MISSISSIPPIAdopted LEGISLATURECOMMITTEE REGULARAMENDMENT SESSIONNO 20221 By:PROPOSED TO House Bill No.

Representatives1005 White,BY: Felsher, To:

PublicCommittee HealthAmend andby Humanstriking Reynolds,all Stamps,after Mickens,the Milesenacting Servicesclause HOUSEand BILLinserting NO.in lieu thereof the following:

1005 AN ACT TO CREATE NEW SECTION 37-106-60, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO CREATE THE NURSING EDUCATION INCENTIVE PROGRAM;

TO PROVIDE THAT THE PROGRAM IS FOR STUDY IN NURSING TO BECOME A LICENSED PRACTICAL NURSE OR A REGISTERED NURSE OR FOR ADVANCED STUDY IN NURSING BY LICENSED REGISTERED NURSES;

TO PROVIDE THAT THE LOANS MAY BE REPAID BY PRACTICING NURSING IN THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI FOR NOT LESS THAN FIVE YEARS AFTER COMPLETION OF THE COURSE OF STUDY;

AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

The(1) followingThere shallis beestablished codifiedthe as"Hospital SectionNurses 37-106-60,and MississippiRespiratory CodeTherapist ofRetention 1972:Loan Repayment Program" for new nursing and respiratory therapist graduates to be administered by the State Financial Aid Board.

37-106-60.(2) Subject to the availability of funds, an eligible applicant for an initial award must have:

(1)(a) ThisLegal sectionresidency shallin be known as the NursingState Educationof IncentiveMississippi; Program.

(2)(b) ThereGained isemployment createdwithin athe forgivablelast loanyear program for studythe infirst nursingtime toas become a licensed practical nursenurse, orlicensed a registered nurse or forrespiratory advancedtherapist studyat a general acute care hospital in nursing22/SS36/HB1005A.J by*SS36/HB1005A.J* PAGE 1 the State of Mississippi that is licensed registeredby nurses.the Mississippi State Department of Health;

Forgivable(c) loansA arecurrent establishedrelevant andMississippi shallprofessional belicense; allocated to students who:

(a)and are(d) acceptedOutstanding andqualifying enrollededucational inloans, anreceived accreditedwhile pursuing a nursing programor approvedrelevant respiratory therapist degree, which may include the principal, interest, and related expenses such as the required interest premium on the unpaid balances of government and commercial loans obtained by the board;recipient for educational expense.

(b)(3) completePersons anwho applicationhave byreceived thefunds deadlinefrom state forgivable loan programs established byunder theMississippi board;law, or who are in default or delinquent on any federal, state, local or commercial qualifying educational loan, are not eligible for this program.

and(4) (c)Recipients enterin intothe contractinitial withyear of the board,program obligatingwill themselvesbe toselected pursueon toa H.first-come, first-served basis from all eligible applicants.

B.In the second and subsequent years of an applicant's continued eligibility, priority shall be given to renewal applicants.

No.In any given year no more than one hundred fifty (150) new registered nurse applicants, fifty (50) new licensed practical nurse applicants and twenty-five (25) new respiratory therapist applicants may receive funds under the program.

1005(5) *HR31/R1758*Recipients ~in OFFICIAL ~ G1/2 22/HR31/R1758 PAGE 1 (RF\JAB) completion the courseprogram ofwill studybe agreedselected upon,on anda followingfirst-come, thefirst-served completionbasis offrom theall courseeligible ofapplicants. study, to practice nursing in the State of Mississippi for not less than five (5) years.

(3)In Repaymentthe first year and conversionsubsequent termsyears, shallno bemore thethan sameone ashundred outlined22/SS36/HB1005A.J in*SS36/HB1005A.J* SectionPAGE 37-106-53,2 exceptfifty that(150) thenew followingregistered provisionsnurse shallapplicants, applyfifty instead(50) ofnew subsectionlicensed (1)(b)practical ofnurse thatapplicants section:and twenty-five (25) new respiratory therapist applicants may receive funds.

In lieuaddition to the number of paymentnew inapplicants fulleach ofyear, boththe principalState andFinancial interest,Aid aBoard loanshall recipientrenew undereligible thisapplicants sectionapproved mayin electprior toyears repayonly byif entrythe intorenewal serviceapplicant employmentcontinues asto providedmeet the standards set forth in subsectionthis (2)(c)act ofand the renewal applicant has not received full funding provided by this section.subsection (5).

Repayment(6) underAwards thisfor optionrecipients shallwho convertare theemployed loanat toa anlicensed interest-freegeneral scholarshipacute andcare dischargehospital thein same, on the basisstate ofmay onebe fiftha (1/5)maximum of theThree totalThousand loanDollars amount($3,000.00) for each full year of service,employment orup theto appropriatethree proportion(3) ofyears. the total outstanding balance of principal and interest, all as established by rule and regulation of the board.

If(7) A recipient shall not be penalized for ending employment at anya timelicensed beforegeneral theacute repaymentcare hospital in fullthe State of theMississippi totalif obligation the recipient abandonsbegins orworking abrogatesfor repaymentanother bylicensed thisgeneral serviceacute option,care hospital in the provisionsState of SectionMississippi 37-106-53(1)(c)during shallthe apply.year on which the award is based.

(4)(8) TheAwards boardwill shallbe establishgranted theon rulesa andyear-to-year regulationsbasis, asand itrecipients deemshave necessaryno andobligation proper to carryseek outa thesubsequent purposesaward. and intent of this section.

(9) Awards shall be paid annually, after the expiration of the year of employment for which the award was granted, to the recipient's lender or loan service provider, to be applied to the outstanding balance.

Monies paid by the recipient or on the recipient's behalf toward qualifying educational loans before 22/SS36/HB1005A.J *SS36/HB1005A.J* PAGE 3 payment of the award are not eligible for reimbursement through the program.

(10) During the employment year for which the award is granted, a recipient must at all times keep the State Financial Aid Board informed of any changes to the recipient's current, correct, and complete employment information and status.

(11) Recipients who fail to maintain a relevant Mississippi professional license or fail to fulfill the year of employment on which the award was based forfeit any right to the award.

(12) The State Financial Aid Board, in collaboration with the Licensing Board of the nurse or other health care professional eligible to receive funds under this program, must track award recipients under this program through their third employment year, unless the recipient leaves employment at a licensed general acute care hospital in the state at an earlier date.

Data collected must include each recipients' place of employment and any other pertinent information necessary to determine the efficacy of the program in retaining nurses and respiratory therapists in licensed general acute care hospitals in the State of Mississippi.

The board must submit a report of the information collected under this subsection (12) to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee by October 1 of each year, and include information concerning the number of submitted applications and the amount of grant funds awarded to each applicant.

22/SS36/HB1005A.J *SS36/HB1005A.J* PAGE 4 (13) The State Financial Aid Board must promulgate regulations necessary for the proper administration of this section, including setting a fiscal year policy for the program and application dates and deadlines.

(14) There is established in the State Treasury a special fund to be designated the "Hospital Nursing and Respiratory Therapist Loan Repayment Program Fund," into which shall be deposited those funds appropriated by the Legislature, and any other funds that may be made available, for the purpose of implementing the loan repayment program established herein.

Money in the fund at the end of the fiscal year shall not lapse into the General Fund, and interest earned on any amounts deposited into the fund shall be credited to the special fund.

(15) This section shall stand repealed on July 1, 2026.

ThisSection act37-106-59, shallMississippi takeCode effectof 1972, which establishes a forgivable loan program for baccalaureate and begraduate studies in forcenursing, is repealed from and after July 1, 2022.

H.SECTION 3.

B.This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage.

No.Further, amend by striking the title in its entirety and inserting in lieu thereof the following:

1005AN *HR31/R1758*ACT ~TO OFFICIALCREATE ~THE 22/HR31/R1758HOSPITAL ST:NURSES AND RESPIRATORY THERAPIST RETENTION LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAM;