Amend CSHB 1 (house committee printing) in Article III, within the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board bill pattern as follows:
26.  Professional Nursing Shortage Reduction Program. Appropriations for the Professional Nursing Shortage Reduction Program total $23,400,000 in fiscal year 2024 and $23,400,000 in fiscal year 2025. These funds shall be allocated as follows:
The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) shall allocate the funds appropriated in their bill pattern in Strategy D.1.6, as follows:
(a)  Up to 5 percent each year may be used for administrative expenses. Funds used for program administration shall proportionally reduce the amounts allocated in Subsections (b), (c), and (d).
(b)  Growth Tier. Out of funds appropriated above in Strategy D.1.6, Professional Nursing Shortage Reduction Program, $28,080,000 shall be distributed in an equitable manner to institutions with nursing programs, including institutions graduating their first nursing class, based on increases in the numbers of nursing students graduating. Nursing graduates include graduates for both initial licensure and bachelor's completion, RN-to-BSN programs. [The THEGB shall apply a weight of 1.5 for increased graduates in nursing educator programs-identified with a Classification of Instructional Program code of 51.3808 and 51.3817.] The THECB shall allocate up to 50 percent in each fiscal year of the biennium and any unexpended amounts to community colleges.
(c)  Production Tier. Out of funds appropriated above in Strategy D.1.6, Professional Nursing Shortage Reduction Program, $4,680,000 in fiscal year 2024 and $4,680,000 in fiscal year 2025 shall be distributed in an equitable manner based on the total number of nursing students graduating from a program each year. Nursing graduates include graduates for both initial licensure and bachelor's completion, and RN-to-BSN programs.
(d)  Faculty Tier. Out of funds appropriated above in Strategy D.1.6, Professional Nursing Shortage Reduction Program, $4,680,000 in fiscal year 2024 and $4,680,000 in fiscal year 2025 shall be distributed in an equitable manner based on the total number of doctoral level nurses graduating from a program each year.
(e)  In the allocations distributed by Paragraphs (b) and (c) for the Growth Tier and Production Tier, respectively, the THECB shall apply the following weights to nursing graduates counted towards the formula calculations in each tier:
(i)  2.5 for prelicensure graduates of Bachelors of Science in Nursing programs;
(ii)  2.0 for graduates of Associate Degree in Nursing Programs;
(iii)  1.5 for graduates of RN to BSN, Masters of Science in Nursing Education and Doctor of Philosophy programs (CIP codes 51.3808 and 51.3817);
(iv)  0.5 for Advanced Practice Registered Nursing graduate degree programs; and
(v)  1.0 for all other nursing graduates.
(f)  For THECB expenditure purposes, any funds not expended in fiscal year 2024 may be expended in fiscal year 2025 for the same purposes. If an institution spends funds on non-qualifying expenditures or does not spend the funds within the designated timeframe, the institution shall return these funds to the THECB by the date specified by THECB rule. The THECB shall reallocate these funds to other qualified programs. All institutions receiving funds shall submit to the THECB a detailed accounting of funds received, obligated or expended.
(g)  The THECB may not include nonresident students who are enrolled in online professional nursing programs while residing outside of the state in methodologies used to calculate program awards described in Paragraphs b, c, and d.
[(h)     Using funds under Subsection (a), the Higher Education Coordinating Board shall consider if and how metrics relating to quality of nursing programs should be incorporated in the program and any recommendations for weighting of different types of nursing degrees awarded. The coordinating board shall confer with higher education nursing programs and the Texas Nurses Association in the developing of these weighted metrics. The coordinating board shall make any recommendations to the-legislature-by, November   1, 2022. It is the intent of the legislature that this Subsection (e) expire after the 2022-23 biennium.]