Opinion ID: 1938567
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Nurse Assignment Act of 1987

Text: The Council of the District of Columbia enacted the Nurse Assignment Act in 1987 in an effort to remedy the severe shortage of nurses in the District's public schools, as well as the lack of medical personnel at school-sponsored athletic events. See COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, COMM. ON HUMAN SERVS., REPORT ON BILL 7-47, THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PUBLIC SCHOOL NURSE ASSIGNMENT ACT OF 1987, at 2-3 (June 11, 1987) (hereafter REPORT ON BILL 7-47). The Act provided: (a) A registered nurse shall be assigned to each District of Columbia (District) elementary and secondary public school a minimum of 12 hours per week during each semester and during summer school if a summer school program is operated. (b) The minimum hours per week of registered nurse services at each school shall increase from 12 to 16 hours per week beginning 1 year after December 10, 1987. The minimum hours per week of registered nurse services at each school shall increase from 16 to 20 hours per week beginning 2 years after December 10, 1987. D.C.Code § 31-2421(a), (b) (1988). [6] The Act also explained that medical services would be provided at all school-sponsored athletic events: (d) A registered nurse, a certified athletic trainer, or both shall be present at all athletic events sponsored by the District elementary or secondary public schools that occur in the District. These medical services shall be in addition to the minimum hours of registered nurse services required by subsection (a) or (b) of this section. D.C.Code § 31-2421(d) (1988). Furthermore, the Act initially provided that [s]ufficient funds to carry out the requirements of this section are authorized to be appropriated out of the general revenues of the District. D.C.Code § 31-2421(e) (1988). In 1990, the Council amended § 31-2421(e) to stress the need for mandatory funding. It was relettered as subsection (f) and now reads: Sufficient funds to carry out the requirements of this section shall be appropriated out of the general revenues of the District. D.C.Law 8-149 (July 25, 1990), D.C.Code § 31-2421(f) (1993) (emphasis added); see 37 D.C.Reg. 2208-10 (1990). The Council also added provisions governing the types of medical personnel to be provided at particular athletic events. See 37 D.C.Reg. at 2208-09. [7] Finally, the Council added subsection (g), which transferred the responsibility for implementing the Act from the Department of Human Services to the Board of Education. See 37 D.C.Reg. at 2209, 3718; D.C.Code § 31-2421(g) (1993). Although the 1990 amendments of the Nurse Assignment Act re-emphasized the Council's desire to place and maintain nurses in the schools and at athletic events, the Act was never fully implemented. The trial court found that (1) [s]ince the enactment of the Act, there have been a maximum of 54 nurses working in the public schools and that (2) [f]ifty-one additional school nurses would need to be hired in order for defendants to be in compliance with the Amended Act. The District never contested this finding. Although the District's 1991 budget provided $454,700 for the hiring of fourteen certified athletic trainers needed to comply with the Act's provisions for medical coverage at school-sponsored athletic events, that budget did not provide funding for the additional school nurses necessary to comply with the school nurse provisions.