A. The board may establish a "nursing excellence program" that provides strategies to:
(1) enhance recruitment and retention of professional nurses, increase career and educational opportunities and improve interaction with health facilities administrations, the medical profession and institutions of higher education; and
(2) fund loan repayment assistance pursuant to Section 2 of this 2017 act [21-22D-11 NMSA 1978].
B. The board may impose a license renewal surcharge for each nursing license renewed in an amount not to exceed twenty dollars ($20.00) to implement and maintain the nursing excellence program. The surcharge shall be used as follows:
(1) fifty percent of each license renewal surcharge shall be deposited in the nursing excellence fund to be used by the board to carry out the provisions of Paragraph (1) of Subsection A of this section; and
(2) fifty percent of each license renewal surcharge shall be appropriated to the higher education department in accordance with the provisions of Section 2 of this 2017 act to fund loan repayment assistance for nurses in advanced practice who practice in areas of New Mexico that the higher education department has designated as underserved.
C. The board shall transfer the portion of the license renewal surcharge to be appropriated to the higher education department in accordance with the provisions of Paragraph (2) of Subsection B of this section by July 1, 2018 and by each July 1 thereafter.
History: Laws 2003, ch. 276, § 2; 2017, ch. 91, § 3.
The 2017 amendment, effective July 1, 2017, provided loan repayment assistance through nursing license renewal surcharge fees for nurses in advance practice who practice in areas of New Mexico that the higher education department has designated as underserved; in Subsection A, added paragraph designation "(1)", at the end of the paragraph, added "and", and added Paragraph A(2); in Subsection B, in the second sentence, added "surcharge shall be used as follows", and added Paragraphs B(1) and B(2); and added Subsection C.
Structure New Mexico Statutes
Chapter 61 - Professional and Occupational Licenses
Section 61-3-4 - Criminal offender's character evaluation.
Section 61-3-5 - License required.
Section 61-3-5.1 - Temporary licensure.
Section 61-3-6 - Administration of anesthetics.
Section 61-3-8 - Board created; members; qualifications; terms; vacancies; removal.
Section 61-3-9 - Board meetings; quorum; officers.
Section 61-3-10 - Powers; duties.
Section 61-3-10.1 - Hemodialysis technicians; training programs; certification.
Section 61-3-10.2 - Medication aides.
Section 61-3-10.5 - Nursing excellence program; license renewal surcharge.
Section 61-3-10.6 - Nursing excellence fund created.
Section 61-3-11 - Bonds; expenses.
Section 61-3-12 - Examination; notice to applicants.
Section 61-3-13 - Qualifications for licensure as a registered nurse.
Section 61-3-14 - Licensure of registered nurses; expedited licensure.
Section 61-3-16 - Fees for licensure as a registered nurse.
Section 61-3-17 - Registration under previous law.
Section 61-3-18 - Qualifications for licensure as a licensed practical nurse.
Section 61-3-19 - Licensure of licensed practical nurses; expedited licensure.
Section 61-3-21 - Registration under previous law.
Section 61-3-22 - Fees for licensure as a licensed practical nurse.
Section 61-3-23 - Permit to practice for graduate nurses.
Section 61-3-23.1 - Permit to practice for graduate nursing specialties.
Section 61-3-23.4 - Clinical nurse specialist; qualifications; endorsement; expedited licensure.
Section 61-3-23.6 - Recompiled.
Section 61-3-24 - Renewal of licenses.
Section 61-3-24.1 - Nurse licensure compact entered into.
Section 61-3-26 - Schools of nursing; standards; approval.
Section 61-3-27 - Fund established; disposition; method of payment.
Section 61-3-27.1 - Board of nursing fund; authorized use.