Indiana 2023 Regular Session

Indiana Senate Bill SB0453 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1
2	2	Introduced Version
3	3	SENATE BILL No. 453
4	4	_____
5	5	DIGEST OF INTRODUCED BILL
6	6	Citations Affected: IC 21-12-18.
7	7	Synopsis: Scholarship for minority students in health care. Establishes
8	8	the scholarship for minority students pursuing health care careers
9	9	(scholarship) and the minority students pursuing health care careers
10	10	fund (fund) for the purpose of providing scholarships to minority
11	11	individuals who are working in an entry-level health care position
12	12	involving direct patient care and wish to pursue a career as a licensed
13	13	nurse in Indiana. Provides that the commission for higher education
14	14	(commission) administers the scholarship program and the fund.
15	15	Prescribes qualifications necessary to: (1) receive an initial scholarship;
16	16	and (2) qualify for renewal of the scholarship. Requires a scholarship
17	17	recipient to enter into a written agreement with the commission to: (1)
18	18	use the scholarship solely to fund a course of study resulting in an
19	19	associate's degree or certificate that enables the individual to practice
20	20	as a licensed nurse in Indiana; (2) apply for a position as a licensed
21	21	nurse in Indiana following the individual's licensure as a nurse; and (3)
22	22	if hired, practice as a licensed nurse in Indiana for at least three years.
23	23	Requires a scholarship recipient to repay the scholarship if the
24	24	scholarship recipient fails to: (1) complete the scholarship recipient's
25	25	program of study; or (2) complete the terms of the scholarship
26	26	recipient's agreement with the commission. Provides that the amount
27	27	of the scholarship awarded for an academic year is the lesser of: (1) the
28	28	balance of the scholarship recipient's total cost of attendance for the
29	29	academic year after the application of any other financial assistance for
30	30	which the scholarship recipient qualifies; or (2) $4,000. Appropriates
31	31	annually to the fund from the state general fund an amount sufficient
32	32	to carry out the purposes of the scholarship program. Requires the
33	33	commission to report to the general assembly not later than December
34	34	1, 2027, regarding the effect of the scholarship program.
35	35	Effective: July 1, 2023.
36	36	Breaux
37	37	January 19, 2023, read first time and referred to Committee on Health and Provider
38	38	Services.
39	39	2023 IN 453—LS 7351/DI 119 Introduced
40	40	First Regular Session of the 123rd General Assembly (2023)
41	41	PRINTING CODE. Amendments: Whenever an existing statute (or a section of the Indiana
42	42	Constitution) is being amended, the text of the existing provision will appear in this style type,
43	43	additions will appear in this style type, and deletions will appear in this style type.
44	44	Additions: Whenever a new statutory provision is being enacted (or a new constitutional
45	45	provision adopted), the text of the new provision will appear in this style type. Also, the
46	46	word NEW will appear in that style type in the introductory clause of each SECTION that adds
47	47	a new provision to the Indiana Code or the Indiana Constitution.
48	48	Conflict reconciliation: Text in a statute in this style type or this style type reconciles conflicts
49	49	between statutes enacted by the 2022 Regular Session of the General Assembly.
50	50	SENATE BILL No. 453
51	51	A BILL FOR AN ACT to amend the Indiana Code concerning
52	52	higher education and to make an appropriation.
53	53	Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Indiana:
54	54	1 SECTION 1. IC 21-12-18 IS ADDED TO THE INDIANA CODE
55	55	2 AS A NEW CHAPTER TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE
56	56	3 JULY 1, 2023]:
57	57	4 Chapter 18. Scholarship for Minority Students Pursuing Health
58	58	5 Care Careers
59	59	6 Sec. 1. As used in this chapter, "fund" refers to the minority
60	60	7 students pursuing health care careers fund established by section
61	61	8 4 of this chapter.
62	62	9 Sec. 2. As used in this chapter, "minority" has the meaning set
63	63	10 forth in IC 21-13-1-6.
64	64	11 Sec. 3. (a) The scholarship for minority students pursuing health
65	65	12 care careers is established.
66	66	13 (b) The commission shall administer the scholarship program
67	67	14 under this chapter, including:
68	68	15 (1) receiving and evaluating applications received under
69	69	16 section 5 of this chapter; and
70	70	17 (2) awarding scholarships from the fund to applicants who
71	71	2023 IN 453—LS 7351/DI 119 2
72	72	1 meet the qualifications established under this chapter.
73	73	2 Sec. 4. (a) The minority students pursuing health care careers
74	74	3 fund is established for the purpose of providing scholarships under
75	75	4 this chapter.
76	76	5 (b) The fund consists of the following:
77	77	6 (1) Appropriations made by the general assembly.
78	78	7 (2) Gifts, grants, devises, or bequests made to the commission
79	79	8 to achieve the purposes of the fund.
80	80	9 (c) The commission shall administer the fund.
81	81	10 (d) The expenses of administering the fund shall be paid from
82	82	11 money in the fund.
83	83	12 (e) The treasurer of state shall invest the money in the fund not
84	84	13 currently needed to meet the obligations of the fund in the same
85	85	14 manner as other public funds may be invested. Interest that
86	86	15 accrues from these investments shall be deposited in the fund.
87	87	16 (f) Money in the fund at the end of a state fiscal year does not
88	88	17 revert to the state general fund but remains available to be used for
89	89	18 the purposes of this chapter.
90	90	19 Sec. 5. An individual must apply for a scholarship, or renewal
91	91	20 of a scholarship, under this chapter in the form and manner
92	92	21 prescribed by the commission.
93	93	22 Sec. 6. An individual qualifies for an initial scholarship under
94	94	23 this chapter if the individual:
95	95	24 (1) is a minority individual who is working in Indiana in an
96	96	25 entry-level health care position involving direct patient care
97	97	26 in either an inpatient or outpatient setting;
98	98	(2) is admitted to an approved postsecondary educational27
99	99	institution;28
100	100	(3) either:29
101	101	(A) intends to pursue, in the case of an individual who has30
102	102	been accepted to, but is not yet attending, an approved31
103	103	postsecondary educational institution; or32
104	104	(B) is pursuing, in the case of an individual who is33
105	105	attending an approved postsecondary educational34
106	106	institution;35
107	107	a course of study resulting in an associate's degree or36
108	108	certificate enabling the individual to practice as a licensed37
109	109	nurse in Indiana;38
110	110	(4) agrees, in a written agreement entered into with the39
111	111	commission, to:40
112	112	(A) use a scholarship awarded under this chapter solely to41
113	113	pay:42
114	114	2023 IN 453—LS 7351/DI 119 3
115	115	(i) tuition and other fees;1
116	116	(ii) the cost of room and board;2
117	117	(iii) the cost of textbooks and equipment; or3
118	118	(iv) any programmatic fees;4
119	119	required for a course of study described in subdivision (3);5
120	120	(B) apply for a position as a licensed nurse in Indiana not6
121	121	later than one (1) year after the individual's licensure as a7
122	122	nurse; and8
123	123	(C) if hired, practice as a licensed nurse in Indiana for at9
124	124	least three (3) years; and10
125	125	(5) meets any other minimum criteria established by the11
126	126	commission in rules adopted under section 11 of this chapter.12
127	127	13 Sec. 7. The term of a scholarship awarded under this chapter is
128	128	14 one (1) academic year, or the equivalent of one (1) academic year
129	129	as established by the approved postsecondary educational15
130	130	institution to which the scholarship recipient is admitted.16
131	131	Sec. 8. (a) Except as provided by subsection (b), an individual17
132	132	who qualifies for an initial scholarship under section 6 of this18
133	133	chapter qualifies for renewal of the scholarship if the individual:19
134	134	(1) continues to meet the criteria under section 6 of this20
135	135	chapter21 ;
136	136	22 (2) maintains a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0
137	137	23 on a 4.0 grading scale, or an equivalent grade point average
138	138	as established by the approved postsecondary educational24
139	139	institution attended by the individual25 ;
140	140	26 (3) enrolls in and completes at least fifteen (15) credit hours
141	141	27 each semester, or an equivalent course load as established by
142	142	the approved postsecondary educational institution attended28
143	143	by the individual29 ; and
144	144	30 (4) meets any other requirements established in rules adopted
145	145	31 under section 11 of this chapter.
146	146	32 (b) The commission may grant a waiver from the requirements
147	147	33 of subsection (a) to an applicant for renewal if:
148	148	34 (1) the applicant submits a petition to the commission, in a
149	149	35 manner prescribed by the commission, asserting; and
150	150	36 (2) the commission determines, based on the petition;
151	151	37 that extenuating circumstances prevented the applicant from
152	152	38 meeting the requirements of subsection (a).
153	153	39 (c) If the commission grants a waiver to an applicant for
154	154	40 renewal under subsection (b), the commission may:
155	155	41 (1) place the applicant on probationary status; and
156	156	42 (2) establish additional requirements for the applicant.
157	157	2023 IN 453—LS 7351/DI 119 4
158	158	1 (d) A scholarship under this chapter may be renewed for not
159	159	2 more than four (4) undergraduate academic years, or the
160	160	3 equivalent of four (4) academic years as established by the
161	161	approved postsecondary educational institution attended by the4
162	162	scholarship recipient.5 However, an individual may not renew a
163	163	6 scholarship under this chapter for an academic year that ends later
164	164	7 than six (6) years after the date the individual is awarded the initial
165	165	8 scholarship under this chapter.
166	166	9 Sec. 9. The amount of a scholarship under this chapter is equal
167	167	10 to the lesser of the following:
168	168	11 (1) The balance of the scholarship recipient's total cost of
169	169	12 attendance for the academic year after the application of any
170	170	13 other financial assistance for which the scholarship recipient
171	171	14 qualifies.
172	172	15 (2) Four thousand dollars ($4,000).
173	173	16 Sec. 10. (a) An individual who is awarded a scholarship under
174	174	17 this chapter shall agree in writing to repay the amount received by
175	175	18 the individual under this chapter if the individual does not
176	176	19 complete:
177	177	20 (1) a course of study described in section 6(3) of this chapter;
178	178	21 or
179	179	22 (2) the conditions to which the individual agrees under section
180	180	23 6(4) of this chapter.
181	181	24 (b) The commission may waive repayment of all or part of a
182	182	25 scholarship under subsection (a) if:
183	183	26 (1) the scholarship recipient submits a petition to the
184	184	27 commission, in a manner prescribed by the commission,
185	185	28 asserting; and
186	186	29 (2) the commission determines, based on the petition;
187	187	30 that extenuating circumstances prevented the scholarship recipient
188	188	31 from meeting the requirements of subsection (a).
189	189	32 Sec. 11. The commission shall adopt rules under IC 4-22-2
190	190	33 necessary to administer this chapter.
191	191	34 Sec. 12. There is annually appropriated to the fund from the
192	192	35 state general fund an amount sufficient to carry out the purposes
193	193	36 of this chapter.
194	194	37 Sec. 13. (a) Not later than December 1, 2027, the commission
195	195	38 shall issue a report to the general assembly, in an electronic format
196	196	39 under IC 5-14-6, describing the effect of the scholarship program
197	197	40 under this chapter. The commission shall include in the report the
198	198	41 following information for the period beginning July 1, 2023, and
199	199	42 ending July 1, 2027:
200	200	2023 IN 453—LS 7351/DI 119 5
201	201	1 (1) The number of scholarships granted under this chapter.
202	202	2 (2) The number of scholarship recipients who graduated with
203	203	a degree or certificate enabling the individual to become a3
204	204	licensed nurse in Indiana.4
205	205	5 (3) The number of:
206	206	6 (A) scholarship recipients who found employment as a
207	207	7 licensed nurse; and
208	208	8 (B) scholarship recipients who were employed as a licensed
209	209	9 nurse as of July 1, 2027.
210	210	10 (4) The number of scholarship recipients who:
211	211	11 (A) were employed in two (2) or more nursing positions;
212	212	12 and
213	213	13 (B) as of July 1, 2027, were employed in a nursing position:
214	214	14 (i) requiring a higher level of skill; or
215	215	15 (ii) involving greater professional responsibility;
216	216	16 than the immediately preceding nursing position in which
217	217	17 the scholarship recipient was employed.
218	218	18 (5) The number of scholarship recipients who fulfilled the
219	219	19 scholarship recipient's agreement under section 6(4) of this
220	220	20 chapter.
221	221	21 (6) The number of:
222	222	22 (A) scholarship recipients who did not fulfill the
223	223	23 scholarship recipient's agreement under section 6(4) of this
224	224	24 chapter; and
225	225	25 (B) scholarship recipients who repaid all or part of the
226	226	26 scholarship under section 10 of this chapter.
227	227	27 (b) This section expires December 31, 2027.
228	228	2023 IN 453—LS 7351/DI 119