AN ACT to allow licensed registered nurses to be employed as school nurses.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  G.S. 115C‑315(d1) reads as rewritten:

(d1)    Certification for School Nurses. – Notwithstanding any other provision of law or rule, school nurses employed in the public schools prior to July 1, 1998, shall not be required to be nationally certified to continue employment. School nurses not certified by the American Nurses' Association or the National Association of School Nurses Any person licensed as a registered nurse under Article 9A of Chapter 90 of the General Statutes who has at least two years of licensed experience in a hospital or health clinic may be employed as a school nurse and shall not be required to possess or promise to obtain any other certification or license as a condition of employment in that role. School nurses not certified by a national organization recognized by the State Board of Education shall continue to be paid based on the noncertified nurse salary range as established by the State Board of Education.Board.

SECTION 2.  The State Board of Education has authority to adopt temporary rules to enact the provisions of this act until such a time as permanent rules are adopted.

SECTION 3.  This act is effective when it becomes law.