By Turner S.B. No. 552 74R4575 PB-F A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-1 AN ACT 1-2 relating to the establishment of a reeducation program for certain 1-3 registered nurses. 1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-5 SECTION 1. Chapter 7, Title 71, Revised Statutes, is amended 1-6 by adding Article 4518a to read as follows: 1-7 Art. 4518a. PROFESSIONAL REEDUCATION PROGRAM 1-8 Sec. 1. (a) The board may conduct education programs for 1-9 the reeducation of registered nurses who are displaced by changes 1-10 in the workplace caused by the restructuring of the health care 1-11 delivery system resulting in: 1-12 (1) a redistribution of employment situations for 1-13 registered nurses among existing practice settings; 1-14 (2) the development of employment situations in new or 1-15 nontraditional practice settings; and 1-16 (3) the need for additional professional skills for 1-17 registered nurses to qualify for employment in existing or new 1-18 practice settings. 1-19 (b) The board shall design the programs to provide a 1-20 displaced registered nurse with the competencies and skills 1-21 necessary to remain employable as a professional registered nurse. 1-22 Sec. 2. (a) The board may accept, transfer, and spend funds 1-23 made available by the federal or state government or by another 1-24 public or private source to fund a reeducation program conducted 2-1 under this article. 2-2 (b) The board may enter into contracts, award grants, or 2-3 make other analogous arrangements as necessary to implement this 2-4 article. 2-5 (c) The board may charge a reasonable fee to a registered 2-6 nurse provided reeducation under this article to cover the costs of 2-7 the reeducation program. However, a registered nurse may not be 2-8 denied the opportunity to participate in programs adopted under 2-9 this article because of inability to pay. The board shall deposit 2-10 fees collected under this subsection in a special account in the 2-11 state treasury to be used by the board only for the implementation 2-12 of this article, including the employment of any necessary staff. 2-13 Any balance remaining in the special account at the end of a fiscal 2-14 year shall be reallocated for the same purposes for the next fiscal 2-15 year. 2-16 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1995. 2-17 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 2-18 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-19 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-20 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-21 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.