Bill > H1999

This bill establishes a nursing advisory board within the Executive Office of Health and Human Services to address the current and projected nursing shortage in the Commonwealth and to provide a forum for long-range planning and policy development among nursing leaders to ensure the state meets its citizens' healthcare needs. The board will consist of eight members with demonstrated backgrounds in nursing or health services research, representing various healthcare settings, and will be appointed by the governor from lists recommended by the Board of Registration in Nursing and the Massachusetts Center for Nursing, Inc. The advisory board will advise the governor and the general court on nursing practice and shortages, develop and fund research projects, recommend policy initiatives, prepare an annual report, and consider the use of existing government resources, including conducting at least one public hearing annually.