EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
*hb1160*
HOUSE BILL 1160
J2, J1, F2 3lr2551
By: Delegate Cullison Delegates Cullison, Alston, Bagnall, Bhandari, Chisholm,
Guzzone, Hill, Hutchinson, S. Johnson, Kaiser, Kerr, Kipke, R. Lewis,
Lopez, Martinez, M. Morgan, Pena–Melnyk, Reilly, Rosenberg, Szeliga,
Taveras, White, and Woods
Introduced and read first time: February 10, 2023
Assigned to: Health and Government Operations
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
House action: Adopted
Read second time: March 7, 2023
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Maryland Pathway to Nursing Program and Advisory Committee – 2
Establishment 3
FOR the purpose of establishing the Maryland Pathway to Nursing Program in the 4
Maryland Department of Health; requiring the Secretary of Health to establish a 5
certain pilot program before implementing the Program statewide; establishing the 6
Maryland Pathway to Nursing Advisory Committee to assist the Secretary in the 7
development and implementation of the Program; and generally relating to the 8
Maryland Pathway to Nursing Program. 9
BY adding to 10
Article – Health – General 11
Section 13–4801 through 13–4803 to be under the new subtitle “Subtitle 48. 12
Maryland Pathway to Nursing Program” 13
Annotated Code of Maryland 14
(2019 Replacement Volume and 2022 Supplement) 15
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 16
That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 17
Article – Health – General 18
2 HOUSE BILL 1160
SUBTITLE 48. MARYLAND PATHWAY TO NURSING PROGRAM. 1
13–4801. 2
(A) IN THIS SUBTITLE THE FOLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 3
INDICATED. 4
(B) “COMMITTEE” MEANS THE MARYLAND PATHWAY TO NURSING 5
ADVISORY COMMITTEE. 6
(C) “PROGRAM” MEANS THE MARYLAND PATHWAY TO NURSING PROGRAM. 7
13–4802. 8
(A) THERE IS A MARYLAND PATHWAY TO NURSING PROGRAM IN THE 9
DEPARTMENT . 10
(B) THE GOALS OF THE PROGRAM ARE TO : 11
(1) SUPPORT CERTIFIED NUR SING ASSISTANTS IN L ICENSED 12
PRACTICAL NURSING ED UCATIONAL PROGRAMS W HO INTEND TO PRACTIC E 13
LICENSED PRACTICAL N URSING AS A CA REER IN THE STATE OR CONTINUE ON THE 14
NURSING EDUCATIONAL PATHWAY TO BECOME A REGISTERED NURSE IN THE STATE; 15
(2) ALLEVIATE THE SHORTAG E OF NURSING PROFESS IONALS BY 16
INCREASING THE GRADU ATION AND LICENSURE RATES OF LICENSED PR ACTICAL 17
NURSING AND REGISTER ED NURSING STUDENTS IN THE STATE; 18
(3) INCREASE THE NUMBER O F LICENSED PRACTICAL NURSES AND 19
REGISTERED NURSES WH O REFLECT THE DIVERS ITY OF THE COMMUNITI ES THEY 20
SERVE; AND 21
(4) PROVIDE PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS WITH FINANCIAL ASSIS TANCE 22
TO COVER THE COST OF : 23
(I) TUITION AND RELATED F EES FOR LICENSED PRA CTICAL 24
NURSING EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS; 25
(II) COMPUTERS, TEXTBOOKS, AND OTHER SUPPLIES ; AND 26
(III) HOUSING, FOOD, AND OTHER BASIC LIVI NG EXPENSES. 27
(C) (1) BEFORE THE SECRETARY IMPLEMENTS THE PROGRAM 28
STATEWIDE, THE SECRETARY SHALL IMPLE MENT A PILOT PROGRAM AT COMMUNITY 29 HOUSE BILL 1160 3
COLLEGES IN AT LEAST TWO GEOGRAPHICALLY D IVERSE AREAS IN THE STATE THAT 1
OFFER LICENSED PRACT ICAL NURSING PROGRAM S. 2
(2) THE SECRETARY, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE ADVISORY 3
COMMITTEE, SHALL DETERMINE THE FOLLOWING FOR THE PI LOT PROGRAM 4
IMPLEMENTED UNDER PA RAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION : 5
(I) THE TIME FRAME AND ST EPS NECESSARY TO EST ABLISH 6
THE PILOT PROGRAM ; 7
(II) THE AREAS OF THE STATE IN WHICH THE PI LOT PROGRAM 8
WILL OPERATE ; 9
(III) THE RESOURCES NECESSA RY TO SUPPORT THE PI LOT 10
PROGRAM; AND 11
(IV) THE TYPES OF EVALUATI ONS, INCLUDING OBTAINING 12
FEEDBACK FROM STUDEN TS AND EDUCATIONAL I NSTITUTIONS, NEEDED TO MAKE 13
RECOMMENDATIONS ABOU T THE PROGRAM’S DESIGN AND EXPANSI ON STATEWIDE . 14
(D) THE SECRETARY, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE, 15
SHALL ADOPT REGULATI ONS TO CARRY OUT THE PROGRAM THAT INCLUDE : 16
(1) REQUIREMENTS FOR PART ICIPATION IN THE PROGRAM, 17
INCLUDING A REQUIREM ENT THAT PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS SIGN AN AGREEMENT 18
THAT THE PARTICIPANT INTEN DS TO PRACTICE LICEN SED PRACTICAL NURSIN G OR 19
PRACTICE REGISTERED NURSING IN THE STATE FOR AT LEAST 2 YEARS AFTER 20
COMPLETION OF THE PROGRAM; 21
(2) CRITERIA FOR DETERMIN ING THE TYPE AND LEV EL OF SUPPORT 22
PROVIDED TO PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS ; 23
(3) A PROCESS FOR PROVIDIN G WRAPAROUND SERVICE S TO 24
PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS ; 25
(4) A PROCESS FOR DISTRIBU TING FINANCIAL SUPPO RT TO 26
PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS ; 27
(5) A DESCRIPTION OF THE R OLE OF EDUCATION INS TITUTIONS IN 28
SUPPORTING PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS ; AND 29
(6) THE PROCESS FOR PERIO DICALLY REVIEWING TH E PROGRAM 30
AND IMPLEMENTING MOD IFICATIONS TO THE PROGRAM. 31
4 HOUSE BILL 1160
(E) ON OR BEFORE DECEMBER 15 EACH YEAR, BEGINNING IN 2023, THE 1
SECRETARY SHALL REPOR T TO THE GOVERNOR AND , IN ACCORDANCE WITH § 2
2–1257 OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT ARTICLE, THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON THE 3
IMPLEMENTATION OF TH E PROGRAM. 4
13–4803. 5
(A) THERE IS A MARYLAND PATHWAY TO NURSING ADVISORY COMMITTEE. 6
(B) THE COMMITTEE SHALL ASSIS T THE SECRETARY IN THE DEVE LOPMENT 7
AND IMPLEMENTATION O F THE PROGRAM. 8
(C) THE COMMITTEE CONSISTS OF THE FOLLOWING MEMBER S, APPOINTED 9
BY THE SECRETARY OF HEALTH: 10
(1) ONE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 11
AFFAIRS; 12
(2) ONE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE MARYLAND HIGHER EDUCATION 13
COMMISSION; 14
(3) ONE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE STATE BOARD OF NURSING; 15
(4) ONE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF 16
LABOR; 17
(4) (5) FOUR REPRESENTATIVES FROM COMMUNITY COLLE GES IN 18
THE STATE THAT OFFER LICE NSED PRACTICAL NURSI NG PROGRAMS ; 19
(5) (6) TWO REPRESENTATIVES F ROM PUBLIC HIG HER EDUCATION 20
INSTITUTIONS WITH A 4–YEAR DEGREE NURSING PROGRAM, ONE OF WHOM SHALL 21
BE FROM A HISTORICAL LY BLACK COLLEGE OR UNIV ERSITY; 22
(6) (7) ONE REPRESENTATIVE FR OM A PRIVATE HIGHER 23
EDUCATION INSTITUTIO N THAT PRIMARILY OFF ERS 4–YEAR DEGREE PROGRAMS ; 24
(7) (8) ONE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE MARYLAND NURSES 25
ASSOCIATION; 26
(8) (9) ONE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE MARYLAND ASSOCIATION 27
OF COMMUNITY COLLEGES; 28
(9) (10) ONE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE MARYLAND INDEPENDENT 29
COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY ASSOCIATION; 30 HOUSE BILL 1160 5
(10) (11) ONE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE MARYLAND HOSPITAL 1
ASSOCIATION; 2
(11) (12) ONE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE LIFESPAN NETWORK; 3
(12) (13) ONE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE BALTIMORE COUNTY 4
PUBLIC HEALTH PATHWAYS PROGRAM; 5
(13) (14) ONE REPRESENTATIVE FR OM A LABOR ORGANIZA TION 6
THAT REPRESENTS CERT IFIED NURSING ASSIST ANTS, LICENSED PRACTICAL 7
NURSES, AND REGISTERED NURSE S; 8
(14) (15) TWO PRACTICAL NURSING STUDENTS LICENSED IN THE 9
STATE; AND 10
(15) (16) ANY OTHER INDIVIDUAL WITH EXPERTISE OR EX PERIENCE 11
THAT THE SECRETARY DETERMINES IS RELEVA NT TO THE COMMITTEE. 12
(D) THE SECRETARY SHALL DESIG NATE THE CHAIR OF TH E COMMITTEE. 13
(E) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL PROV IDE STAFF FOR THE COMMITTEE. 14
(F) A MEMBER OF THE COMMITTEE: 15
(1) MAY NOT RECEIVE COMPE NSATION AS A MEMBER OF THE 16
COMMITTEE; BUT 17
(2) IS ENTITLED TO REIMBU RSEMENT FOR EXPENSES UNDER THE 18
STANDARD STATE TRAVEL REGULATIONS, AS PROVIDED IN THE STATE BUDGET . 19
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That, on or before December 1, 20
2024, the Maryland Pathway to Nursing Advisory Committee established under Section 1 21
of this Act shall study whether licensed practical nursing education programs that meet 22
educational program requirements under Title 8 of the Health Occupations Article may be 23
eligible for federal and State funding related to apprenticeship programs and report its 24
findings and any recommendations to the Senate Finance Committee and the House Health 25
and Government Operations Committee, in accordance with § 2 –1257 of the State 26
Government Article. 27
SECTION 2. 3. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 28
June 1, 2023. 29