Senate Bill sb2248

    Florida Senate - 2001                                  SB 2248

    By Senator Cowin





    11-1352-01

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to nurses; providing an

  3         appropriation to the Department of Health;

  4         requiring private match of appropriated funds;

  5         providing for grants to hospitals for nurse

  6         recruitment and retention; providing for rules;

  7         providing eligibility criteria; providing an

  8         effective date.

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10  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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12         Section 1.  (1)  The sum of $1 million is appropriated

13  from the General Revenue Fund to the Department of Health.

14  Moneys in this appropriation shall be used by that department

15  to make grants to local hospitals for nurse recruitment and

16  retention activities during the 2001-2002 fiscal year. These

17  moneys are subject to a one-for-one match from sources other

18  than the government of this state or one of its political

19  subdivisions. Moneys not matched by September 30, 2001, revert

20  to the General Revenue Fund.

21         (2)  The Department of Health shall accept requests for

22  grants under this act beginning July 1, 2001. The department

23  shall determine grant amounts beginning October 1, 2001, once

24  the amount of the appropriation in subsection (1) which has

25  been matched by additional moneys is determined and the

26  department can determine the amount of grant moneys available.

27         (3)  The department shall by rule adopt criteria for

28  grant awards. In addition to other criteria, the department

29  shall require that a hospital have experienced an average

30  vacancy rate among nursing positions during the preceding 12

31  months of 10 percent or more. If the amount available for

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2001                                  SB 2248
    11-1352-01




  1  distribution is less than the aggregate amount of requests

  2  that meet the department's criteria, the department shall make

  3  grants pro rata.

  4         Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2001.

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  7                          SENATE SUMMARY

  8    Appropriates $1 million to the Department of Health. Any
      portion of the appropriation not matched one-for-one by
  9    private funds by September 30, 2001, reverts to general
      revenue. Of the amount thus available, the department
10    will make grants to local hospitals having the greatest
      difficulty in retaining nurses to be used for nurse
11    recruitment and retention.

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.