Senate Bill sb0216c1

    Florida Senate - 2002                            CS for SB 216

    By the Committee on Health, Aging and Long-Term Care; and
    Senator Cowin




    317-771-02

  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 not-for-profit hospitals for nurse

16  retention and out-of-state recruitment activities during the

17  2002-2003 fiscal year. These moneys are subject to a

18  one-for-one match from sources other than the government of

19  this state or one of its political subdivisions. Moneys not

20  matched by September 30, 2002, revert to the General Revenue

21  Fund.

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

23  grants under this act beginning July 1, 2002. The department

24  shall determine grant amounts beginning October 1, 2002, once

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

26  been matched by additional moneys is determined and the

27  department can determine the amount of grant moneys available.

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

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

30  shall require that a hospital have experienced an average

31  vacancy rate among nursing positions during the preceding 12

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






    Florida Senate - 2002                            CS for SB 216
    317-771-02




  1  months of 20 percent or more. If the amount available for

  2  distribution is less than the aggregate amount of requests

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

  4  grants pro rata.

  5         Section 2.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

  6  law.

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  8          STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
                       COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
  9                         Senate Bill 216

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11  Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 216 limits awarding of
    grants for nurse retention and out-of-state recruitment
12  activities to not-for-profit hospitals. The committee
    substitute revises the eligibility criteria for hospitals to
13  receive grants for nurse recruitment to those hospitals that
    have had a vacancy rate among nursing positions of 20 percent
14  or more during the preceding 12 months. The revised effective
    date of the committee substitute is upon becoming a law.
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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.