Rep. Norm Thurston — Voting Record

Bill

Number

S.B. 147 (2018GS)

Sponsor

Sen. Millner, A.

Final action

Governor Signed 3/20/2018

Outcome

Became law — signed by Gov. Gary R. Herbert

Summary

What it does

• This bill:
• defines terms;
• requires the Medical Education Council to project the demand for individuals to enter a nursing profession;
• provides a process for the Legislature to provide funding to certain programs that prepare an individual to enter a nursing profession; and
• makes technical and conforming changes.

Every vote on this bill

Bill text

NURSING INITIATIVE
GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Ann Millner
House Sponsor: 
 Robert M. Spendlove
LONG TITLE
General Description:
This bill provides a process to provide funding to meet the projected demand for
individuals to enter a nursing profession.
Highlighted Provisions:
This bill:
▸ defines terms;
▸ requires the Medical Education Council to project the demand for individuals to
enter a nursing profession;
▸ provides a process for the Legislature to provide funding to certain programs that
prepare an individual to enter a nursing profession; and
▸ makes technical and conforming changes.
Money Appropriated in this Bill:
None
Other Special Clauses:
None
Utah Code Sections Affected:
AMENDS:
53B-24-303
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2015, Chapter 258
ENACTS:
53B-26-201
, Utah Code Annotated 1953
53B-26-202
, Utah Code Annotated 1953
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1. Section 
53B-24-303
 is amended to read:
53B-24-303.
Duties of council.
The council shall:
(1) submit an application in accordance with federal law for a demonstration project to
the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services before December 31, 1997, for the purpose of
receiving and disbursing federal funds for direct and indirect graduate medical education
expenses;
(2) seek private and public contributions for the program;
(3) study and recommend options for financing graduate medical education to the
[
State Board of Regents
] 
board
 and the Legislature;
(4) advise the [
State Board of Regents
] 
board
 and the Legislature on the status and
needs of health care professionals in training;
(5) determine the method for reimbursing institutions that sponsor health care
professionals in training;
(6) determine the number and type of positions for health care professionals in training
for which program money may be used; [
and
]
(7) distribute program money for graduate medical education in a manner that:
(a) prepares postgraduate medical residents, as defined by the accreditation council on
graduate medical education, for inpatient, outpatient, hospital, community, and geographically
diverse settings;
(b) encourages the coordination of interdisciplinary clinical training among health care
professionals in training;
(c) promotes stable funding for the clinical training of health care professionals in
training; and
(d) only funds accredited clinical training programs[
.
]
; and
(8) project the demand for individuals to enter a nursing profession as described in
Section 
53B-26-202
.
Section 2. Section 
53B-26-201
 is enacted to read:
Part 2. Nursing Initiative
 53B-26-201.
Definitions.
As used in this part:
(1) "Eligible program" means a program that:
(a) prepares an individual for a nursing profession;
(b) is an approved education program, as defined in Section 
58-31b-102
; and
(c) is offered by an institution.
(2) "Full-time" means:
(a) for an institution described in Subsection 
53B-1-102
(1)(a), the number of credit
hours the board determines is full-time enrollment for a student; or
(b) for an institution described in Subsection 
53B-1-102
(1)(b), 900 membership hours.
(3) "Institution" means an institution of higher education described in Section
53B-1-102
.
(4) "License classification" means a classification applied to a nursing license
described in Section 
58-31b-301
.
(5) "Nursing profession" means a profession for which an individual is required to be
licensed under Title 58, Chapter 31, Nurse Practice Act.
(6) "Region" means an economic service area described in Section 
35A-2-101
.
(7) "Program of instruction" means the same as that term is defined in Section
53B-16-102
.
Section 3. Section 
53B-26-202
 is enacted to read:
 53B-26-202.
Medical Education Council reporting requirement -- Proposals --
Funding.
(1) Every even-numbered year, the Medical Education Council created in Section
53B-24-302
 shall:
(a) project the demand, by license classification, for individuals to enter a nursing
profession in each region;
(b) receive input from at least one medical association in developing the projections
described in Subsection (1)(a); and
(c) report the projections described in Subsection (1)(a) to:
(i) the State Board of Regents;
(ii) the Utah System of Technical Colleges Board of Trustees; and
(iii) the Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee.
(2) To receive funding under this section, on or before January 5, an eligible program
shall submit to the Legislature, through the budget process for the State Board of Regents or
the Utah System of Technical Colleges, as applicable, a proposal that describes:
(a) a program of instruction offered by the eligible program that is responsive to a
projection described in Subsection (1)(a);
(b) the following information about the eligible program:
(i) expected student enrollment;
(ii) attainment rates;
(iii) job placement rates; and
(iv) passage rates for exams required for licensure for a nursing profession;
(c) the instructional cost per full-time equivalent student enrolled in the eligible
program;
(d) financial or in-kind contributions to the eligible program from:
(i) the health care industry; or
(ii) an institution; and
(e) a funding request, including justification for the request.
(3) The Legislature shall:
(a) review a proposal submitted under this section using the following criteria:
(i) the proposal:
(A) contains the elements described in Subsection (2);
(B) expands the capacity to meet the projected demand described in Subsection (1)(a);
and
(C) has health care industry or institution support; and
(ii) the program of instruction described in the proposal:
(A) is cost effective;
(B) has support from the health care industry or an institution; and
(C) has high passage rates on exams required for licensure for a nursing profession;
(b) determine the extent to which to fund the proposal; and
(c) appropriate the amount of money determined under Subsection (3)(b) to the eligible
program's institution.
(4) An institution that receives funding under this section shall use the funding to
increase the number of students enrolled in the eligible program for which the institution
receives funding.
Legislative Review Note
Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel