Nursing loan and grant program-amendments.

WORKING DRAFT
2005
STATE OF WYOMING
05LSO-0250

HOUSE BILL
NO.
HB0135

Nursing loan and grant program-amendments.

Sponsored by:

Representative(s)
Hinckley

A BILL

for

AN ACT relating to the Wyoming investment in nursing loan and grant program; transferring program administration from the Wyoming higher education assistance authority to the Wyoming community college commission; accordingly transferring program regulations and funds; providing an appropriation and authorizing a position; and providing for an effective date.

Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

Section 1.

W.S. 9
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2
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123(a), (c)(i) through (iii), (g)(iii), (j)(intro), (k) and (n) and 21
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18
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202(c) by creating a new paragraph (viii) are amended to read:

9
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2
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123.

Wyoming investment in nursing loan and grant program; eligibility criteria; procedures.

(a)

There is created the Wyoming investment in nursing program administered by the Wyoming
higher education assistance authority created under W.S. 21
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16
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703
community college commission. The commission may contract with appropriate expertise and professionals in administering this section and in carrying out duties imposed by this section
. The program shall be known as the WYIN program. Applicants shall be residents of this state or graduates of a Wyoming high school and may apply for loans from the WYIN program in accordance with this section.

(c)

Subject to the availability of funds appropriated for this program, loans under the WYIN program may be granted to applicants enrolled or planning to enroll in nursing education programs as follows:

(i)

An applicant who is accepted into a Wyoming licensed practical nurse or registered nursing education program or a baccalaureate degree program in nursing may be eligible for a loan to pay the unmet need, as determined by the Wyoming
higher education assistance authority or its designee
community college commission
, of attendance at the licensed practical nursing education program or the registered nursing education program leading to an associate's or baccalaureate degree;

(ii)

A registered nurse with a baccalaureate degree who holds an unencumbered license with the Wyoming board of nursing, has the equivalent of at least one (1) year of full-time service teaching in a nursing education program in Wyoming as a registered nurse with a baccalaureate degree and is accepted into a nursing education program at the University of Wyoming leading to a master's degree in nursing or nursing education may be eligible for a loan to pay the unmet need of attendance, as determined by the Wyoming
higher education assistance authority or its designee
community college commission
, provided that in order to receive a loan for a master's degree program, the applicant shall agree to repay the loan by teaching at a Wyoming college or the University of Wyoming;

(iii)

A registered nurse with a master's degree in nursing who holds an unencumbered license with the Wyoming board of nursing, has the equivalent of at least one (1) year of full-time service teaching in a nursing education program in Wyoming as a registered nurse with a master's degree in nursing and is accepted into a nursing education program at an institution providing the required nursing education courses under contract with the western interstate commission for higher education or in a distance nursing education program at a university that is regionally accredited leading to a doctorate level degree in nursing may be eligible for a loan to pay the unmet need of attendance, as determined by the Wyoming
higher education assistance authority or its designee
community college commission
, provided that in order to receive a loan for a doctorate level degree program, the applicant shall agree to repay the loan by teaching at the University of Wyoming.

(g)

Any recipient of a WYIN loan who fails:

(iii)

The appropriate certification or licensure examination on the first attempt may retake the examination at the next available opportunity before commencing repayment of the loan. The recipient shall notify the Wyoming
higher education assistance authority or its contractor
community college commission
of the intent to retake the examination and the date the examination will be taken. Any recipient of a WYIN loan who fails the examination after the second attempt shall commence cash repayment of the loan within forty-five (45) days after receipt of notification of the second failure by the board of nursing. If the recipient of a WYIN loan who fails the examination on the first attempt does not retake the examination at the next available opportunity, cash repayment shall commence within forty-five (45) days after the next available examination is conducted.

(j)

The Wyoming
higher education assistance authority shall have the powers and duties specified in W.S. 21
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16
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705 to
community college commission shall
implement this section and shall establish terms and conditions of loans issued under this section, including:

(k)

Funding of the loan program established under this section shall be by appropriation of the legislature. The
authority
commission
shall transfer approved loan amounts to the University of Wyoming and to Wyoming community colleges at which loan recipients are enrolled. In consultation with the university and affected community colleges, the
authority
commission
shall establish procedures for transferring loan amounts and for reporting requirements on the expenditure of transferred loan amounts.

(n)

The
authority
commission
shall annually review the loan program established under this section and report to the governor and the legislature in accordance with W.S. 9
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2
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1014, regarding program results, funds received and loans issued during the preceding academic year, together with the status of all outstanding loan commitments and repayments under the program.

21
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18
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202.

Powers and duties of the commission.

(c)

The commission shall perform the following administrative functions:

(viii)

Administer the Wyoming investment in nursing loan and grant program established under W.S. 9
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2
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123.

Section 2.

(a)

Any policies and rules and regulations adopted and promulgated by the Wyoming higher education assistance authority to administer the Wyoming investment in nursing loan and grant program under W.S. 9
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2
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123(a), and in effect prior to the effective date of this act, shall remain in effect unaltered as rules and regulation of the Wyoming community college commission until amended or repealed by the commission.

(b)

Any unexpended, unobligated or unencumbered funds as of the effective date of this act which were appropriated to the Wyoming higher education assistance authority under 2004 Wyoming Session Laws, Chapter 95, Section 047, shall be transferred to the Wyoming community college commission.

(c)

In addition to subsection (b) of this section, eighty-five thousand seven dollars ($85,007.00) is appropriated from the general fund to the Wyoming community college commission to administer this act. The commission is authorized one (1) additional full-time position. Of the appropriation under this subsection, up to ten thousand dollars ($10,000.00) may be expended for contractual services.

Section 3.

This act is effective immediately upon co
m
pletion of all acts necessary for a bill to become law as provided by Article 4, Section 8 of the Wyoming Constit
u
tion.

(END)

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HB0135