HB 389 — An Act amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known as the Public School Code of 1949, establishing the New Nursing Faculty Grant Program; providing for duties of the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency; and making an appropriation.

PRINTER'S NO.   354

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                         HOUSE BILL
                         No. 389
                                                  Session of
                                                    2025

     INTRODUCED BY KHAN, KOSIEROWSKI, TAKAC, MAYES, PASHINSKI,
        FLEMING, VENKAT, GIRAL, FREEMAN, HILL-EVANS, HANBIDGE,
        PROBST, OTTEN, CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, INGLIS, CERRATO, WAXMAN,
        KAZEEM, CIRESI, SANCHEZ, DONAHUE, HOHENSTEIN, D. WILLIAMS,
        SHUSTERMAN AND GREEN, JANUARY 28, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS, JANUARY 28, 2025


                                       AN ACT
 1   Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An
 2      act relating to the public school system, including certain
 3      provisions applicable as well to private and parochial
 4      schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the
 5      laws relating thereto," establishing the New Nursing Faculty
 6      Grant Program; providing for duties of the Pennsylvania
 7      Higher Education Assistance Agency; and making an
 8      appropriation.
 9      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
10   hereby enacts as follows:
11      Section 1.     The act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known
12   as the Public School Code of 1949, is amended by adding an
13   article to read:
14                               ARTICLE XXII-C
15                     NEW NURSING FACULTY GRANT PROGRAM
16   Section 2201-C.    Definitions.
17      The following words and phrases when used in this article
18   shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
19   context clearly indicates otherwise:
 1      "Accredited medical college."         As follows:
 2             (1)   An accredited medical college as defined in section
 3      2 of the act of December 20, 1985 (P.L.457, No.112), known as
 4      the Medical Practice Act of 1985.
 5             (2)   An osteopathic medical college as defined in section
 6      2 of the act of October 5, 1978 (P.L.1109, No.261), known as
 7      the Osteopathic Medical Practice Act.
 8             (3)   An institution of higher education that meets the
 9      requirements under section 6.1 of the act of May 22, 1951
10      (P.L.317, No.69), known as The Professional Nursing Law.
11             (4)   A program at an institution of higher education that
12      meets the requirements under 49 Pa. Code § 18.131 (relating
13      to recognized educational programs/standards).
14             (5)   A program at an institution of higher education that
15      meets the requirements under 49 Pa. Code § 25.151 (relating
16      to certification of physician assistant educational
17      programs).
18             (6)   An institution of higher education that meets the
19      requirements under section 3(c) of the act of May 1, 1933
20      (P.L.216, No.76), known as The Dental Law.
21      "Agency."     The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance
22   Agency.
23      "Application."     An application for a grant under the program.
24      "Eligible individual."     An individual who meets the
25   eligibility criteria specified under section 2203-C(c).
26      "Full-time."     A faculty course load of 12 or more academic
27   credits in each of two semesters in an academic year of an
28   accredited medical college.
29      "Grant."     A grant under the program.
30      "Nursing faculty member."     An individual employed by an

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 1   accredited medical college who is responsible for teaching
 2   nursing curriculum on-site. The term does not include an
 3   individual who teaches nursing curriculum entirely online.
 4      "Program."     The New Nursing Faculty Grant Program established
 5   under section 2202-C.
 6   Section 2202-C.    New Nursing Faculty Grant Program.
 7      The agency shall establish and administer the New Nursing
 8   Faculty Grant Program as specified under this article to provide
 9   grants to individuals who are nominated by an accredited medical
10   college under section 2203-C(a) and satisfy the eligibility
11   requirements under section 2203-C(c).
12   Section 2203-C.    Applications and eligibility for grants.
13      (a)   Applications.--No later than 120 days after the
14   effective date of this subsection, the agency shall develop and
15   make available an application form on the agency's publicly
16   accessible Internet website. To apply for or renew a grant, the
17   dean or director of nursing of an accredited medical college
18   shall submit an application to the agency. The application shall
19   include, at a minimum, the following information:
20            (1)   The name and current curriculum vitae of each
21      nursing faculty member who is nominated for a grant by the
22      accredited medical college.
23            (2)   A verification of the date of hire or a statement
24      certifying intention to hire each nursing faculty member.
25            (3)   An anticipated title and discipline of employment
26      for each nursing faculty member.
27            (4)   A description of the job functions to be performed
28      by each nursing faculty member.
29            (5)   A narrative that substantiates that each nominated
30      nursing faculty member will increase the enrollment capacity

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 1      of the accredited medical college and that each employment
 2      position was historically difficult to fill.
 3      (b)   Restrictions.--The number of nominations made by an
 4   accredited medical college in an application in accordance with
 5   subsection (a) shall be unlimited, but the accredited medical
 6   college shall submit each nomination in the application in
 7   priority order.
 8      (c)   Eligibility.--To be eligible for a grant, an individual
 9   shall meet all of the following criteria:
10            (1)   Be a resident of this Commonwealth.
11            (2)   Be employed as or hold a pending offer to become a
12      full-time nursing faculty member at an accredited medical
13      college.
14            (3)   Have been employed as a full-time nursing faculty
15      member for a period of no more than three years.
16            (4)   Have been nominated by an accredited medical college
17      in an application in accordance with subsection (a).
18      (d)   Selection method.--The agency shall establish a
19   selection panel to review each application submitted to the
20   agency. The selection panel shall give priority to nursing
21   faculty positions that have been historically difficult to fill
22   and specify the priority order in an application. The agency
23   shall award grants based on the number of nominations under
24   subsection (a) and the availability of funding for the grants.
25   Section 2204-C.    Amount and use of grants.
26      (a)   Amount.--The agency may award a grant in an amount of
27   $10,000 to an eligible individual.
28      (b)   Use.--An eligible individual may use a grant for the
29   following purposes:
30            (1)   Professional expenses.

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 1            (2)   Loan repayment.
 2            (3)   Salary supplements for work as a nursing faculty
 3      member.
 4      (c)   Renewal.--The agency may renew a grant for up to four
 5   additional years if an eligible individual remains in continuous
 6   employment as a nursing faculty member at the accredited medical
 7   college from which the eligible individual was nominated in
 8   accordance with section 2203-C(a), subject to the availability
 9   of grant funding. The dean or director of nursing of an
10   accredited medical college shall submit an application to the
11   agency for an eligible individual seeking a grant renewal in
12   accordance with section 2203-C(a). The agency may not renew a
13   grant if an eligible individual transfers to another accredited
14   medical college or institution of higher education, resigns or
15   does not remain a full-time nursing faculty member.
16      (d)   Limitations.--The agency shall award grants from money
17   appropriated for the program. The agency shall give first
18   priority for the awarding of grants to applications for renewals
19   of grants under subsection (c). An eligible individual may not
20   transfer a grant to another accredited medical college or
21   institution of higher education.
22   Section 2205-C.    Annual report.
23      The agency shall annually publish a report on the program on
24   the agency's publicly accessible Internet website. The agency
25   shall include the following information in the report:
26            (1)   The number of eligible individuals receiving grants.
27            (2)   Demographic and income statistics of each eligible
28      individual receiving a grant.
29            (3)   Each accredited medical college that applied for a
30      grant.

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 1           (4)   Outcome measures, including the following:
 2                 (i)    The number of grant recipients currently
 3           employed as nursing faculty members after three years.
 4                 (ii)    The number of grant recipients currently
 5           employed as nursing faculty members after five years.
 6                 (iii)    Any other measures determined by the agency.
 7   Section 2206-C.       Grants not taxable income.
 8      A grant received by an eligible individual shall not be
 9   considered taxable income for purposes of Article III of the act
10   of March 4, 1971 (P.L.6, No.2), known as the Tax Reform Code of
11   1971.
12   Section 2207-C.       Administrative costs.
13      From money appropriated to the agency for the program, the
14   agency may retain a reasonable amount necessary to pay for
15   direct costs to implement the program, not to exceed 5%. The
16   agency shall include an estimate of costs to administer the
17   program within the agency's annual submissions under section 610
18   of the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177, No.175), known as The
19   Administrative Code of 1929.
20   Section 2208-C.       Regulations and guidelines.
21      The agency shall promulgate regulations and adopt guidelines
22   and procedures necessary to implement this article.
23      Section 2.       The sum of $2,300,000 is appropriated from the
24   General Fund to the agency for fiscal year 2025-2026 for the
25   purposes of the addition of Article XXII-C of the act.
26      Section 3.       This act shall take effect in 60 days.




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