Bill Text: NJ A1859 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires Higher Education Student Assistance Authority to develop pathway to nursing scholarship for health care workers who want to become nurses; appropriates $1 million.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-09 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Higher Education Committee [A1859 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-A1859-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman HERB CONAWAY, JR.
District 7 (Burlington)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblyman Danielsen
SYNOPSIS
Requires Higher Education Student Assistance Authority to develop pathway to nursing scholarship for health care workers who want to become nurses; appropriates $1 million.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act establishing a nursing scholarship for certain undergraduate students and supplementing chapter 71B of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Pathway to Nursing Scholarship Program Act."
2. As used in this act:
"Approved course of study" means an undergraduate program leading to an associate's degree or bachelor's degree offered by a public or independent institution of higher education, or a certificate of accreditation issued by the New Jersey Board of Nursing.
"Authority" means the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority established pursuant to N.J.S.18A:71A-3.
"Program" means the Pathway to Nursing Scholarship Program established pursuant to section 3 of this act.
"School of professional nursing" means a school in New Jersey offering a program of nursing instruction not exceeding four years beyond high school, which is affiliated with a hospital and holds a certificate of accreditation issued by the New Jersey Board of Nursing.
3. The authority, in consultation with the New Jersey Board of Nursing, shall develop a pathway to nursing scholarship program. The purpose of the scholarship program is to address the current and projected critical shortage of nurses in the State by providing an incentive for persons who currently work in the field of healthcare to enter an approved course of study in a nursing education program to ensure that sufficient numbers of trained nursing staff are available to provide quality health care services to the residents of this State.
4. To be eligible to participate in the scholarship program, an applicant shall:
a. be a resident of the State and maintain domicile in the State during participation in the program;
b. currently work in, or have previously worked in, the healthcare industry;
c. be enrolled in an approved course of study concerning nursing instruction at an institution of higher education or at a school of professional nursing; and
d. submit a written
statement to the authority detailing the applicant's ongoing commitment to
working as a nurse upon completion of an approved course of study concerning
nursing instruction at an institution of higher education or at a school of
professional nursing.
5. a. An individual who wishes to participate in the scholarship program established pursuant to section 3 of this act shall submit an application to the authority in a manner and on such forms as determined by the authority.
b. Under the program, the authority shall award 100 scholarships in the amount of $10,000 each to qualified recipients enrolled in an approved course of study concerning nursing instruction at an institution of higher education or at a school of professional nursing.
c. Each scholarship awarded under this act shall be contingent upon the recipient remaining in good standing at the institution or school of professional nursing.
6. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the authority the sum of $1,000,000 to effectuate the purposes of this act.
7. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority (HESAA), in consultation with the New Jersey Board of Nursing, to develop a pathway to nursing scholarship program. The purpose of the scholarship program is to address the current and projected critical shortage of nurses in the State by providing an incentive for persons who currently work in the field of healthcare to enter an approved course of study in a nursing education program to ensure that sufficient numbers of trained nursing staff are available to provide quality health care services to the residents of this State.
Under the bill, HESAA will award 100 scholarships in the amount of $10,000 each to qualified recipients enrolled in an approved course of study in a nursing education program in the State. To be eligible for the scholarship, an applicant must: be a resident of the State and maintain domicile in the State during participation in the program; currently work in, or have previously worked in, the healthcare industry; be enrolled in an approved course of study concerning nursing instruction at an institution of higher education or at a school of professional nursing; and submit a written statement to the authority detailing the applicant's ongoing commitment to working as a nurse upon completion of an approved course of study concerning nursing instruction at an institution of higher education or at a school of professional nursing.
The bill appropriates $1 million from the General Fund to HESAA to effectuate the purposes of this act.
