SENATE BILL 333

53rd legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2017

INTRODUCED BY

Gay G. Kernan

AN ACT

RELATING TO HEALTH; AMENDING SECTIONS OF THE HEALTH PROFESSIONAL LOAN REPAYMENT ACT AND THE NURSING PRACTICE ACT TO PROVIDE NURSES IN ADVANCED PRACTICE WITH LOAN REPAYMENT ASSISTANCE THROUGH NURSING LICENSE RENEWAL SURCHARGE FEES; MAKING AN APPROPRIATION.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

     SECTION 1. Section 21-22D-3 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1995, Chapter 144, Section 18) is amended to read:

     "21-22D-3. DEFINITIONS.--As used in the Health Professional Loan Repayment Act:

          A. ["commission"] "department" means the [commission on] higher education department;

          B. "health professional" means a primary care physician, optometrist, podiatrist, physician's assistant, dentist, nurse, member of an allied health profession as defined in the Allied Health Student Loan for Service Act or a licensed or certified health professional as determined by the [commission] department; [and]

          C. "loan" means a grant of money to defray the costs incidental to a health education, under a contract between the federal government or a commercial lender and a health professional, requiring either repayment of principal and interest or repayment in services; and

          D. "nurse in advanced practice" means a registered nurse, including a:

                (1) certified nurse practitioner, certified registered nurse anesthetist or clinical nurse specialist, authorized pursuant to the Nursing Practice Act to function beyond the scope of practice of professional registered nursing; or

                (2) certified nurse-midwife licensed by the department of health."

     SECTION 2. A new section of the Health Professional Loan Repayment Act is enacted to read:

     "[NEW MATERIAL] NURSES IN ADVANCED PRACTICE--NURSING EXCELLENCE PROGRAM--LICENSE RENEWAL SURCHARGE--ELIGIBILITY FOR LOAN REPAYMENT ASSISTANCE FUNDED BY OTHER SOURCES.--

          A. The department shall apply funds appropriated to the department from the nursing excellence program license renewal surcharge established pursuant to Subsection B of Section 61-3-10.5 NMSA 1978 exclusively for health professional loan repayment assistance for nurses in advanced practice who practice in areas that the department has designated as underserved.

          B. Eligibility for loan repayment assistance pursuant to the provisions of Subsection A of this section shall not render nurses in advanced practice ineligible for loan repayment assistance pursuant to the Health Professional Loan Repayment Act that derives from any other source of funding."

     SECTION 3. Section 61-3-10.5 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 2003, Chapter 276, Section 2) is amended to read:

     "61-3-10.5. NURSING EXCELLENCE PROGRAM--LICENSE RENEWAL SURCHARGE.--

          A. The board may establish a "nursing excellence program" that provides strategies to:

                (1) enhance recruitment and retention of professional nurses, increase career and educational opportunities and improve interaction with health facilities administrations, the medical profession and institutions of higher education; and

                (2) fund loan repayment assistance pursuant to Section 2 of this 2017 act.

          B. The board may impose a license renewal surcharge for each nursing license renewed in an amount not to exceed twenty dollars ($20.00) to implement and maintain the nursing excellence program. The surcharge shall be used as follows:

                (1) fifty percent of each license renewal surcharge shall be deposited in the nursing excellence fund to be used by the board to carry out the provisions of Paragraph (1) of Subsection A of this section; and

                (2) fifty percent of each license renewal surcharge shall be appropriated to the higher education department in accordance with the provisions of Section 2 of this 2017 act to fund loan repayment assistance for nurses in advanced practice who practice in areas of New Mexico that the higher education department has designated as underserved.

          C. The board shall transfer the portion of the license renewal surcharge to be appropriated to the higher education department in accordance with the provisions of Paragraph (2) of Subsection B of this section by July 1, 2018 and by each July 1 thereafter."

     SECTION 4. EFFECTIVE DATE.--The effective date of the provisions of this act is July 1, 2017.

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