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District of Columbia State Board of Education
441 4th Street NW, Suites 530S & 723N | Washington, DC 20001
(202) 741-0888 | sboe.dc.gov | sboe@dc.gov | @DCSBOE
January 29, 2025
The Honorable Phil Mendelson
Chairman
Council of the District of Columbia
John A. Wilson Building
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 504
Washington, DC 20004
Dear Chairman Mendelson:
The “Universal Public School Nurses for Safer Students Amendment Act of 2025” is enclosed for
consideration and enactment by the Council of the District of Columbia.
The State Board of Education unanimously approved this proposed bill for transmittal to the
District of Columbia Council by a vote of 9-0 on January 15, 2025.
The D.C. State Board of Education believes that every DCPS and public charter school should
have a minimum of 40 hours per week of school nurse coverage during each week school is open
to students for instruction and that the current lack of nurse coverage poses a danger to our DC
students. This legislation amends the D.C. Code to require universal nursing coverage by August
1, 2028. The legislation also establishes a new DC Health program to provide school nurses with
up to $10,000 per year for use on student loan repayment and other eligible educational
expenses.
If you or your staff have any questions about this legislation, please contact me at (202) 741-
0888 or bernice.butler@dc.gov.
On behalf of the State Board of Education, I respectfully request prompt and favorable Council
action on the enclosed legislation.
Sincerely,
Bernice D. Butler
Executive Director
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at the request of the State Board of Education
A BILL
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IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
12 To amend the District of Columbia Public School Nurse Assignment Act of 1987 to require the
13 assignment of nurses to each public and public charter school for a minimum of 40 hours
14 per week during each week school is open to students for instruction and to establish a
15 sh1dent loan repayment program for school nurses.
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17 BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this
18 act may be cited as the "Universal Public School Nurses for Safer Students Amendment Act of
19 2025".
20 TITLE I. UNIVERSAL FULL-TIME PUBLIC SCHOOL NURSE REQUIREMENT .
21 Sec. 101. Short title.
22 This title may be cited as the "Universal Full-Time Public School Nurse Requirement
23 Amendment Act of 2025".
24 Sec. 102. Section 2 of the District of Columbia Public School Nurse Assignment Act of
25 1987, effective December 10, 1987 (D.C. Law 7-45; D.C. Official Code§ 38-621), is amended
26 as follows:
27 (a) Subsection (a) is amended to read as follows:
28 "(a)(l) Beginning August 1, 2028, a registered nurse shall be assigned to each public and
29 public charter school for a minimum of 40 hours per week during each week the school is open
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to students for instruction.”. 30
(2) All public and public charter schools shall provide nursing services as 31
required in paragraph (1) of this subsection even if they do not qualify or participate with the 32
formal Department of Health (“DC Health”) School Health Services Program (“Program”).”. 33
(3) In scheduling the 40 hours per week for each school nurse, the schedule 34
should endeavor to provide coverage during any before-or-after-school out-of-school-time 35
programs. 36
(b) Subsection (b) is repealed. 37
(c) Subsection (c-1) is repealed. 38
TITLE II. SCHOOL NURSE RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION LOAN 39
REPAYMENT PROGRAM. 40
Sec. 201. Short title. 41
This title may be cited as the “School Nurse Recruitment and Retention Loan Repayment 42
Program Establishment Act of 2025”. 43
Sec. 202. Definitions. 44
For the purposes of this chapter, the term: 45
(1) “Commercial loans” means loans made by banks, credit unions, savings and 46
loan associations, insurance companies, schools, and either financial or credit institutions that are 47
subject to examination and supervision in their capacity as lenders by an agency of the United 48
States or of the State or District in which the lender has its principal place of business. 49
(2) “Director” means Director of the Department of Health or his or her designee. 50
(3) “Reasonable educational expenses” means the costs of education, exclusive of 51
tuition, which are considered to be required by the school’s degree program or an eligible 52
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program of study, such as fees for room, board, transportation and commuting costs, books, 53
supplies, educational equipment and materials, or clinical travel, which were part of the 54
estimated student budget of the school in which the participant was enrolled. 55
Sec. 203. Establishment of Program. 56
(a) There is hereby established the School Nurse Recruitment and Retention Loan 57
Repayment Program (“Program”) to serve as a recruitment and retention tool for school nurses 58
within District of Columbia public and public charter schools. 59
(b) The Program shall pay for the cost of undergraduate and graduate education necessary 60
to obtain a health professional degree. The Program may pay toward the outstanding principal, 61
interest, and related expense of federal, state, or local government loans and commercial loans 62
obtained by the participant for: 63
(1) School tuition and required fees incurred by the participant; and 64
(2) Reasonable educational expenses. 65
Sec. 204. Eligibility requirements. 66
(a) Individuals eligible for the Program must: 67
(1) Be a registered nurse working at a DC Public School or a public charter 68
school; 69
(2) Be licensed or eligible to practice in the District of Columbia; and 70
(3) Submit a completed application to participate in the Program; 71
(b) Participants in the Program must submit the following to DC Health by July 31 of 72
each year: 73
(1) A form approved by DC Health where they confirm their continued eligibility 74
and intent to remain in the program; and 75
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(2) Documentation demonstrating that the individual spent funds on eligible uses 76
under Section 203(b) between August 1 to July 31. Examples of eligible uses include: 77
(A) Student loan payments the individual had made over the course of the 78
year; 79
(B) A lump-sum payment to pay down principal owed on student loans 80
after receiving the funds on June 30. 81
Sec. 205. Administration of the Program. 82
(a) The Department of Health shall administer the Program and shall: 83
(1) Establish an application process; 84
(2) Create a form for individuals enrolled in the program to renew enrollment; 85
(3) Conduct regular surveys to ensure participant compliance with the Program; 86
(4) Disburse all awarded funds by June 30 of each year; and 87
(5) Administer any other functions necessary to the Program. 88
(b) Participants shall not be disenrolled from the Program unless they do not meet the 89
eligibility requirements of Section 204. 90
(c) By August 15 of each year, DC Health shall notify each approved Program participant 91
of the amount of funds they will receive on June 30 of the next calendar year. 92
(d) In determining disbursement amounts DC Health shall: 93
(1) Avoid reducing awards paid in the prior year, unless available funds for the 94
Program have been reduced in the annual appropriations process. 95
(2) Avoid approving new applications for the Program if it would necessitate a 96
reduction in awards to current Program participants. 97
Sec. 206. Release of information. 98
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(a) Any applicant to the Program shall agree to execute a release to allow the Department 99
access to loan records, credit information, and information from lenders necessary to verify 100
eligibility and to determine loan repayments. The applicant is required to submit all requested 101
loan documentation prior to approval by the Program. 102
(b) It is the responsibility of the participant to negotiate with each lending institution for 103
the terms and conditions of the educational loan repayments. Any penalties associated with early 104
repayment shall be the responsibility of the participant. 105
Sec. 207. Selection criteria. 106
(a) Applicants shall be reviewed and selected for participation in the Program based upon 107
professional qualifications and relevant experience. 108
(b) Preferential consideration, in order of priority, shall be given to: 109
(1) Residents of the District of Columbia; 110
(2) Applicants’ years of service as a school nurse in DC; and 111
(3) Graduates of accredited District of Columbia health profession schools or 112
programs. 113
Sec. 208. Loan repayment. 114
(a) School nurses who are full-time participants in the Program shall be eligible to have 115
100% of their total debt, repaid by the Program over 20 years of service, in an amount not to 116
exceed $10,000 per year, or $200,000 in total. 117
(b) The Director is permitted to increase the dollar amount of the total loan repayment 118
annually to adjust for inflation. All disbursements shall be adjusted accordingly. 119
Sec. 209. Disbursement procedure. 120
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The Department of Health shall disburse loan repayment funds, in annual lump sum 121
payments by June 30 of each year, to Program participants who served the entire year of school. 122
Sec. 210. Tax implications. 123
For purposes of the District of Columbia Office of Tax and Revenue, all loan repayment 124
awards shall not be considered income and are therefore not taxable, provided that they are used 125
for eligible expenses. 126
Sec. 211. Annual Reporting. 127
By October 1 of each year, DC Health shall provide the Council of the District of 128
Columbia and the State Board of Education a report on the Program that includes the following 129
information: 130
(a) The number of Program participants who received funds by June 30; 131
(b) The amount of funds paid by the Program; 132
(c) The number of applications received for the Program; 133
(d) The number of applications approved by August 15; and 134
(e) The estimated amount of funds required next fiscal year to award all eligible 135
applicants the maximum $10,000 annual amount. 136
Sec. 212. Rulemaking. 137
The Mayor is authorized to promulgate rules necessary to implement this chapter. 138
TITLE III. APPLICABILITY; FISCAL IMPACT; EFFECTIVE DATE 139
Sec. 301. Applicability. 140
(a) Sections 102(a), (b), and (c) of this act shall apply upon the date of inclusion of their 141
fiscal effect in an approved budget and financial plan. 142
(b) The Chief Financial Officer shall certify the date of the inclusion of the fiscal effect in 143
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an approved budget and financial plan, and provide notice to the Budget Director of the Council 144
of the certification. 145
(c)(1) The Budget Director shall cause the notice of the certification to be published in 146
the District of Columbia Register. 147
(2) The date of publication of the notice of the certification shall not affect the 148
applicability of this act. 149
Sec. 302. Fiscal impact statement. 150
The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement in the committee report as the fiscal 151
impact statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975, 152
approved October 16, 2006 (120 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code § 1-301.47a). 153
Sec. 303. Effective date. 154
The act shall take effect following approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the 155
Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto), a 30-day period of congressional review as 156
provided in section 602(c)(1) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 157
24, 1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Official Code § 1-206.02(c)(1)), and publication in the District of 158
Columbia Register 159