2021 -- S 0087 SUBSTITUTE A
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LC000850/SUB A
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2021
____________
AN ACT
RELATING TO EDUCATION -- CERTIFIED NURSE-TEACHER
Introduced By: Senators Ciccone, Murray, Bell, DiPalma, Cano, Euer, and Gallo
Date Introduced: January 26, 2021
Referred To: Senate Education
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
1 SECTION 1. Section 16-21-8 of the General Laws in Chapter 16-21 entitled "Health and
2 Safety of Pupils" is hereby amended to read as follows:
3 16-21-8. Certified nurse-teacher.
4 (a) Each Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, each school system shall
5 employ certified nurse-teacher personnel certified by the state department of elementary and
6 secondary education; provided, however, that this section shall not apply to those school districts
7 which are currently allowed to share certified nurse-teacher personnel by the department of
8 elementary and secondary education. The school health program as defined in § 16-21-7 shall only
9 be staffed by certified nurse-teacher personnel.
10 (b) Any person who, as of August 1, 2021, is employed in a Rhode Island school district
11 pursuant to an all grades registered school nurse certificate, but who does not meet the requirements
12 of subsection (a) of this section, shall be deemed grandfathered into that school district and may
13 continue to be employed pursuant to that all grades registered school nurse certificate within that
14 same school district. If a person so employed seeks employment in another Rhode Island school
15 district as a school nurse-teacher after August 1, 2021, that person shall be subject to the provisions
16 of subsection (a) of this section.
1 SECTION 2. This act shall take effect on August 1, 2021.
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 EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
AN ACT
RELATING TO EDUCATION -- CERTIFIED NURSE-TEACHER
***
1 This act would require that only certified nurse-teachers may be employed as school nurses
2 in elementary and secondary schools as of August 1, 2021. Persons employed in a school district
3 pursuant to an all grades registered school nurse certificate as of August 1, 2021, but who are not
4 certified nurse-teachers, could continue to be employed without the certified nurse-teacher
5 certificate, so long as they remain employed in that same district.
6 This act would take effect on August 1, 2021.
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Statutes affected:
87  SUB A: 16-21-8
87: 16-21-8