09-R198

2009 -- S 0717

Enacted 04/23/09

 

 

S E N A T E  R E S O L U T I O N

SUPPORTING THE REHABILITATION AND EXPANSION OF RHODE ISLAND PUBLIC

SCHOOLS OF NURSING USING FEDERAL STIMULUS FUNDS

     

     

     Introduced By: Senators Doyle, Tassoni, Bates, Algiere, and Connors

     Date Introduced: February 26, 2009

 

 

 

     WHEREAS, The federal government is considering a stimulus package to alleviate the

dire consequences of the nation's current economic downturn; and

     WHEREAS, The proposed federal stimulus package emphasizes the need for each state

to boost its local economies through the initiation of a wide range of projects, including

transportation facilities, school construction, and health care services; and

     WHEREAS, These projects are intended to provide immediate employment to workers as

well as make long-term needed improvements to the nation's economy and infrastructure; and

     WHEREAS, Health care, and specifically the nursing profession, is a segment of the

Rhode Island economy that is projected to grow significantly in the coming years; and

     WHEREAS, The quality of Rhode Island's economy and health care system may begin to

suffer due to a projected shortage of qualified nurses; and

     WHEREAS, The foremost causes of the projected nursing shortage include the limited

physical capacity of nursing school facilities and the increasingly antiquated laboratory

technologies of many of Rhode Island's schools of nursing; now, therefore be it

     RESOLVED, That the Rhode Island General Assembly supports a comprehensive federal

stimulus package that stimulates all segments of the state's economy and that includes funding to

rehabilitate, expand, and improve the current instructional capacity within our state schools of

nursing; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That the Rhode Island General Assembly encourages the continued

financial support of our state schools of nursing to grow the capacity and quality of critical

nursing education programs; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and he hereby is authorized and directed to

transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to the Rhode Island Congressional Delegation; the

Rhode Island Budget Office within the Department of Administration; and to the Office of the

Commissioner for Higher Education.

     

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LC01907

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