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2023 Regular Session
SENATE BILL NO. 233(Substitute of Senate Bill No. 181 by Senator Cloud)
BY SENATOR CLOUD
FUNDS/FUNDING. Creates the Expanding Louisiana's Health Care Workforce Fund.
(8/1/23)
1 AN ACT
2 To enact Chapter 37 of Title 51 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, to be comprised
3 of R.S. 51:2201 through 2202, and 2312(A)(11), relative to health care workforce
4 initiatives; to create the Expanding Louisiana's Health Care Workforce Fund; to
5 provide for the Expanding Louisiana's Health Care Workforce Program; to provide
6 for grants to expand health care workforce training; to provide for the creation of a
7 commission; and to provide for related matters.
8 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
9 Section 1. Chapter 37 of Title 51 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950,
10 comprised of R.S. 51:2201 through 2202, and 2312(A)(11) are hereby enacted to read as
11 follows:
12 CHAPTER 37. EXPANDING LOUISIANA'S
13 HEALTH CARE WORK FORCE FUND
14 §2201. Expanding Louisiana's Health Care Workforce Fund
15 A. There is hereby created in the state treasury, as a special fund, the
16 Expanding Louisiana's Health Care Workforce Fund, hereinafter referred to
17 in this Section as the "fund".
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1 B. Monies in the fund shall be invested in the same manner as monies in
2 the state general fund. Interest earned on the investment of monies in the fund
3 shall be deposited in and credited to the fund. Any unexpended and
4 unencumbered monies remaining in the fund at the end of the fiscal year shall
5 remain in the fund.
6 C. Monies in the fund shall be appropriated by the legislature and used
7 solely to provide grant funding pursuant to the Expanding Louisiana's Health
8 Care Workforce Program as provided in this Chapter.
9 §2202. Expanding Louisiana's Health Care Workforce Program
10 A. The Expanding Louisiana's Health Care Workforce Program is
11 hereby established within the Department of Economic Development and shall
12 be administered by the Louisiana Economic Development Corporation. The
13 purpose of the program is to develop and provide grant funding for
14 collaborations between health care employers and post-secondary education
15 institutions to expand the capacity of the state to recruit, educate, and train
16 nursing and allied health professionals.
17 B. As used in this Section, the following terms shall have the following
18 meanings:
19 (1) "Commission" means the Expanding Health Care Workforce
20 Commission.
21 (2) "Corporation" means the Louisiana Economic Development
22 Corporation.
23 (3) "Department" means the Department of Economic Development.
24 (4) "Fund" means the Expanding Louisiana's Health Care Workforce
25 Fund.
26 (5) "Labor demand occupation" means an occupation for which there
27 is or is likely to be a greater demand than supply of adequately trained workers.
28 (6) "Program" means the Expanding Louisiana's Health Care
29 Workforce Program.
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1 (7) "Secretary" means the secretary of the Department of Economic
2 Development.
3 C.(1) The Expanding Health Care Workforce Commission is hereby
4 established to review applications submitted pursuant to the Expanding Health
5 Care Workforce Program and to approve applications for receipt of grant
6 funding.
7 (2) The commission shall be comprised of the following members:
8 (a) Three members of the House of Representatives appointed by the
9 speaker of the House of Representatives who reside in the first, third, and fifth
10 congressional districts of the United States House of Representatives.
11 (b) Three members of the Senate appointed by the president of the
12 Senate who reside in the second, fourth, and sixth congressional districts of the
13 United States House of Representatives.
14 (3) A Senate member of the commission and a House member of the
15 commission shall serve as cochairmen of the commission.
16 (4) A quorum of the commission shall be four members. Approval of
17 funding for proposals shall require a quorum of the commission.
18 (5) The staffs of the Senate, House of Representatives, and legislative
19 fiscal office shall provide staff support and otherwise assist the commission as
20 requested by the commission.
21 D.(1) The Department shall administer the program. It shall review the
22 applications submitted and submit those applications eligible for the grant
23 program to the corporation for rating and recommendation for funding to the
24 commission.
25 (2) The corporation shall rate the applications in accordance with the
26 published guidance required under Subsection E of this Section and recommend
27 applications for approval to the commission.
28 E.(1) The department shall publish guidance for the administration of
29 the program. The guidance shall include application requirements, application
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1 period dates, and deadlines for submissions and approval, criteria for ratings,
2 and a process for prioritizing health care workforce needs in the various regions
3 of the state. The prioritization shall take into account the degree to which
4 measurable goals are established, the degree to which the grant demonstrates
5 regional collaboration between healthcare providers and academic institutions
6 as well as for programs that train high-demand healthcare professionals to
7 practice in the region. The program shall also provide opportunities for rural
8 and safety-net health care employers to participate in the program. The
9 Administrative Procedure Act, R.S. 49:950 et seq. shall not apply to guidance
10 promulgated pursuant to this Subsection. The department shall submit the
11 proposed guidance to the commission for review and approval. Any changes to
12 the guidance shall require approval by the commission.
13 (2) Primary applicants for grant funding through the program shall be
14 Louisiana licensed health care facilities. Primary applicants may designate a
15 third party to serve as the administrator of the grant funding.
16 (3) Prior to the application period, the department shall conduct
17 outreach and educational efforts to raise awareness regarding the program.
18 (4) The department shall post on its website a copy of the guidance
19 promulgated pursuant to this Subsection as well as any additional information
20 regarding the program, including the application process, procurement, or
21 scoring criteria upon request of the commission.
22 F. In addition to the guidance provided for in Subsection E of this
23 Section, the department shall submit a proposal outlining administrative costs
24 for the program to the commission for review and approval prior to
25 implementing the program. The commission shall review and approve the
26 proposed administrative costs.
27 G. Each grant recipient shall be required to provide cash or in-kind
28 funding in support of the overall costs of the grant application. However, the
29 commission may waive the shared funding requirement. In-kind funding, as
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1 used in this Subsection, shall mean a contribution of a good or a service other
2 than money.
3 H. The commission shall review and approve the recommendations
4 submitted by the corporation. Upon approval of a grant funding application by
5 the commission, the department shall execute any necessary agreements to
6 effectuate the approved grant application.
7 I.(1)(a) The commission may approve adjustments to any grant award
8 for a project for any of the following reasons:
9 (i) Duplication of benefits.
10 (ii) Increase in proposal costs, not to exceed five percent of the total grant
11 award for a proposal.
12 (iii) The inability of a grant recipient to complete one or more proposals
13 within the scope of the grant award.
14 (iv) Technical corrections.
15 (2) The commission may rescind any grant award for a project if the
16 grant recipient fails to comply with the guidance approved by the commission.
17 J. The department shall submit an annual summary of grant applications
18 that received funding approval to the commission and the Joint Legislative
19 Committee on the Budget.
20 * * *
21 §2312. Powers and authority; duties
22 A. The corporation shall serve as the single review board for all financial
23 assistance, loans, incentives or inducements, customized workforce training,
24 investment programs, and any related appropriations, grants, or joint ventures
25 administered by the Department of Economic Development, excluding those
26 financial incentive programs administered by the State Board of Commerce and
27 Industry. The corporation shall formulate and implement the policies for the delivery
28 of services to obtain the following effects:
29 * * *
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1 (11) To support and administer the Expanding Louisiana's Health Care
2 Workforce Program provided for in Chapter 37 of this Title to develop and
3 provide grant funding for collaborations between health care employers and
4 post-secondary education institutions to expand the capacity of the state to
5 recruit, educate, and train nursing and allied health professions.
6 * * *
The original instrument was prepared by Tracy Sabina Sudduth. The
following digest, which does not constitute a part of the legislative
instrument, was prepared by Thomas L. Tyler.
DIGEST
SB 233 Reengrossed 2023 Regular Session Cloud
Proposed law creates the Expanding Louisiana's Health Care Workforce Fund (Fund) within
the state treasury. Monies in the Fund shall be appropriated by the legislature and used solely
to provide grant funding pursuant to proposed law.
Proposed law establishes the Expanding Louisiana's Health Care Workforce Program
(Program) within the Department of Economic Development (DED). The Program shall be
administered by DED.
Proposed law provides for the grant funding for collaborations between health care
employers and post-secondary education institutions to expand the capacity of the state to
recruit, educate, and train nursing and allied health professionals.
Proposed law provides for definitions relative to the Program.
Proposed law creates the Expanding Health Care Workforce Commission (Commission)
which shall review and approve applications for receipt of grant funding to the program.
Proposed law provides that the Commission shall be comprised of the following:
(1) Three members of the House of Representatives (HOR) appointed by the speaker of
the HOR representing the first, third, and fifth congressional districts.
(2)Three members of the Senate appointed by the president of the Senate representing
the second, fourth, and sixth congressional districts.
(3)A Senate member and a HOR member shall serve as cochairmen.
Proposed law provides that a quorum of the Commission shall be four members.
Proposed law provides that the employees of the Senate, the HOR, and the Legislative Fiscal
Office shall staff and assist the Commission as requested.
Proposed law provides that the DED shall review the applications submitted and submit the
eligible applications to the corporation. The corporation shall rate the applications as
provided for in proposed law.
Proposed law provides the DED shall publish guidance for the administration of the
program.
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Proposed law requires DED to post a copy of the guidance and information on the program
on their website.
Proposed law provides that primary applicants to be granted funding shall be La. licensed
health care facilities.
Proposed law provides that each grant recipient shall provide cash or in-kind funding for the
costs of application. The Commission may waive this requirement.
Proposed law requires DED to submit an annual summary of approved grants to the Joint
Legislative Committee on the Budget.
Present law provides that the La. DED Corporation shall serve as the single review board for
all financial assistance, loans, incentives or inducements, customized workforce training,
investment programs, and any related appropriations, grants, or joint ventures administered
by the DED, excluding those financial incentive programs administered by the State Board
of Commerce and Industry.
Present law provides that the Corporation shall formulate and implement the policies for the
delivery of services.
Proposed law retains present law and adds the program.
Effective August 1, 2023.
(Adds R.S. 51:2201- 2202 and 2312(A)(11))
Summary of Amendments Adopted by Senate
Senate Floor Amendments to engrossed bill:
1. Makes technical amendments.
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