1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to health; establishing a grant program for nursing education 
1.3 	demonstration projects; appropriating money.
1.4 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.5 	Section 1. INNOVATION IN NURSING EDUCATION DEMONSTRATION 
1.6 	PROJECTS.
 1.7 	(a) The commissioner of health shall make grants to the College of St. Catherine 
1.8 	and the College of St. Scholastica for innovation in nursing education demonstration 
1.9 	projects. Through the demonstration projects, each grantee must redesign its nursing 
1.10 	education curricula to include a greater use of technology in teaching and learning, 
1.11 	purchase educational software and hardware, and provide faculty training and leadership 
1.12 	to ensure the effective use of teaching technology in the classroom. 
1.13 	(b) The goal of these projects is to demonstrate that the use of nursing education 
1.14 	technologies will accomplish the following:
1.15 	(1) increase the number of nursing graduates without the need to hire additional 
1.16 	faculty;
1.17 	(2) reduce the burden on health care providers in providing clinical time for nursing 
1.18 	students by utilizing a virtual clinical experience on campus;
1.19 	(3) reduce the burden on health care providers for postgraduation, entry-level 
1.20 	nursing training;
1.21 	(4) improve the ability of nursing graduates to serve underserved rural populations; 
1.22 	and
1.23 	(5) improve cultural knowledge among nursing graduates.
2.1 	(c) By March 15, 2011, the College of St. Catherine and the College of St. 
2.2 	Scholastica must report to the commissioner of health, the Board of Nursing, and the 
2.3 	membership of the Minnesota Association of Colleges of Nursing on the progress made 
2.4 	towards the goal stated in paragraph (b).

2.5 	Sec. 2. APPROPRIATION.
 2.6 	$1,504,000 in fiscal year 2010 is transferred from the state government special 
2.7 	revenue fund to the general fund. $1,504,000 is appropriated in fiscal year 2010 from the 
2.8 	general fund to the commissioner of health for grants to the College of St. Catherine and 
2.9 	the College of St. Scholastica for the innovation in nursing education demonstration 
2.10 	projects. The grants shall be distributed equally so that each grantee receives $752,000. 
2.11 	Grant amounts not expended in the first year of the biennium shall not cancel but shall be 
2.12 	available in the second year. This is a onetime appropriation.