WILLIAM DONALD SCHAEFER, Governor

This Session the General Assembly passed, and I have signed,
legislation enhancing the financial resources of community
colleges. With enactment of the community college funding bill
(H.B. 1449), general funding for community colleges increased by
almost $10 million, to a level of $92 million in fiscal year
1990. The State is paying an additional $26 million for
professors' pension and Social Security payments. The total
State support for community colleges in fiscal year 1990,
therefore, is over $118 million.

I also signed four bills aimed at improving nursing education in
the State. These bills deal with transition courses to
facilitate the reentry of nurses (S.B. 703), authorizing State
scholarships for part-time nursing students (S.B. 706),
determining the feasibility of a cooperative degree program at
the University of Maryland (S.B. 705), and establishing a task
force to study certain aspects of nursing education programs
throughout the State (S.B. 704).

While I am very supportive of efforts to increase the number of
individuals entering health occupations, I am not convinced that
Senate Bill 707 would actually create the incentives envisioned
by the sponsors. The payment of the grant to a community college
after graduation of a student does not seem likely to encourage
students to initially decide to enter a health occupation
education program.

Given these new laws for improving nursing education and the
significantly increased level of funding for community colleges,
I do not believe that an additional, small categorical grant
program for the community colleges would be appropriate at this
time.

For these reasons, I have decided to veto Senate Bill 707.

Sincerely,

William Donald Schaefer

Governor

Senate Bill No. 707

AN ACT concerning

Health Manpower Shortage Training Grant Program

FOR the purpose of establishing a Health Manpower Shortage
Training Grant Program for community colleges certain
institutions of postsecondary education community colleges
for certain students who graduate from certain educational
programs leading to licensure or certification in health

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