The Committee on Health and Human Resources moves to amend the bill on page four, section four, line three, by striking out the words “Licensed Practical” and inserting in lieu thereof the words “Registered Professional”.

And,

On page twenty-one, by striking out section twenty-two in its entirety and inserting in lieu thereof a new section twenty-two to read as follows:

“§30-7-22. Schools of nursing.

(a) A nursing program approved by the boards before January 1, 2018, is determined to meet all of the criteria as established by the Department of Education, the Higher Education Policy Commission or the Council for Community and Technical Colleges and shall continue to be approved to operate in this state.

(b) On July 1, 2018, the initial approval of nursing programs is transferred to the appropriate educational regulating entity either the Department of Education, the Higher Education Policy Commission, or the Council for Community and Technical Colleges. A program approved by the Department of Education, the Higher Education Policy Commission, or the Council for Community and Technical Colleges is approved by the Board of Nursing.

(c) By July 1, 2022, a nursing program shall be accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education. A program created after the July 1, 2018, shall have 5 years to obtain accreditation by an accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education.

(d) The board may require information concerning the nursing program to be reported to the board by legislative rule. The requested information shall be consistent with information already being collected by the schools which is required to maintain the program’s accreditation.

(e) Upon advice of national nursing accreditors, the Department of Education, the Higher Education Policy Commission, or the Council for Community and Technical Colleges may close a program. The board, the Department of Education, the Higher Education Policy Commission, or the Council for Community and Technical Colleges shall assist students to transition to a new nursing program, if a nursing program is closed.”

And,

On page thirty-one, after section thirty-two, by inserting a new section, designated section thirty-three, to read as follows:

“§30-7-33. Transition period.

The Board of Nursing has one year to transition from the Board of Examiners for Registered Nursing and the Board of Examiners for Practical Nursing.”