An Act to Increase Faculty in Maine Nursing Education Programs
Maine Legislature, Session 121, LD 0735
Committee: Appropriations and Financial Affairs
Sponsors: RICHARDSON, DOUGLASS, ANDREWS, BREAULT, FISCHER, LED WIN, BRENNAN, PENDLETON

Legislative Document 
No. 735 
H.P.541 
House of Representatives, February 14,2003 
An Act to Increase Faculty in Maine Nursing Education Programs 
Reference to the Committee on Appropriations and Financial Affairs suggested and ordered 
printed. 
Presented by Representative RICHARDSON of Brunswick. 
Cosponsored by Senator DOUGLASS of Androscoggin and 
/rl~ 
1?1·llIdC~ 
Mll..LICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Representatives: ANDREWS of York, BREAULT of Buxton, FISCHER of Presque Isle, 
LED WIN of Holden, Senators: BRENNAN of Cumberland, PENDLETON of Cumberland. 
Printed on recycled paper 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 10 MRSA c. 110, sub-c. 12 is enacted to read: 
SUBCHAPTER 12 
NURSING EDUCATION 
§1100-Z. 
Nursing education loan repayment program 
1. 
Nursing education loan repayment program. 
The nursing 
education loan repayment program is established for the purpose 
of increasing the number of nursing faculty in nursing education 
programs in the State. 
2. 
Criteria. 
For 
an 
applicant 
to participate in 
the 
nursing 
education 
loan 
repayment 
program 
established 
under 
subsection 1, the applicant must: 
A. 
Be a nurse; 
B. 
Complete a master's or doctoral degree in nursing; 
C. 
Possess an outstanding education loan relating to the 
master's or doctoral nursing degree; and 
D. 
Sign a statement of intent in a form acceptable to the 
authority to work as nursing faculty in a nursing education 
program 
in 
the 
State 
for 
a 
minimum 
of 
years 
after 
acceptance into the nursing education loan repayment program. 
3. 
Nursing 
education 
loan 
repayment 
fund. 
There 
is 
established the nursing education loan repayment fund within the 
authority to carry out the purposes of the nursing education loan 
repayment 
program 
established 
under 
subsection 
1. 
Eligible 
investment 
earnings 
credited 
to 
the 
assets 
of 
the 
nursing 
education loan repayment fund become part of the assets of that 
fund. 
Any 
balance 
remaining 
in 
the 
nursing 
education 
loan 
repayment fund at the end of any fiscal year does not lapse but 
must be carried forward for the next fiscal year. 
4. 
. Administration. 
The nursing education loan repayment 
program 
and 
the 
nursing 
education 
loan 
repayment 
fund 
are 
administered by the authority. 
The authority shall repay the 
loan of an applicant who meets the criteria in subsection 2 in 
the amount of up to $4,500 for a master's degree and up to $6,000 
for a doctoral degree. 
The authority may adopt rules to carry 
out the purposes of this subchapter. 
Rules adopted pursuant to 
the subsection are major substantive rules pursuant to Title 5, 
chapter 375, subchapter 2-A. 
Page l-LR0932(1) 
• 
• 
Sec. 
2. 
Appropriations 
and 
allocations. 
The 
following 
appropriations and allocations are made. 
FINANCE AUTHORITY OF MAINE 
Nursing Education Loan Repayment Fund 
Ini tiati ve: 
Provides 
funds 
to 
the 
repayment 
fund to 
increase the 
number 
nursing education programs in the State. 
General Fund 
All Other 
General Fund Total 
FINANCE AUTHORITY OF MAINE 
TOTALS 
GENERAL FUND 
DEPARTMENT TOTAL -
ALL FUNDS 
SECTION TOTALS 
GENERAL FUND 
SECTION TOTAL -
ALL FUNDS 
SUMMARY 
nursing 
education 
loan 
of nursing faculty in 
2003-04 
$50,000 
$50,000 
2003-04 
$50.000 
$50,000 
2003-04 
$50.000 
$50.000 
2004-05 
$50,000 
$50,000 
2004-05 
$50.000 
$50,000 
2004-05 
$50.000 
$50.000 
This 
bill creates 
the 
nursing 
education 
loan 
repayment 
program and fund, to be administered by the Finance Authority of 
Maine, for the purpose of increasing nursing faculty at nursing 
education programs in the State. 
The program will repay up to 
$4,500 of education loans for a master's degree and up to $6,000 
of education loans for a doctoral degree for a nurse who commits 
to working as faculty in a nursing education program in the State 
for a minimum of 3 years after acceptance into the program. 
This 
bill appropriates $50,000 from the General Fund each year for the 
next 2 years to finance the program .