A. There is hereby established the Nursing Scholarship and Loan Repayment Fund for the purpose of financing scholarships for (i) part-time and full-time students enrolled in or accepted for enrollment by nursing programs which will prepare such students, upon completion, for examination to be licensed by the Board as practical nurses or registered nurses and (ii) those registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and certified nurse aides who agree to perform a period of nursing service in a Commonwealth long-term care facility pursuant to regulations promulgated by the Board of Health in cooperation with the Board.

B. The Fund shall be administered by the Board, in cooperation with the Director of the Department, and the scholarships shall be administered and awarded by the Board of Health pursuant to § 32.1-122.6:01. The Fund shall be maintained and administered separately from any other program or funds of the Board and the Department of Health Professions. No portion of the Fund shall be used for a purpose other than that described in this section and § 32.1-122.6:01. Any money remaining in the Fund at the end of a biennium, including amounts repaid by award recipients, and any interest thereon, shall not revert to the general fund or the funds of the Department of Health Professions, but shall remain in the Fund to be used only for the purposes of this section. In addition to any licensure fees that may be collected pursuant to § 54.1-3011.1, the Fund shall also include:

1. Any funds appropriated by the General Assembly for the purposes of the Fund; and

2. Any gifts, grants, or bequests received from any private person or organization.

Upon receiving the names of the scholarship and loan repayment program recipients from the Board of Health, the Board of Nursing shall be responsible for transmitting the funds to the appropriate institution to be credited to the account of the recipient.

1991, c. 669; 2000, cc. 240, 254; 2001, c. 188; 2002, c. 290.