WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE
2024 REGULAR SESSION
Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 563
By Senators Grady, Rucker, and Maroney [Originating in the Committee on Education; reported on February 2, 2024]
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1 A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding thereto a new section,
2 designated §18B-16-6; to amend and reenact §18C-3-4 of said code; to repeal §30-7A-7a
3 of said code; and to repeal §30-7B-1, §30-7B-2, §30-7B-3, §30-7B-4, §30-7B-5, §30-7B-6,
4 and §30-7B-7 of said code, all relating to abolishing the Center for Nursing; repealing the
5 supplemental licensure fee for licensed practical nurses, which funds the Center for
6 Nursing; creating within the Higher Education Policy Commission an Office of Nursing
7 Education and Workforce Development; moving the functions of the Center for Nursing to
8 the Office of Nursing Education and Workforce Development; changing name of Center for
9 Nursing Fund to Nursing Scholarship and Workforce Fund; transferring certain fund-
10 related duties from the vice chancellor for administration to the chancellor; modifying
11 funding sources for the fund; and limiting application of the award eligibility requirement
12 that a student in a registered nurse program have completed half of the program to only
13 those students in pre-licensure programs.
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.
1 (a) There is hereby created within the commission an office of nursing education and
2 workforce development for the purpose of addressing the issues of education, recruitment, and
3 retention of nurses in West Virginia. The commission is the state’s designated nursing workforce
4 center.
5 (b) The duties of the office shall include, but are not limited to:
6 (1) Promoting and coordinating, through the schools of nursing in the state’s institutions of
7 higher education, opportunities for nurses prepared at the certificate, associate degree, and
8 bachelor’s degree levels to obtain higher degrees;
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9 (2) Supporting initiatives for expansion of nursing programs;
10 (3) Administering the nursing scholarship program designed to benefit nurses who practice
11 or teach in state nursing programs as provided in §18C-3-4 of this code;
12 (4) Gathering, quantifying, and disseminating dependable data on current nursing
13 educational programs and workforce capacities; and
14 (5) Performing other activities necessary or expedient to accomplish the purposes and
15 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.
1 (a) There is continued in the State Treasury a special revenue revolving fund account
2 known as the "Center for Nursing Scholarship and Workforce Fund" to be administered by the
3 commission to implement the provisions of this section and article seven-b, chapter thirty of this
4 code §18B-16-6 of this code. Any moneys in the account on the effective date of this section are
5 transferred to continued under the commission’s administrative authority. Balances remaining in
6 the fund at the end of the fiscal year do not expire or revert to the general revenue. All costs
7 associated with the administration of this section and article seven-b, chapter thirty §18B-16-6 of
8 this code shall be paid from the Center for Nursing Scholarship and Workforce Fund under the
9 direction of the Vice chancellor for Administration or his or her designee. Administrative costs are
10 to be minimized and the maximum amount feasible is to be used to fund awards for students in
11 nursing programs.
12 (b) The account is funded from the following sources:
13 (1) A supplemental licensure fee, not to exceed $10 per year, to be paid by all nurses
14 licensed by the Board of Examiners for Registered Professional Nurses, pursuant to section eight-
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15 a, article seven, chapter thirty of this code, and the Board of Examiners for Licensed Practical
16 Nurses, pursuant to section seven-a, article seven-a, chapter thirty of this code All moneys
17 currently on deposit in the account or which are due or become due for deposit into the account as
18 obligations made under the previous enactment of this section;
19 (2) Repayments, including interest as set by the Vice Chancellor for Administration
20 chancellor or his or her designee, collected from recipients who fail to practice or teach in West
21 Virginia under the terms of the scholarship agreement; and
22 (3) Any other funds from any source as may be added to the account Appropriation
23 provided by the Legislature;
24 (4) Amounts provided by nursing or medical associations, hospitals, or other nursing or
25 medical provider organizations in this state, or by a political subdivision of the state under an
26 agreement that requires the recipient to practice nursing in this state or in the political subdivision
27 providing the funds for a predetermined time period and in such capacity as set forth in the
28 agreement; and
29 (5) Any other funds from any source as may be added to the account.
30 (c) In consultation with the Board of Directors of the West Virginia Center for Nursing,
31 established pursuant to article seven-b, chapter thirty of this code, the The commission shall
32 administer a scholarship, designated the Nursing Scholarship Program, designed to benefit
33 nurses who practice in hospitals and other health care institutions in West Virginia or teach in state
34 nursing programs.
35 (1) Awards are available for students enrolled in accredited nursing programs in West
36 Virginia. A recipient shall execute an agreement to fulfill a service requirement or repay the
37 amount of any award received.
38 (2) Awards are made as follows, subject to the rule required by this section:
39 (A) An award for any student may not exceed the full cost of education for program
40 completion.
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41 (B) An award of up to $3,000 is available for a student in a licensed practical nurse
42 education program. A recipient is required to practice nursing in West Virginia for one year
43 following program completion.
44 (C) An award of up to $7,500 is available for a student who has completed one-half of a in a
45 registered nurse education program: Provided, That students enrolled in pre-licensure programs
46 must have completed half of the required nursing credits for that program to be eligible for an
47 award. A recipient is required to teach or practice nursing in West Virginia for two years following
48 program completion.
49 (D) An award of up to $15,000 is available to a student in a nursing master’s degree
50 program or a doctoral nursing or education program. A recipient is required to teach in West
51 Virginia for two years following program completion.
52 (E) An award of up to $1,000 per year is available for a student obtaining a licensed
53 practical nurse teaching certificate. A recipient is required to teach in West Virginia for one year per
54 award received.
55 (d) An award recipient shall satisfy one of the following conditions:
56 (1) Fulfill the service requirement pursuant to this section and the legislative rule
57 authorized in subsection (e) below; or
58 (2) Repay the commission for the amount awarded, together with accrued interest as
59 stipulated in the service agreement.
60 (e) The commission shall promulgate a rule for legislative approval pursuant to §29A-3A-1
61 et seq. of this code to implement and administer this section. The rule shall provide for the
62 following:
63 (1) Eligibility and selection criteria for program participation;
64 (2) Terms of a service agreement which a recipient shall execute as a condition of receiving
65 an award;
66 (3) Repayment provisions for a recipient who fails to fulfill the service requirement;
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67 (4) Forgiveness options for death or disability of a recipient;
68 (5) An appeal process for students denied participation or ordered to repay awards; and
69 (6) Additional provisions as necessary to implement this section CHAPTER 30. PROFESSIONS AND OCCUPATIONS.
ARTICLE 7A. PRACTICAL NURSES.
§30-7A-7a. Supplemental fees to fund center for nursing; emergency rules.
1 [Repealed]
ARTICLE 7B. CENTER FOR NURSING.
§30-7B-1. Definitions.
1 [Repealed.]
§30-7B-2. West Virginia Center for Nursing.
1 [Repealed.]
§30-7B-3. Center’s powers and duties.
1 [Repealed.]
§30-7B-4. Board of directors.
1 [Repealed.]
§30-7B-5. Powers and duties of the board of directors.
1 [Repealed.]
§30-7B-6. Expense reimbursement.
1 [Repealed.]
§30-7B-7. Reports.
1 [Repealed.]
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Statutes affected: Introduced Version: 18B-16-6, 18C-3-4, 30-7A-7a, 30-7B-1, 30-7B-2, 30-7B-3, 30-7B-4, 30-7B-5, 30-7B-6, 30-7B-7
Committee Substitute: 18B-16-6, 18C-3-4, 30-7A-7a, 30-7B-1, 30-7B-2, 30-7B-3, 30-7B-4, 30-7B-5, 30-7B-6, 30-7B-7