ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Fifty-fifth Legislature

Second Regular Session

 

HB 2691: health care workforce; grant programs

Sponsor: Representative Osborne, LD 13

Committee on Appropriations

Overview

Appropriates $42,500,000 from the state General Fund (GF) in each of FY 2023 through FY 2027 to the Department of Health Services (DHS) for health workforce development programs and $5,000,000 from the GF in each of FY 2023 through FY 2025 to the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) for a behavioral health workforce training program.

History

DHS is responsible for providing a majority of public health programs outside of AHCCCS. This includes emergency medical services and health education and training programs. DHS is also responsible for maintaining the health professionals workforce database, which receives information from health profession regulatory boards (A.R.S. § 36-104).

AHCCCS, which serves as the state's Medicaid program, provides healthcare services including behavioral health programs. These behavioral health programs include unified mental health programs (excluding the Arizona State Hospital) and addictive behavior programs (A.R.S. § 36-3403).

Provisions

1.   ☐ Prop 105 (45 votes) ☐ Prop 108 (40 votes) ☐ Emergency (40 votes) ☐ Fiscal NoteAppropriates $15,000,000 from the GF in each of FYs 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026 and 2027 for the Arizona Nurse Education Investment Program established within DHS. (Sec. 1)

2.   Establishes the Arizona Nurse Education Investment Program Fund within DHS, to consist of legislative appropriations and federal funds, be continuously appropriated and be exempt from lapsing. (Sec. 1)

3.   Instructs DHS to allocate Arizona Nurse Education Investment Program Fund monies to the Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR) and community college districts based on the number of nursing students who graduate in FY 2022. (Sec. 1)

4.   Authorizes ABOR and community college districts to use their allocations to pay for expenses to increase the number of nursing education faculty members, to pay for capital expenses and student support services and to supplement and not supplant existing appropriations. (Sec. 1)

5.   Outlines policies for distributing monies to the community college districts and state universities. (Sec. 1)

6.   Appropriates $27,000,000 from the GF in each of FYs 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026 and 2027 for the Nurse Clinical Rotation and Licensed Nurse Training Program established within DHS. (Sec. 1)

7.   Directs DHS to use the Nurse Clinical Rotation and Licensed Nurse Training Program to provide grants to licensed health care institutions to expand or create clinical training placements for nursing students. (Sec. 1)

8.   States that a grant from the Nurse Clinical Rotation and Licensed Nurse Training Program must supplement, and not supplant, existing expenses and that a grant applicant must include matching monies from a revenue source other than the GF. (Sec. 1)

9.   Allows DHS to use up to $2,000,000 from the Nurse Clinical Rotation and Licensed Nurse Training Program appropriation as a grant to a statewide hospital association to implement a Licensed Nurse Transition to Practice Program. (Sec. 1)

10.  Outlines policies for the Licensed Nurse Transition to Practice Program, including curricula elements and voluntary participation. (Sec. 1)

11.  Provides annual reporting requirements that DHS must provide to the Governor and Legislature by December 31, 2023 and each subsequent year. (Sec. 1)

12.  Appropriates $500,000 from the GF in each of FYs 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026 and 2027 for the Preceptor Grant Program for Graduate Students established within DHS. (Sec. 1)

13.  Distributes the Preceptor Grant Program for Graduate Students appropriation to the three largest statewide nonprofit organizations representing allopathic physicians, osteopathic physicians or advanced practice registered nurses. (Sec. 1)

14.  Directs the nonprofit organizations to distribute grants of up to $1,000 to preceptors, with priority given to primary healthcare providers and providers in rural areas. (Sec. 1)

15.  Appropriates $5,000,000 from the GF in each of FYs 2023, 2024 and 2025 to AHCCCS for the Demonstration Project Program Fund to distribute to the Maricopa County Community College District and the Navajo County Community College District. (Sec. 1)

16.  Outlines permissible uses of the Demonstration Project Program Fund distributions, including to pay for expenses to increase the number of nursing education faculty members and to pay for tuition for eligible students in behavioral health programs. (Sec. 1)

17.  Establishes a reporting requirement for AHCCCS, to be delivered to the Governor and Legislature by December 31, 2023 and each subsequent year. (Sec. 1)

18.  Defines relevant terms. (Sec. 1)

19.  Repeals the health care workforce grant programs established by this act on July 1, 2028. (Sec. 2)

20.  Contains a legislative intent clause. (Sec. 3)

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24.                    HB 2691

25.  Initials AF  Page 0 Appropriations

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