Senate Bill sb2752

    Florida Senate - 2006                                  SB 2752

    By Senator Smith





    14-1491-06

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to nursing recruitment;

  3         amending s. 1009.66, F.S.; increasing the

  4         amount of a loan that is eligible for repayment

  5         under the Nursing Student Loan Forgiveness

  6         Program; increasing the amount of the loan

  7         principal which the Department of Health may

  8         repay for selected graduates of a nursing

  9         program; amending s. 1009.67, F.S.; increasing

10         the amounts of nursing scholarships awarded by

11         the department; providing an effective date.

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

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15         Section 1.  Subsections (3) and (4) of section 1009.66,

16  Florida Statutes, are amended to read:

17         1009.66  Nursing Student Loan Forgiveness Program.--

18         (3)  Only loans to pay the costs of tuition, books, and

19  living expenses shall be covered, at an amount not to exceed

20  $7,000 $4,000 for each year of education toward the degree

21  obtained.

22         (4)  From the funds available, the Department of Health

23  may make loan principal repayments of up to $7,000 $4,000 a

24  year for up to 4 years on behalf of selected graduates of an

25  accredited or approved nursing program. All repayments shall

26  be contingent upon continued proof of employment in the

27  designated facilities in this state and shall be made directly

28  to the holder of the loan. The state does not shall bear any

29  no responsibility for the collection of any interest charges

30  or other remaining balance. If In the event that the

31  designated facilities are changed, a nurse shall continue to

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






    Florida Senate - 2006                                  SB 2752
    14-1491-06




 1  be eligible for loan forgiveness as long as he or she

 2  continues to work in the facility for which the original loan

 3  repayment was made and otherwise meets all conditions of

 4  eligibility.

 5         Section 2.  Subsection (3) of section 1009.67, Florida

 6  Statutes, is amended to read:

 7         1009.67  Nursing scholarship program.--

 8         (3)  A scholarship may be awarded for no more than 2

 9  years, in an amount not to exceed $10,000 $8,000 per year.

10  However, registered nurses pursuing a graduate degree for a

11  faculty position or to practice as an advanced registered

12  nurse practitioner may receive up to $15,000 $12,000 per year.

13  These amounts shall be adjusted by the amount of increase or

14  decrease in the consumer price index for urban consumers

15  published by the United States Department of Commerce.

16         Section 3.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2006.

17  

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19                          SENATE SUMMARY

20    Increases the amount of loans eligible for repayment and
      used to pay certain costs of education in obtaining a
21    nursing degree. Increases the amount of the
      loan-principal repayments that the Department of Health
22    may make for selected graduates of a nursing program.
      Increases the amounts of nursing scholarships awarded by
23    the department.

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