NY State Senate Bill 2023-S9646

Senate Bill S9646

2023-2024 Legislative Session

Enacts the "Nurse of Tomorrow Act of 2024" to provide for grants to certain hospitals, schools and other entities for nurse recruitment, education and retention

download bill text pdf

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Higher Education Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
May 16, 2024	referred to higher education

2023-S9646 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A5412
Current Committee:: Senate Higher Education
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Add §3615, Ed L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2019-2020: A9817
2021-2022: A2644

2023-S9646 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Enacts the "Nurse of Tomorrow Act" to provide for grants from the state commissioner of education to public and not-for-profit hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, schools and other entities for nurse recruitment, education and retention costs and activities as described herein.

2023-S9646 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S9646

SPONSOR: CHU
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the education law, in relation to enacting the "Nurse of
Tomorrow Act of 2024" to provide for grants to public and not-for-profit
hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, schools and other entities for
nurse recruitment, education and retention costs and activities

 
PURPOSE:

To create a Nurse of Tomorrow program, modeled after the New York State
Teacher of Tomorrow program enacted last year, designed to help allevi-
ate the shortage of qualified registered nurses in hospitals and nursing
homes. The bill would provide various incentives to encourage current
registered nurses to remain in the profession and students to enter the
profession.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Amends the Education Law by adding a new section 3614 to provide for the

Nurse of Tomorrow recruitment, education and retention incentive
program. Authorizes the commissioner to award grants to public and not-
for-profit hospitals and skilled nursing facilities to provide:  salary
bonuses for nurses who make a commitment to work in the hospital or
skilled nursing facility for a multi-year period, and who have not been
practicing nursing for a period of at least five years; skills training
and career development of nurses to become certified in clinical
specialty areas experiencing shortages in hospitals or skilled nursing
facilities; grants to encourage nurses to upgrade their skills to enable
them to work in clinical specialty areas experiencing shortages; salary
bonuses for non-management nurses who recruit nurses that stay employed
at the hospital or skilled nursing facility for at least one year; and
other nurse retention and recruitment strategies approved by the commis-
sioner.  Provides for the commissioner to give preference to public and
not-for-profit hospitals and skilled nursing facilities applicants in
financial need as demonstrated by low or negative operating margins, and
to enter into contracts with associate degree granting schools of nurs-
ing, including but not limited to single-purpose degree granting insti-
tutions affiliated with not-for-profit or public hospitals, for the
purpose of expanding the number of students who are provided basic nurse
education at such schools; and provides for the commissioner to give
preference to applicants that have demonstrated the ability to recruit
and create a multicultural student body; provides remedial education to
help students with diverse needs.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

In recent years, it has become increasingly apparent that the nation is
suffering from the shortage of nurses. This problem affects all areas,
especially the urban and rural regions. The American Association of
Colleges of Nursing (AACN) reported that enrollments in bachelor's
degree nursing programs have declined consistently over the past five
years nationwide, dropping 4.5% in 1999 alone with enrollments dropping
even more precipitously in the Northeast. As far back as 1996, before
the great decline in the number of qualified nurses was noted, the
National Advisory Council on Nursing Education and Practice (NACNEP)
predicted a shortage of registered nurses (RNs) beginning around 2010.
The NACNEP further estimated that the shortfall would reach over 10% of
supply by 2020. In New York, a 1999 survey done by the Greater New York
Hospital. Association showed high nurse vacancy rates, particularly in
critical care areas, emergency departments, and operating rooms. In
addition, 83% of hospitals reported that more than a third of the direct
care RN workforce is between ages 40 and 49, and in 50% of the hospi-
tals, more than 20% of the direct care RN workforce is between ages 50
and 59. These data raise the concern that a large number of nurses will
be retiring in the near future.  Therefore, the aging workforce and low
enrollments of young people in the profession indicate that the shortage
we currently experience will only get worse.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

2023-S9646 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   9646
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               May 16, 2024
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  CHU  --  read  twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Higher Education
 
 AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to enacting the "Nurse of
   Tomorrow Act of 2024" to provide for grants to public and not-for-pro-
   fit hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, schools and other  entities
   for nurse recruitment, education and retention costs and activities
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may  be  cited  as
 the "Nurse of Tomorrow Act of 2024".
   § 2. The education law is amended by adding a new section 3615 to read
 as follows:
   §  3615.  NURSE OF TOMORROW NURSE RECRUITMENT, EDUCATION AND RETENTION
 INCENTIVE PROGRAM.  1. NURSE RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION GRANTS.   A.  THE
 COMMISSIONER  SHALL  AWARD GRANTS TO PUBLIC AND NOT-FOR-PROFIT HOSPITALS
 AND SKILLED NURSING FACILITIES THAT ARE EXPERIENCING SHORTAGES IN  NURS-
 ING PERSONNEL TO BE UTILIZED TOWARD THE PAYMENT OF THE FOLLOWING COSTS:
   (I)  PROVIDING SALARY BONUSES FOR NURSES WHO MAKE A COMMITMENT TO WORK
 IN THE HOSPITAL OR SKILLED NURSING FACILITY FOR A MULTI-YEAR PERIOD;
   (II) PROVIDING SALARY BONUSES FOR NURSES WHO HAVE NOT BEEN  PRACTICING
 NURSING FOR A PERIOD OF AT LEAST FIVE YEARS AND WHO MAKE A COMMITMENT TO
 WORK  IN THE HOSPITAL OR SKILLED NURSING FACILITY FOR A MULTI-YEAR PERI-
 OD;
   (III) PROVIDING SKILLS TRAINING AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT  OF  NURSES  TO
 BECOME  CERTIFIED  IN CLINICAL SPECIALTY AREAS EXPERIENCING SHORTAGES IN
 THE HOSPITAL OR SKILLED NURSING FACILITY;
   (IV) PROVIDING GRANTS TO ENCOURAGE NURSES TO UPGRADE THEIR  SKILLS  TO
 ENABLE  THEM  TO WORK IN CLINICAL SPECIALTY AREAS EXPERIENCING SHORTAGES
 IN THE HOSPITAL OR SKILLED NURSING FACILITY;
   (V) PROVIDING SALARY BONUSES FOR  NON-MANAGEMENT  NURSES  WHO  RECRUIT
 NURSES  THAT  STAY  EMPLOYED AT THE HOSPITAL OR SKILLED NURSING FACILITY
 FOR AT LEAST ONE YEAR;
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD06588-03-4
 S. 9646                             2

 
   (VI) PROVIDING TUITION  REIMBURSEMENT  FOR  NURSES  WHO  PURSUE  STUDY
 TOWARDS  A BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN NURSING OR FOR OTHER HEALTH CARE WORKERS
 WHO PURSUE ASSOCIATE DEGREES IN NURSING;
   (VII)  PROVIDING  STIPENDS  TO  SUPPORT SUMMER INTERNSHIPS FOR STUDENT
 NURSES AT THE HOSPITAL OR SKILLED NURSING FACILITY; AND
   (VIII) OTHER NURSE RETENTION AND RECRUITMENT  STRATEGIES  APPROVED  BY
 THE COMMISSIONER.
   B.  IN  AWARDING GRANTS PURSUANT TO THIS SUBDIVISION, THE COMMISSIONER
 SHALL GIVE PREFERENCE TO PUBLIC AND NOT-FOR-PROFIT HOSPITALS AND SKILLED
 NURSING FACILITIES APPLICANTS IN FINANCIAL NEED AS DEMONSTRATED  BY  LOW
 OR NEGATIVE OPERATING MARGINS.
   2.  BASIC NURSE EDUCATION EXPANSION GRANTS.  A. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL
 AWARD GRANTS TO AND ENTER INTO CONTRACTS WITH ASSOCIATE  DEGREE-GRANTING
 SCHOOLS  OF NURSING INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO SINGLE-PURPOSE DEGREE-
 GRANTING INSTITUTIONS AFFILIATED WITH NOT-FOR-PROFIT  OR  PUBLIC  HOSPI-
 TALS,  FOR  THE  PURPOSE  OF  EXPANDING  THE  NUMBER OF STUDENTS WHO ARE
 PROVIDED BASIC NURSE EDUCATION AT SUCH SCHOOLS.
   B. IN AWARDING GRANTS PURSUANT TO THIS SUBDIVISION,  THE  COMMISSIONER
 SHALL GIVE PREFERENCE TO APPLICANTS THAT:
   (I)  HAVE  DEMONSTRATED  THE ABILITY TO RECRUIT AND CREATE A MULTICUL-
 TURAL STUDENT BODY;
   (II) PROVIDE REMEDIAL EDUCATION TO HELP STUDENTS  WITH  DIVERSE  NEEDS
 AND  BACKGROUNDS  TO MASTER THE LANGUAGE, READING AND MATHEMATICS SKILLS
 NECESSARY TO ATTAIN A LICENSE;
   (III) PROVIDE THE COMMISSIONER AND THE COMMISSIONER OF HEALTH  WITH  A
 PLAN  TO RECRUIT NURSE AIDES, LICENSED PRACTICAL NURSES AND OTHER HEALTH
 CARE WORKERS;
   (IV) PROVIDE THE COMMISSIONER AND THE COMMISSIONER OF  HEALTH  WITH  A
 PLAN  TO  BUILD  TECHNOLOGICALLY  MODERN  CLASSROOMS AND LABORATORIES TO
 ENABLE STUDENTS TO LEARN THE  LATEST  TECHNOLOGIES  INCLUDING,  BUT  NOT
 LIMITED TO, MEDICAL ERROR REDUCTION TECHNOLOGIES; AND
   (V)  PROVIDE  THE  COMMISSIONER  AND THE COMMISSIONER OF HEALTH WITH A
 DETAILED PLAN TO SUBSTANTIALLY EXPAND THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS ENROLLED IN
 THE SCHOOL OVER A FOUR-YEAR PERIOD.
   3. NURSE EDUCATION ENCOURAGEMENT GRANTS.  THE COMMISSIONER SHALL AWARD
 GRANTS TO  COLLEGIATE  SCHOOLS  OF  NURSING,  ASSOCIATE  DEGREE-GRANTING
 SCHOOLS  OF  NURSING,  DIPLOMA-GRANTING  SCHOOLS OF NURSING, HOSPITAL OR
 OTHER PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS, NOT-FOR-PROFIT OR PUBLIC HOSPITALS  AND
 SKILLED NURSING FACILITIES TO ENABLE SUCH ENTITIES TO WORK TOGETHER WITH
 SCHOOL  DISTRICT  AUTHORITIES TO DEVELOP PROGRAMS TO ENCOURAGE SECONDARY
 SCHOOL STUDENTS TO CHOOSE NURSING AS A PROFESSION.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.

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