PRINTER'S NO. 302
No. 264 Session of 2003
INTRODUCED BY VANCE, CIVERA, DAILEY, DeWEESE, NAILOR,
E. Z. TAYLOR, NICKOL, ADOLPH, ALLEN, ARMSTRONG, BALDWIN,
BARD, BARRAR, BASTIAN, BEBKO-JONES, BELARDI, BELFANTI,
BISHOP, BROWNE, BUNT, BUXTON, CAPPELLI, CLYMER, CORNELL,
COSTA, COY, CREIGHTON, CRUZ, CURRY, DALEY, DALLY, DeLUCA,
EACHUS, J. EVANS, FAIRCHILD, FLEAGLE, FLICK, FRANKEL,
FREEMAN, GANNON, GEIST, GEORGE, GILLESPIE, GOODMAN, GORDNER,
GRUCELA, HARHAI, HARPER, HASAY, HENNESSEY, HERMAN, HERSHEY,
HESS, HORSEY, JAMES, JOSEPHS, KELLER, KIRKLAND, KOTIK,
LAUGHLIN, LEACH, LEDERER, MACKERETH, MAITLAND, MAJOR,
MANDERINO, MANN, MARKOSEK, MARSICO, McGEEHAN, McNAUGHTON,
MELIO, MICOZZIE, R. MILLER, S. MILLER, MUNDY, PALLONE, PAYNE,
PETRARCA, PETRONE, PHILLIPS, PICKETT, PIPPY, PRESTON, REED,
REICHLEY, ROEBUCK, ROSS, RUBLEY, SATHER, SAYLOR, SCHRODER,
SEMMEL, B. SMITH, SOLOBAY, STABACK, STURLA, TANGRETTI, TIGUE,
WALKO, WANSACZ, WATSON, WILT, WOJNAROSKI, YOUNGBLOOD AND
YUDICHAK, FEBRUARY 12, 2003
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES,
FEBRUARY 12, 2003
AN ACT
1 Providing for recruitment and retention of nurses; establishing
2 the Pennsylvania Center for Nursing; and making an
3 appropriation.
4 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
5 hereby enacts as follows:
6 Section 1. Short title.
7 This act shall be known and may be cited as the Nurse
8 Recruitment and Retention Act.
9 Section 2. Declaration of policy.
10 The General Assembly finds and declares as follows:
1 (1) The center will repay the Commonwealth's investment
2 by providing an ongoing strategy for the allocation of the
3 Commonwealth's resources directed toward nursing.
4 (2) It is imperative that the Commonwealth protect its
5 investment and progress made in its nursing efforts to date.
6 The center is the appropriate means to do this.
7 (3) The center shall have adequate budget support for
8 its operations so that it may have adequate resources to
9 carry out this act.
10 Section 3. Definitions.
11 The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
12 have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
13 context clearly indicates otherwise:
14 "Board." The Pennsylvania Nursing Center Board of Directors
15 established in section 5.
16 "Center." The Pennsylvania Center for Nursing established in
17 section 4.
18 "Director." The executive director of the Pennsylvania
19 Center for Nursing.
20 Section 4. The Pennsylvania Center for Nursing.
21 (a) Establishment.--The Pennsylvania Center for Nursing is
22 established as a legislative agency.
23 (b) Powers and duties.--The center has the following powers
24 and duties:
25 (1) Address issues of supply and demand of the nursing
26 work force in this Commonwealth. This paragraph includes
27 education, recruitment, retention and utilization of nurse
28 personnel resources.
29 (2) To develop a Statewide nursing work force consortium
30 among schools, health care providers and other relevant
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1 institutions to plan and implement models which enhance
2 educational and career mobility for nurses.
3 (3) Establish a mechanism to keep the consortium under
4 paragraph (2) in place over the long term so the monitoring
5 of nursing care needs and the building of a nursing work
6 force with corresponding strengths become ongoing components
7 of this Commonwealth's health care structure by doing all of
8 the following:
9 (i) Conduct a comprehensive assessment of the
10 current and projected nursing care needs in this
11 Commonwealth.
12 (ii) Develop a dependable system for estimating
13 future needs.
14 (iii) Analyze the capacity of this Commonwealth's
15 nursing work force to meet these needs.
16 (iv) Analyze the area's educational infrastructure
17 to produce the numbers and types of nursing professionals
18 required.
19 (v) Convene various groups representative of nurses,
20 other health care providers, business and industry,
21 consumers, legislators and educators to do all of the
22 following:
23 (A) Review and comment on data analysis
24 conducted by the center.
25 (B) Recommend systemic changes, needed to
26 improve delivery of health care services by nurses,
27 including strategies for implementation of
28 recommended changes.
29 (C) Evaluate and report the results of these
30 efforts to the General Assembly and others.
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1 (D) Promote media and positive image-building
2 efforts for nursing.
3 (E) Report with evidenced-based data the
4 relationship of nursing care to the positive outcomes
5 of the health consumer.
6 (c) Director.--The center shall be operated by a director
7 employed by the board under section 5(f)(4).
8 Section 5. Pennsylvania Nursing Center Board of Directors.
9 (a) Establishment.--The center shall be governed by the
10 Pennsylvania Nursing Center Board of Directors.
11 (b) Membership.--The board shall consist of the following
12 directors:
13 (1) Four directors appointed by the President pro
14 tempore of the Senate. One director under this paragraph must
15 be a professional registered nurse, and one director under
16 this paragraph must be a representative of the hospital
17 industry. Other directors under this paragraph must represent
18 other health care professions, business, industry, health
19 care providers or consumers.
20 (2) Four directors appointed by the Speaker of the House
21 of Representatives. One director under this paragraph must be
22 a professional registered nurse, and one director under this
23 paragraph must be a representative of the long-term care
24 industry. Other directors under this paragraph must represent
25 other health care professions, business, industry, health
26 care providers or consumers.
27 (3) Three directors appointed by the Governor:
28 (i) Two directors under this paragraph must be
29 professional registered nurses.
30 (ii) One director under this paragraph must be a
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1 representative of the home health care industry.
2 (4) Four directors appointed by the Governor:
3 (i) All directors under this paragraph must be nurse
4 educators.
5 (ii) One director under this paragraph must have
6 experience in the development and implementation of a
7 diploma school of nursing.
8 (iii) One director under this paragraph must have
9 experience in the development and implementation of an
10 associate degree nursing program.
11 (iv) One director under this paragraph must have
12 experience in the development and implementation of a
13 baccalaureate degree nursing program.
14 (v) One director under this paragraph must have
15 experience in the development and implementation of a
16 practical nursing program.
17 (c) Terms.--
18 (1) Directors under subsection (b)(1) and (2) shall
19 serve at the pleasure of the appointing authority. A director
20 under this paragraph may not serve consecutively for more
21 than eight years.
22 (2) Directors under subsection (b)(3) shall serve as
23 follows:
24 (i) One director shall serve an initial term of four
25 years.
26 (ii) One director shall serve an initial term of
27 three years.
28 (iii) Two directors shall serve initial terms of two
29 years.
30 (iv) Each term following an initial term shall be
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1 for four years.
2 (v) A director under this paragraph may not serve
3 more than two terms consecutively.
4 (3) Directors under subsection (b)(4) shall serve as
5 follows:
6 (i) One director shall serve an initial term of four
7 years.
8 (ii) One director shall serve an initial term of
9 three years.
10 (iii) One director shall serve an initial term of
11 two years.
12 (iv) Each term following an initial term shall be
13 for four years.
14 (v) A director under this paragraph may not serve
15 more than two terms consecutively.
16 (4) A vacancy under subsection (b)(3) or (4) shall be
17 filled by the appointing authority for the remainder of the
18 term.
19 (5) A director shall hold office until a successor is
20 appointed and qualified.
21 (d) Quorum.--Eight directors constitutes a quorum.
22 (e) Officers.--The directors shall elect a chairperson and
23 secretary from among its members. An officer shall serve a term
24 of two years. An officer may not serve successive terms.
25 (f) Powers and duties.--The board has the following powers
26 and duties:
27 (1) Determine operational policy for the center.
28 (2) Implement the functions of the center.
29 (3) Seek and accept private funds to carry out the
30 policy of the center.
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1 (4) Employ the director.
2 (5) Establish committees as necessary.
3 (6) Appoint a multidisciplinary advisory council for
4 input and advice on policy matters.
5 (g) Compensation.--Directors shall serve without
6 compensation but shall be reimbursed for reasonable and
7 necessary expenses in the performance of their duties.
8 Section 19. Appropriation.
9 The sum of $ , or as much thereof as may be necessary, is
10 hereby appropriated to the Pennsylvania Center for Nursing for
11 the fiscal years July 1, 2002, to June 30, 2004, to carry out
12 the provisions of this act.
13 Section 20. Effective date.
14 This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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