Bill Text: AZ HB2629 | 2021 | Fifty-fifth Legislature 1st Regular | Introduced
Bill Title: Arizona nurses academy
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-02-02 - House read second time [HB2629 Detail]
Download: Arizona-2021-HB2629-Introduced.html
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REFERENCE TITLE: Arizona nurses academy |
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State of Arizona House of Representatives Fifty-fifth Legislature First Regular Session 2021
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HB 2629 |
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Introduced by Representative Shah
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AN ACT
amending Title 15, chapter 13, article 9, Arizona Revised Statutes, by adding section 15-1752; relating to postsecondary institutions.
(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:
Section 1. Heading change
The article heading of title 15, chapter 13, article 9, Arizona Revised Statutes, is changed from "Medical programs" to "Health professional programs".
Sec. 2. Title 15, chapter 13, article 9, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended by adding section 15-1752, to read:
15-1752. Arizona nurses academy; tuition and fees scholarships; fund; annual report; definitions
A. Eligible postsecondary institutions shall implement an Arizona nurses academy to provide incentives for students to enter the nursing profession and to commit to practice in this state in a hospital, community health center, skilled nursing facility or public school that is located in a county with a population of less than five hundred thousand persons or on an Indian reservation or for a home health agency under contract with the division of developmental disabilities in the department of economic security. The Arizona board of regents, in consultation with eligible postsecondary institutions, shall develop and implement centralized administrative processes for the academy, including:
1. A marketing and promotion plan to recruit students.
2. Data collection and reporting.
3. Tracking postgraduation service requirements.
4. Distributing monies in the Arizona nurses academy fund between eligible postsecondary institutions.
5. Collecting reimbursement from individuals who fail to meet service obligations.
B. The Arizona nurses academy may include new or existing nursing programs that are patient-focused and that employ proven, research-based models of best practices that are already being implemented. Each eligible postsecondary institution may develop a portfolio of nursing programs to offer as part of the academy. Programs offered as part of the academy shall include accelerated models for critical need areas, including hospitals, community health centers, skilled nursing facilities and public schools located in rural communities and on Indian reservations.
C. Each eligible postsecondary institution shall develop formalized partnerships in this state to build commitments for nurse employment on a student's completion of the Arizona nurses academy. The targeted deployment of nurses who have completed the academy shall be based on the needs of each system and the community that is being served as well as the individual skills of each nurse.
D. Each eligible postsecondary institution shall provide to each full-time student who is enrolled in the Arizona nurses academy an annual scholarship of $5,000 per year for a maximum of four academic years or eight semesters for undergraduate university students, or $3,000 per year for a maximum of two academic years or four semesters for community college students, for tuition and fees associated with the student's program of study, after all other financial gifts, aid or grants received by that student. Scholarships under this subsection are subject to all of the following:
1. If the student does not successfully complete the academic year in good academic standing, the student shall reimburse the Arizona board of regents for the total amount of the scholarship for tuition and fees the student received for that year.
2. For each academic year that the student successfully completes and for which the student receives a scholarship for all tuition and fees, the student must agree to practice as a nurse for one full calendar year pursuant to subsection A of this section.
3. If the scholarship does not cover remaining tuition and fee costs after other aid received, the eligible postsecondary institution may not charge students the remaining difference. If the scholarship amount exceeds tuition and fee costs at an eligible postsecondary institution, the institution may use the remaining amount to support Arizona nurses academy costs.
4. If the student does not fulfill the student's obligation to practice as a nurse pursuant to subsection A of this section, the student must reimburse the Arizona board of regents for the proportional amount of the scholarship for tuition and fees that the student received that corresponds to the number of years the student agreed to practice as a nurse pursuant to subsection A of this section but did not practice as a nurse in this state.
5. If the student is physically or mentally unable to fulfill the requirements of the Arizona nurses academy, the Arizona board of regents shall establish a process to assess the student's ability to repay the amount of the scholarship the student received and shall determine any terms of repayment.
6. The Arizona board of regents shall establish a process to defer a student's service or repayment based on factors adopted by the board.
E. The Arizona nurses academy fund is established consisting of legislative appropriations made for the purpose of administering the Arizona nurses academy. Monies in the fund are continuously appropriated and are exempt from the provisions of section 35-190 relating to lapsing of appropriations. The Arizona board of regents shall administer the fund and shall establish criteria for distributing monies in the fund to eligible postsecondary institutions each fiscal year to fund the costs of the academy. Monies in the fund may be used only for:
1. Reimbursing Arizona nurses academy scholarships that cover the balance of tuition and fees for students enrolled in the Arizona nurses academy after all other gifts, aid and grants received.
2. Implementing a marketing and promotion plan to recruit and retain students in the Arizona nurses academy and administering the Arizona nurses academy. Annual expenditures for marketing, promoting and administering the Arizona nurses academy may not exceed three percent of the monies in the fund each fiscal year.
F. Eligible postsecondary institutions may use monies remaining in the Arizona nurses academy fund at the end of each fiscal year for Arizona nurses academy costs in the next fiscal year.
G. On or before August 1 of each fiscal year, the state general fund appropriation for the Arizona nurses academy for the current fiscal year shall be reduced by the amount of monies remaining in the Arizona nurses academy fund at the end of the prior fiscal year.
H. On or before March 1, 2022 and each year thereafter, the Arizona board of regents shall report to the joint legislative budget committee and the governor's office of strategic planning and budgeting on both of the following:
1. The total number of students enrolled in the Arizona nurses academy by eligible postsecondary institution in the current academic year.
2. The estimated amount of monies committed from the Arizona nurses academy fund in the current fiscal year.
I. On or before September 1, 2022 and each year thereafter, the Arizona board of regents shall report to the governor, the president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives, and shall submit a copy to the secretary of state, on all of the following:
1. The total number of students who are enrolled in the Arizona nurses academy at each eligible postsecondary institution by year of college enrollment.
2. The percentage of students who completed each year of the Arizona nurses academy and who plan to continue to the subsequent year, delineated by each nursing program offered by each eligible postsecondary institution as part of the academy.
3. The number of nurses who completed a program of study through the Arizona nurses academy by each eligible postsecondary institution.
4. The number of nurses who are currently practicing in this state as part of an agreement for receiving an Arizona nurses academy scholarship.
5. The number of students who defaulted on their academic or service obligation and who are in repayment agreements.
6. The number of students who have deferred repayment agreements.
7. The number of students who completed their repayment agreements.
8. The methodology for distributing any monies appropriated for the Arizona nurses academy to each eligible postsecondary institution and the amounts distributed to each.
9. The amount of unused monies in the Arizona nurses academy fund from the prior fiscal year.
J. For the purposes of this section:
1. "Eligible postsecondary institutions" means universities under the jurisdiction of the Arizona board of regents and community colleges in this state that offer nursing programs and that have entered into an agreement with the Arizona board of regents relative to their programs.
2. "Tuition and fees" means tuition, mandatory fees and program fees that are associated with a program in the Arizona nurses academy leading to a nursing degree and that are charged by an eligible postsecondary institution.
