Z-515                 _______________________________________________

                                                   SENATE BILL NO. 5393

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                               51st Legislature                              1989 Regular Session

By Senators Johnson, Niemi, West, Kreidler, Smitherman and Smith; by request of Higher Education Coordinating Board

Read first time 1/23/89 and referred to Committee on   Higher Education.

AN ACT Relating to educational assistance for nurses; and amending RCW 28B.104.020.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

        Sec. 1.  Section 2, chapter 242, Laws of 1988 and RCW 28B.104.020 are each amended to read as follows:

          Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter.

          (1) "Conditional scholarship" means a loan that is forgiven in whole or in part if the recipient renders nursing service as a nurse serving in a nurse shortage area, as defined by the state health coordinating council.

          (2) "Institution of higher education" or "institution" means a community college, vocational-technical school, college, or university in the state of Washington which is accredited by an accrediting association recognized as such by rule of the higher education coordinating board.

          (3) "Board" means the higher education coordinating board.

          (4) "Eligible student" means a student who has been accepted into a program leading to eligibility for licensure as a licensed practical nurse, or to a program leading to an associate, baccalaureate, or higher degree in nursing or continues satisfactory progress within the program; and has a declared intention to serve in a nurse shortage area upon completion of the educational program.

          (5) "Nurse shortage area" means those areas where nurses are in short supply as a result of geographic maldistribution; or specialty areas of nursing, such as geriatrics or critical care, where vacancies exist in serious numbers that jeopardize patient care and pose a threat to the public health and safety.  The state health coordinating council shall determine nurse shortage areas in the state guided by federal standards of "health manpower shortage areas."

          (6) "Forgiven" or "to forgive" or "forgiveness" means to render nursing service in a nurse shortage area in the state of Washington in lieu of monetary repayment.

          (7) "Satisfied" means paid-in-full.

          (8) "Participant" means an eligible student who has received a conditional scholarship under this chapter.