fund awards for students in nursing programs.

(b) The account is funded from the following sources:

(1) A supplemental licensure fee, not to exceed $10 per year, to be paid by all nurses licensed by the Board of Examiners for Registered Professional Nurses, pursuant to section eight-a, article seven, chapter thirty of this code, and the Board of Examiners for Licensed Practical Nurses, pursuant to section seven-a, article seven-a, chapter thirty of this code All moneys currently on deposit in the account or which are due or become due for deposit into the account as obligations made under the previous enactment of this section; 

(2) Repayments, including interest as set by the Vice Chancellor for Administration chancellor or his or her designee, collected from recipients who fail to practice or teach in West Virginia under the terms of the scholarship agreement; and

(3) Any other funds from any source as may be added to the account Appropriation provided by the Legislature;

(4) Amounts provided by nursing or medical associations, hospitals, or other nursing or medical provider organizations in this state, or by a political subdivision of the state under an agreement that requires the recipient to practice nursing in this state or in the political subdivision providing the funds for a predetermined period of time and in such capacity as set forth in the agreement; and   

(5) Any other funds from any source as may be added to the account.

(c) In consultation with the Board of Directors of the West Virginia Center for Nursing, established pur