1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to education; establishing a grant program 
  1.3             for nursing to be supervised by the higher education 
  1.4             coordinating board and administered by the 
  1.5             metropolitan healthcare foundation's project LINC; 
  1.6             appropriating money; proposing coding for new law in 
  1.7             Minnesota Statutes, chapter 136A. 
  1.8   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.9      Section 1.  [136A.136] [NURSING GRANT PROGRAM.] 
  1.10     Subdivision 1.  [ESTABLISHMENT.] A nursing grant program is 
  1.11  established under the supervision of the higher education 
  1.12  coordinating board and the administration of the metropolitan 
  1.13  healthcare foundation's project LINC to provide grants to 
  1.14  Minnesota health care facility employees seeking to complete a 
  1.15  baccalaureate or master's degree in nursing. 
  1.16     Subd. 2.  [RESPONSIBILITY OF METROPOLITAN HEALTHCARE 
  1.17  FOUNDATION'S PROJECT LINC.] The metropolitan healthcare 
  1.18  foundation's project LINC shall administer the grant program and 
  1.19  award grants to eligible health care facility employees.  To be 
  1.20  eligible to receive a grant, a person must be: 
  1.21     (1) an employee of a health care facility located in 
  1.22  Minnesota, whom the facility has recommended to the metropolitan 
  1.23  healthcare foundation's project LINC for consideration; 
  1.24     (2) working part time, up to 32 hours per pay period, for 
  1.25  the health care facility, while maintaining full salary and 
  1.26  benefits; 
  2.1      (3) enrolled full time in a Minnesota school or college of 
  2.2   nursing to complete a baccalaureate or master's degree in 
  2.3   nursing; and 
  2.4      (4) a resident of the state of Minnesota. 
  2.5      The grant must be awarded for one academic year but is 
  2.6   renewable for a maximum of six semesters or nine quarters of 
  2.7   full-time study, or their equivalent.  The grant must be used 
  2.8   for tuition, fees, and books.  Priority in awarding grants shall 
  2.9   be given to persons with the greatest financial need.  The 
  2.10  health care facility may require its employee to commit to a 
  2.11  reasonable postprogram completion of employment at the health 
  2.12  care facility as a condition for the financial support the 
  2.13  facility provides. 
  2.14     Subd. 3.  [RESPONSIBILITY OF HIGHER EDUCATION COORDINATING 
  2.15  BOARD.] The higher education coordinating board shall distribute 
  2.16  money each year to the metropolitan healthcare foundation's 
  2.17  project LINC to be used to award grants under this section, 
  2.18  provided that the higher education coordinating board shall not 
  2.19  distribute the money unless the metropolitan healthcare 
  2.20  foundation's project LINC matches the money with an equal amount 
  2.21  from nonstate sources.  The metropolitan healthcare foundation's 
  2.22  project LINC shall expend nonstate money prior to expending 
  2.23  state money and shall return to the higher education 
  2.24  coordinating board all state money not used each year for 
  2.25  nursing program grants to be redistributed under this section.  
  2.26  The metropolitan healthcare foundation's project LINC shall 
  2.27  report to the higher education coordinating board on its program 
  2.28  activity as requested by the board. 
  2.29     Sec. 2.  [APPROPRIATION.] 
  2.30     $....... is appropriated from the general fund for the 
  2.31  biennium ending June 30, 1997, to the higher education 
  2.32  coordinating board for the metropolitan healthcare foundation's 
  2.33  project LINC to award grants under section 1.  $....... is 
  2.34  available for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1996, and $....... 
  2.35  is available for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1997.