Menu
2004 Session

Budget Amendments - SB30 (Member Request)

View Budget Item
View Budget Item amendments

Chief Patron: Puller
Funding for nursing programs (language only)

Item 165 #1s

Item 165 #1s

Education: Higher Education
State Council of Higher Education for Virginia

Language
Page 143, line 1, insert:  
"H.1. It is the intent of the General Assembly that by 2010, nursing programs at public colleges and universities in the Commonwealth shall increase enrollment and graduation rates by 50 percent over current levels and that at least 50 percent of the graduates in these programs shall practice nursing in the Commonwealth after completing their programs.  Further the General Assembly intends that general fund support for nursing programs be contingent on institutions showing satisfactory progress in meeting these goals.
a.  In order to monitor institutions' progress in meeting these goals, the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, in consultation with the Secretary of Education and the schools and departments of nursing at Virginia's public colleges and universities, shall report annually to the chairmen of the House Appropriations and Senate Finance Committees by December 1 on the progress made towards increasing enrollment and graduation rates within nursing programs.
b.  To the extent the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia finds that an institution is not making sufficient progress in meeting the objectives of the General Assembly, the State Council shall estimate the amount of general fund support being provided for nursing programs using the base funding guidelines adopted by the Joint Subcommittee Studying Higher Education in November 2001, and subsequently amended.  This amount shall be adjusted to reflect each institution's overall funding level relative to full funding of the guidelines.  The State Council shall report its finding to the Department of Planning and Budget and the chairmen of the House Appropriations and Senate Finance Committees by December 1 of each year.
c.  For those institutions deemed by the State Council of Higher Education not to be making sufficient progress towards the state goals, the Department of Planning and Budget shall unallot the estimated general fund support being provided for nursing programs, pursuant to the findings of the State Council identified in subparagraph b."


Explanation
(This amendment makes funding for nursing programs contingent upon institutions increasing program enrollment and graduation rates.)