Amends TCA Title 49 and Title 68.

ON APRIL 11, 2024, THE HOUSE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #2 AND PASSED HOUSE BILL 2158, AS AMENDED.<br /> <br /> AMENDMENT #2 rewrites the bill to, instead, make the changes described below to the present law regarding TISA funding for school nurses or school health services.<br /> <br /> Present law authorizes an LEA to use TISA funds to directly employ a public school nurse or to contract with the Tennessee public school nurse program for the provision of school health services. An LEA must use TISA funds to directly employ, or contract for, a public school nurse, or must advise the department of education ("department") of the LEA's election not to do so. This amendment deletes the provision providing that an LEA must use TISA funds to directly employ, or contract for, a public school nurse, or must advise the department of the LEA's election not to do so. <br /> <br /> Present law requires each public school nurse employed by or provided to an LEA, to meet or exceed the minimum qualifications and standards established pursuant to present law regarding the public school nurse program and to perform the duties and responsibilities enumerated within that present law. Each public school nurse employed by an LEA must maintain current certification through a certifying cardiopulmonary resuscitation course consistent with the scientific guidelines of the American Heart Association in collaboration with the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation.<br /> <br /> If an LEA does not employ or contract for at least one school nurse for every 750 student members of the LEA for the 2024-2025 school year, or for a subsequent school year, then this amendment requires the LEA's director of schools to submit a report to the department of education no later than June 1 of the respective school year that contains the following:<br /> <br /> (1) How many school nurses the LEA contracted for or employed for the respective school year, disaggregated by: (i) the number of school nurses contracted for by the LEA, disaggregated by the number assigned to a student member of the LEA to provide the student with related services and that were not assigned to a student member of the LEA to provide the student with related services, but that were instead assigned to provide services to all student members of the LEA; and (ii) the number of school nurses employed by the LEA, disaggregated by the number assigned to a student member of the LEA to provide the student with related services and that were not assigned to a student member of the LEA to provide the student with related services, but that were instead assigned to provide services to all student members of the LEA;<br /> <br /> (2) The type of certification or nursing license possessed by each school nurse contracted for or employed by the LEA for the respective school year;<br /> <br /> (3) How many schools are operated by the LEA;<br /> <br /> (4) The student membership of the LEA for the respective school year and the immediately preceding school year;<br /> <br /> (5) The student-to-school-nurse ratio for the LEA based on the number of school nurses the LEA contracted for or employed for the respective school year;<br /> <br /> (6) The LEA's reason for not employing or contracting for at least one school nurse for every 750 student members of the LEA;<br /> <br /> (7) Whether the LEA employed or contracted for the number of school nurses necessary for the LEA to place at least one school nurse at each school operated by the LEA, excluding school nurses assigned to student members of the LEA to provide the students with related services; and<br /> <br /> (8) The number of student members in the LEA who have an emergency care plan or individualized healthcare plan; who have an individual health plan; or who have a medical condition for which the services of a school nurse or trained professional are required for the administration of medication.<br />