HOUSE BILL REPORT

SB 6638

As Amended by the House

BYSenators Niemi, Johnson, Deccio, Wojahn, Smith and Kreidler

Providing conditional scholarships for nursing students.

House Committe on Health Care

Majority Report:  Do pass with amendments.  (10)

      Signed by Representatives Braddock, Chair; Day, Vice Chair, Bristow, Brooks, Bumgarner, Cantwell, Lewis, Lux, D. Sommers and Sprenkle.

House Staff:John Welsh (786-7133)

AS PASSED HOUSE MARCH 3, 1988

BACKGROUND:

Recent data indicate that the health care industry is facing a significant shortage of licensed nursing staff.  The current lack of nursing staff has resulted in critical understaffing of some medical/surgical areas and in certain geographical locations around the state.  These conditions have raised concerns about the possible compromise in the quality of care in addition to contributing to spiraling health care costs because of the need to fill vacancies by recruiting higher cost temporary nurses from staffing agencies.

There is currently no formal state scholarship program designed to attract nursing students to the profession.

SUMMARY:

A conditional scholarship program is established for nurses, to be administered by the Higher Education Coordinating Board.  It provides conditional scholarships to students pursuing educational programs for becoming practical and registered nurses with the stipulation that upon graduation and completion of the licensure examination, the applicant will be given the opportunity to either repay the loan or work in a nurse shortage area for a period of up to five years, with a five year loan pay-back period.

The powers and duties of the higher education coordinating board in implementing and administering the scholarship program include: selecting practical and registered nurse students to receive the scholarship; adopting the scholarships rules and guidelines; managing and collecting repayments; and soliciting further public and private funding sources.

Fiscal Note:      Requested January 29, 1988.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:    None Presented.

House Committee - Testified Against:      None Presented.

House Committee - Testimony For:    This bill provides a means for attracting more nurses to the profession which is experiencing a serious shortage of personnel.  In addition, it will insure that the most understaffed geographical areas will be the first to benefit from the program.  (Testimony was provided on the original HB 1357.)

House Committee - Testimony Against:      None Presented.