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2003 General Session
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SF 22 established a new statewide program called the Wyoming Investment in Nursing (WYIN) program, administered by the Wyoming Higher Education Assistance Authority.
The WYIN program would provide loans to qualified nursing students attending a Wyoming community college, the University of Wyoming (UW), or another appropriate institution providing the required nursing education courses for doctoral degree candidates.
SF 22 was similar to a Senate bill, SF 38, which was proposed in the 2002 budget session. SF 38, which would have provided loans for nursing students who were pursuing masters or doctoral degrees, passed the Senate but died on third reading in the House.
SF 22 was somewhat broader in scope than was SF 38. Under SF 22, nursing students who are studying to become licensed practical nurses or registered nurse educators would be eligible to apply for loans under the WYIN program, as well as nurses who are pursuing advanced masters or doctoral degrees.
The master's degree loan recipient would agree in advance to repay the loan by teaching at UW or a Wyoming community college, while doctoral students would repay their loans by teaching at UW.
SF 22 required the Wyoming Community College Commission (WCCC) to coordinate outreach nursing education programs and Internet or similar electronic courses necessary for entry into nursing programs among Wyoming's community colleges, subject to legislative appropriation. It required that the WCCC and UW fund additional teaching positions in nursing education whenever the number of full-time students increased a specified amount, again subject to legislative appropriation.
SF 22 appropriated $2,877,325 to the Wyoming Higher Education Assistance Authority to provide the loan program described above. It appropriated $551,364 to the WCCC to coordinate and fund outreach nursing programs and electronic courses for community colleges, as well as $378,689 for additional teaching positions for expanded nursing programs at community colleges. Finally, SF 22 appropriated $65,000 to UW for additional teaching positions for expanded nursing programs.
Supporters of the bill believed it would help alleviate an impending shortage of nurses in the state by encouraging nursing graduates to remain in Wyoming after graduation. They also expected that it would improve the quality of nursing instruction in Wyoming.
Opponents argued that low wages for nursing in Wyoming are a primary factor in causing trained nurses to leave the profession or the state. They worried that SF 22 might flood the market with nursing graduates, thereby continuing to depress wages and possibly exacerbating the impending nurse shortage. They also objected to the cost of the package.
SF 22 was amended on the floor of the Senate rather significantly. Funding for the loan program was reduced from $2,877, 325 to $500,000. The requirement that UW increase teaching positions if their nursing program expanded was removed, as was the funding for it. The community college outreach nursing programs were stripped, along with that funding. Finally, funding for new teaching positions at community colleges was increased from $378,325 to $737,000.
SF 22 passed the Senate, 28-2. The House, with only minor amendments, passed SF 22, 56-4.
The votes listed below are Senate and House Third Reading (final passage) votes.
A YES vote means the legislator supported establishing a loan program for nursing students in Wyoming.
A NO vote means the legislator did not support such a loan program for nursing students.
| Bighorn Basin Legislators | Senate 3rd 2/3/03 | House 3rd 2/26/03 |
|
| S 18 | Hank Coe (R) | Yes | |
| H 24 | Colin Simpson (R) | Yes | |
| H 50 | Pat Childers (R) | Yes | |
| S 19 | Laness D. Northrup (R) | Yes | |
| H 25 | Alan Jones (R) | Yes | |
| H 26 | Elaine Harvey (R) | Yes | |
| S 20 | Gerald E. Geis (R) | Yes | |
| H 27 | Jane Wostenberg (R) | No | |
| H 28 | Micheal Baker (R) | No | |
| Casper-Area Legislators | Senate 3rd 2/3/03 | House 3rd 2/26/03 |
|
| S 27 | John Barrasso (R) | Yes | |
| H 35 | Roy Cohee (R) | Yes | |
| H 36 | Liz Gentile (D) | Yes | |
| S 28 | Keith Goodenough (D) | Yes | |
| H 56 | Tom Walsh (R) | Yes | |
| H 57 | Thomas A. Lockhart (R) | Yes | |
| S 29 | Bill Hawks (R) | Yes | |
| H 37 | Steve Harshman (R) | Yes | |
| H 59 | Mary Gilmore (D) | Yes | |
| S 30 | Charles K. Scott (R) | Yes | |
| H 38 | Bob Brechtel (R) | Yes | |
| H 58 | Ann Robinson (D) | Yes | |
| Cheyenne-Area Legislators | Senate 3rd 2/3/03 | House 3rd 2/26/03 |
|
| S 4 | April Brimmer Kunz (R) | Yes | |
| H 7 | Tony Ross (R) | Yes | |
| H 41 | Becket Hinckley (R) | Yes | |
| S 5 | John Hanes (R) | Yes | |
| H 8 | Larry Meuli (R) | Yes | |
| H 42 | Pete Illoway (R) | Yes | |
| S 6 | Rich Cathcart (D) | No | |
| H 9 | Wayne Johnson (R) | Yes | |
| H 10 | Rodney "Pete" Anderson (R) | No | |
| S 7 | Kathryn Sessions (D) | Yes | |
| H 11 | Wayne Reese (D) | Yes | |
| H 43 | Ed Prosser (R) | Yes | |
| S 8 | E. Jayne Mockler (D) | Yes | |
| H 12 | Layton Morgan (D) | Yes | |
| H 44 | Floyd Esquibel (D) | Yes | |
| Gillette-Area Legislators | Senate 3rd 2/3/03 | House 3rd 2/26/03 |
|
| S 23 | John Hines (R) | No | |
| H 31 | Jene Jansen (R) | Yes | |
| H 52 | George McMurtrey (R) | Yes | |
| S 24 | Richard A. Erb (R) | Yes | |
| H 32 | Jeff Wasserburger (R) | Yes | |
| H 53 | Frank Latta (R) | No | |
| Lander/Riverton-Area Legislators | Senate 3rd 2/3/03 | House 3rd 2/26/03 |
|
| S 25 | Cale Case (R) | Yes | |
| H 33 | Harry Tipton (R) | Yes | |
| H 54 | Del McOmie (R) | Yes | |
| S 26 | Robert A. Peck (R) | Yes | |
| H 34 | Frank Philp (R) | Yes | |
| H 55 | David Miller (R) | Yes | |
| Northeast/East Central WY Legislators | Senate 3rd 2/3/03 | House 3rd 2/26/03 |
|
| S 1 | Bill Barton (R) | Yes | |
| H 1 | Mark Semlek (R) | Yes | |
| H 2 | Ross Diercks (D) | Yes | |
| S 2 | Jim Anderson (R) | Yes | |
| H 5 | James C. Hageman (R) | Yes | |
| H 6 | Dave Edwards (R) | Yes | |
| S 3 | Curt Meier (R) | Yes | |
| H 3 | Deborah Alden (R) | Yes | |
| H 4 | Edward A. Buchanan (R) | Yes | |
| Sheridan-Area Legislators | Senate 3rd 2/3/03 | House 3rd 2/26/03 |
|
| S 21 | Bruce Burns (R) | Yes | |
| H 29 | Jerry Iekel (R) | Yes | |
| H 51 | Rosie Berger (R) | Yes | |
| S 22 | John Schiffer (R) | Yes | |
| H 30 | Jack Landon (R) | Yes | |
| H 40 | Doug Osborn (R) | Yes | |
| South Central WY Legislators | Senate 3rd 2/3/03 | House 3rd 2/26/03 |
|
| S 9 | Mike Massie (D) | Yes | |
| H 13 | Jane Warren (D) | Yes | |
| H 45 | Lorna Johnson (D) | Yes | |
| S 10 | Irene Devin (R) | Yes | |
| H 14 | Phil Nicholas (R) | Yes | |
| H 46 | James Slater (R) | Yes | |
| S 11 | Bill Vasey (D) | Yes | |
| H 15 | George Bagby (D) | Yes | |
| H 47 | Kurt Bucholz (R) | Yes | |
| Southwest WY Legislators | Senate 3rd 2/3/03 | House 3rd 2/26/03 |
|
| S 12 | Rae Lynn Job (D) | Yes | |
| H 48 | Marty Martin (D) | Yes | |
| H 16 | Pete Jorgensen (D) | Yes | |
| S 13 | Tex Boggs (D) | Yes | |
| H 17 | Fred Parady (R) | Yes | |
| H 60 | Bill Thompson (D) | Yes | |
| S 14 | Larry Caller (D) | Yes | |
| H 18 | Mick Powers (R) | Yes | |
| H 39 | Chris Boswell (D) | Yes | |
| S 15 | Ken Decaria (D) | Yes | |
| H 19 | Owen Petersen (R) | Yes | |
| H 49 | Saundra Meyer (D) | Yes | |
| West Central WY Legislators | Senate 3rd 2/3/03 | House 3rd 2/26/03 |
|
| S 16 | Delaine Roberts (R) | Yes | |
| H 20 | Stan Cooper (R) | Yes | |
| H 21 | Randall Luthi (R) | Yes | |
| S 17 | Grant Larson (R) | Yes | |
| H 22 | Monte Olsen (R) | Yes | |
| H 23 | Clarene Law (R) | Yes | |
See Southwest Region for H 16 and S 12 | |||