House committee substitute to the 1st edition makes the following changes.

Amends the act’s long title.

Amends GS 117C-315 as follows. Requires (was, permitted) the State Board of Education (Board) to adopt rules to establish qualifications and training requirements for school nurses (was, certified school nurses) hired or contracted for. Makes technical changes to the 1st edition’s new (d2)(1) which added a prohibition against the Board requiring a school nurse to obtain a four-year degree by (1) changing the language from the Board “may not” to “shall not" require the degree, adding the term “school” in front of “nurse” in the subdivision, and removing “as a condition of employment” from the prohibition’s language. Amends the second subdivision originally added in the 1st edition by removing language permitting any person licensed as a registered nurse under Article 9A of GS Chapter 90 with at least two years of experience in a hospital or health clinic to serve as a school nurse and prohibiting any requirement that a school nurse have or promise to obtain any additional certifications or licenses as a condition of serving as a school nurse. Amends mandate concerning who the Board must require be paid under the certified school nurse pay scale to any school nurse that is a registered nurse, licensed under Article 9A of GS Chapter 90, with at least two years of experience serving in a hospital or health clinic (was, any registered nurse employed by the governing body of a public school unit as a school nurse).

Clarifies that this act applies to school nurses hired or contracted for on or after the effective date.