EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
*sb0774*
SENATE BILL 774
J2, J1, F2 3lr2408
By: Senator Lam
Introduced and read first time: February 6, 2023
Assigned to: Finance
A BILL ENTITLED
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
SUBTITLE 48. MARYLAND PATHWAY TO NURSING PROGRAM. 19
13–4801. 20
(A) IN THIS SUBTITLE THE FOLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 21
INDICATED. 22
2 SENATE BILL 774
(B) “COMMITTEE” MEANS THE MARYLAND PATHWAY TO NURSING 1
ADVISORY COMMITTEE. 2
(C) “PROGRAM” MEANS THE MARYLAND PATHWAY TO NURSING PROGRAM. 3
13–4802. 4
(A) THERE IS A MARYLAND PATHWAY TO NURSING PROGRAM IN THE 5
DEPARTMENT . 6
(B) THE GOALS OF THE PROGRAM ARE T O: 7
(1) SUPPORT CERTIFIED NURSING AS SISTANTS IN LICENSED 8
PRACTICAL NURSING ED UCATIONAL PROGRAMS W HO INTEND TO PRACTIC E 9
LICENSED PRACTICAL N URSING AS A CAREER I N THE STATE OR CONTINUE ON THE 10
NURSING EDUCATIONAL PATHWAY TO BECOME A REGISTERED NURSE IN THE STATE; 11
(2) ALLEVIATE THE SHORTAGE OF NURS ING PROFESSIONALS BY 12
INCREASING THE GRADU ATION AND LICENSURE RATES OF LICENSED PR ACTICAL 13
NURSING AND REGISTER ED NURSING STUDENTS IN THE STATE; 14
(3) INCREASE THE NUMBER OF LICENS ED PRACTICAL NURSES AND 15
REGISTERED NURSES WHO REFLEC T THE DIVERSITY OF T HE COMMUNITIES THEY 16
SERVE; AND 17
(4) PROVIDE PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS WITH FINANCIAL ASSIS TANCE 18
TO COVER THE COST OF : 19
(I) TUITION AND RELATED FEES FOR LICENSED PRACTICAL 20
NURSING EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS; 21
(II) COMPUTERS, TEXTBOOKS, AND OTHER SUPPLIES ; AND 22
(III) HOUSING, FOOD, AND OTHER BASIC LIVI NG EXPENSES. 23
(C) (1) BEFORE THE SECRETARY IMPLEMENT S THE PROGRAM 24
STATEWIDE, THE SECRETARY SHALL IMPLE MENT A PILOT PROGRAM AT COMMUNITY 25
COLLEGES IN AT LEAST TWO GEOGRAPH ICALLY DIVERSE AREAS IN THE STATE THAT 26
OFFER LICENSED PRACT ICAL NURSING PROGRAM S. 27
(2) THE SECRETARY, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE ADVISORY 28
COMMITTEE, SHALL DETERMINE THE FOLLOWING FOR THE PILOT PROGRAM 29
IMPLEMENTED UNDER PA RAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION : 30 SENATE BILL 774 3
(I) THE TIME FRAME AND STEPS NECE SSARY TO ESTABLISH 1
THE PILOT PROGRAM; 2
(II) THE AREAS OF THE STATE IN WHICH THE PI LOT PROGRAM 3
WILL OPERATE ; 4
(III) THE RESOURCES NECESSARY TO SUPPORT THE PILOT 5
PROGRAM; AND 6
(IV) THE TYPES OF EVALUATIONS , INCLUDING OBTAINING 7
FEEDBACK FROM STUDEN TS AND EDUCATIONAL I NSTITUTIONS, NEEDED TO MAKE 8
RECOMMENDATIONS ABOU T THE PROGRAM’S DESIGN AND EXPANSI ON STATEWIDE. 9
(D) THE SECRETARY, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE, 10
SHALL ADOPT REGULATI ONS TO CARRY OUT THE PROGRAM THAT INCLUDE: 11
(1) REQUIREMENTS FOR PARTICIPATION IN THE PROGRAM; 12
(2) CRITERIA FOR DETERMINING THE TYPE AND LEVEL OF SU PPORT 13
PROVIDED TO PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS ; 14
(3) A PROCESS FOR PROVIDIN G WRAPAROUND SERVICES TO 15
PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS ; 16
(4) A PROCESS FOR DISTRIBU TING FINANCIAL SUPPO RT TO 17
PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS ; 18
(5) A DESCRIPTION OF THE ROLE OF EDUCATION IN STITUTIONS IN 19
SUPPORTING PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS ; AND 20
(6) THE PROCESS FOR PERIODICALLY REVIEWING THE PROGRAM 21
AND IMPLEMENTING MODIFICATIONS TO THE PROGRAM. 22
(E) ON OR BEFORE DECEMBER 15 EACH YEAR, BEGINNING IN 2023, THE 23
SECRETARY SHALL REPOR T TO THE GOVERNOR AND , IN ACCORDANCE WITH § 24
2–1257 OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT ARTICLE, THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON THE 25
IMPLEMENTATION OF TH E PROGRAM. 26
13–4803. 27
(A) THERE IS A MARYLAND PATHWAY TO NURSING ADVISORY COMMITTEE. 28
4 SENATE BILL 774
(B) THE COMMITTEE SHALL ASSIS T THE SECRETARY IN THE DEVE LOPMENT 1
AND IMPLEMENTATION O F THE PROGRAM. 2
(C) THE COMMITTEE CONSISTS OF THE FOLL OWING MEMBERS , APPOINTED 3
BY THE SECRETARY OF HEALTH: 4
(1) ONE REPRESENTATIVE OF TH E DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 5
AFFAIRS; 6
(2) ONE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE MARYLAND HIGHER EDUCATION 7
COMMISSION; 8
(3) ONE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE STATE BOARD OF NURSING; 9
(4) FOUR REPRESENTATIVES FROM COMMUNITY COLLEGES I N THE 10
STATE THAT OFFER LICE NSED PRACTICAL NURSI NG PROGRAMS ; 11
(5) TWO REPRESENTATIVES FROM PUBLIC HIGHER EDUCAT ION 12
INSTITUTIONS WITH A 4–YEAR DEGREE NURSING PROGRAM, ONE OF WHOM SHAL L 13
BE FROM A HISTORICAL LY BLACK COLLEGE OR UNIVERSIT Y; 14
(6) ONE REPRESENTATIVE FROM A PRIVATE HIGHER EDU CATION 15
INSTITUTION THAT PRI MARILY OFFERS 4–YEAR DEGREE PROGRAMS ; 16
(7) ONE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE MARYLAND NURSES 17
ASSOCIATION; 18
(8) ONE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE MARYLAND ASSOCIATION OF 19
COMMUNITY COLLEGES; 20
(9) ONE REPRESENTATIVE O F THE MARYLAND INDEPENDENT 21
COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY ASSOCIATION; 22
(10) ONE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE MARYLAND HOSPITAL 23
ASSOCIATION; 24
(11) ONE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE LIFESPAN NETWORK; 25
(12) ONE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE BALTIMORE COUNTY PUBLIC 26
HEALTH PATHWAYS PROGRAM; 27
SENATE BILL 774 5
(13) ONE REPRESENTATIVE FROM A LABOR ORGANIZATION THAT 1
REPRESENTS CERTIFIED NURSING ASSISTANTS , LICENSED PRACTICAL N URSES, AND 2
REGISTERED NURSES ; 3
(14) TWO PRACTICAL NURSING ST UDENTS LICENSED IN T HE STATE; 4
AND 5
(15) ANY OTHER INDIVIDUAL WIT H EXPERTISE OR EXPER IENCE THAT 6
THE SECRETARY DETERMINES IS RELEVANT TO T HE COMMITTEE. 7
(D) THE SECRETARY SHALL DESIG NATE THE CHAIR OF TH E COMMITTEE. 8
(E) THE DEPARTMENT SHALL PROV IDE STAFF FOR THE COMMITTEE. 9
(F) A MEMBER OF THE COMMITTEE: 10
(1) MAY NOT RECEIVE COMPENSA TION AS A MEMBER OF THE 11
COMMITTEE; BUT 12
(2) IS ENTITLED TO REIMBURS EMENT FOR EXPENSES U NDER THE 13
STANDARD STATE TRAVEL REGULATIONS, AS PROVIDED IN THE STATE BUDGET . 14
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect June 15
1, 2023. 16