THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	3353
THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2022
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

RELATING TO THE NURSING WORKFORCE.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that nursing demands in the State have increased significantly as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. In addition, increasing demand for nursing has been further challenged by the dire nursing shortage and efforts to fill nursing positions. The legislature further finds that nursing and other health care vacancies have a negative effect on patient access, quality of care, and nursing morale.

The legislature also finds that there are several ways to address the nursing workforce shortage in the State. They include investing in nursing academia by increasing nursing faculty positions across all University of Hawaii nursing schools, providing greater nurse training opportunities and transition to faculty practice training, improving representation within the nursing workforce by expanding the number of underrepresented ethnic groups in the nursing profession, developing specialty nurses, enhancing employment prospects for post-acute care nursing, and providing increased professional development support for nurses.

The purpose of this Act is to appropriate funds to support Hawaii's nursing workforce and address the nursing workforce shortage in the State.

SECTION 2. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $3,000,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2022-2023 to be expended as follows:

(1) $           for education grants to qualified students in nursing who represent underrepresented persons in nursing to address underrepresentation of persons of Native Hawaiian ancestry and other ethnic backgrounds in nursing;

(2) $           for            full-time equivalent (           FTE) permanent nursing faculty positions across the University of Hawaii system;

(3) $           for twenty new lecturers per semester in fiscal year 2022-2023 to provide transition to nursing faculty practice training; and

(4) $           for nursing professional development support, including funding to project the nursing workforce needs post-coronavirus pandemic, expanding nursing professional development and lifelong learning opportunities offered to in-state nursing, and improving clinical education capacity.

The sum appropriated shall be expended by the University of Hawaii for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 3. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2022.

INTRODUCED BY:

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Report Title:

Nursing Workforce; Nursing Vacancies; Faculty Positions; Grants; Training and Development; Appropriation

Description:

Appropriates funds to support Hawaii's nursing workforce and address the nursing workforce shortage by increasing University of Hawaii nursing faculty positions, providing education grants to qualified students who represent underrepresented persons in nursing, and providing greater training and development for nurses.

The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.