SB161: Bill Text

SB161,1,2 An Act to create 20.435 (1) (fk) and 146.615 of the statutes; relating to: training grants for advanced practice clinicians and making an appropriation.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

This bill requires the Department of Health Services to distribute grant moneys each fiscal biennium to hospitals and clinics that provide training opportunities for advanced practice clinicians. The department may distribute up to $50,000 per hospital or clinic per fiscal year, with certain preferences and requirements applied, depending upon whether the grant is a first-time grant. In distributing first-time grants, the department must give preference to advanced practice clinician clinical training programs that include rural hospitals and rural clinics as clinical training locations. Further, under the bill, the department must require a hospital or clinic that received a previous grant to use grant funds to pay for the costs of operating a clinical training program for advanced practice clinicians. The bill also requires a grant recipient to match through its own funding sources the amount of the grant awarded by the department.

For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

SB161,1 Section 1. 20.005 (3) (schedule) of the statutes: at the appropriate place, insert the following amounts for the purposes indicated: - See PDF for table

SB161,2 Section 2. 20.435 (1) (fk) of the statutes is created to read:

SB161,2,6 20.435 (1) (fk) Grants to establish advanced practice clinician training programs. Biennially, the amounts in the schedule for grants to hospitals under s. 146.615.

SB161,3 Section 3. 146.615 of the statutes is created to read:

SB161,2,8 146.615 Advanced practice clinician training grants. (1) In this section:

SB161,2,11 (a) “Advanced practice clinician" means a physician assistant or an advanced practice nurse, including a nurse practitioner, certified nurse midwife, clinical nurse specialist, or certified registered nurse anesthesiologist.

SB161,2,12 (b) “Clinic” has the meaning given in s. 146.903 (1) (b).

SB161,2,13 (c) “Hospital” has the meaning given in s. 50.33 (2).

SB161,2,15 (d) “Rural clinic” means a clinic that is located in a city, town, or village in this state that has a population of less than 20,000.

SB161,2,17 (e) “Rural hospital" means a hospital that is located in a city, town, or village in this state that has a population of less than 20,000.

SB161,3,6 (2) From the appropriation under s. 20.435 (1) (fk), subject to sub. (3), the department shall distribute grants to hospitals and clinics that provide new training opportunities for advanced practice clinicians. The department shall distribute the grants under this section to hospitals and clinics that apply, in the form and manner determined by the department, to receive grants and that satisfy the criteria under sub. (3).

SB161,3,8 (3) (a) The department may distribute up to $50,000 per fiscal year per hospital or clinic.

SB161,3,15 (b) If the department distributes a grant to a hospital or clinic that has not previously received a grant under this section, the hospital or clinic receiving the grant may use the grant to create the education and infrastructure for training advanced practice clinicians or for activities authorized under par. (c). In distributing grants under this section, the department shall give preference to advanced practice clinician clinical training programs that include rural hospitals and rural clinics as clinical training locations.

SB161,3,19 (c) If the department distributes a grant to a hospital or clinic that has previously received a grant under this section, the department shall require the hospital or clinic to use the grant to pay for the costs of operating a clinical training program for advanced practice clinicians, which may include any of the following:

SB161,3,20 1. Required books and materials.

SB161,3,21 2. Tuition and fees.

SB161,3,22 3. Stipends for reasonable living expenses.

SB161,3,24 4. Preceptor costs, including preceptor compensation attributable to training, certification requirements, travel, and advanced practice clinician training.

SB161,4,3 (d) A recipient awarded a grant under this section shall match through its own funding sources the amount of the grant distributed by the department for the purposes of operating an advanced practice clinician rotation.

SB161,4,7 (4) A hospital or clinic sponsoring a training program for advanced practice clinicians supported by a grant under this section may determine what, if any, posteducation requirements must be fulfilled by participants in the training program for advanced practice clinicians.

SB161,4 Section 4. Effective date.

SB161,4,10 (1) This act takes effect on the day after publication, or on the 2nd day after publication of the 2017 biennial budget act, whichever is later.

SB161,4,11 (End)