(3) There is created in the department the school nurse grant program to award grants on a five-year grant cycle to local education providers to increase the number of school nurses in Colorado public schools. The grant program shall be administered by the primary care office in the department. The state board may promulgate rules, as necessary, to implement the grant program.

(4) (a) Except as provided in subsection (4)(b) of this section, a local education provider awarded a grant pursuant to this section shall use the grant money to hire a school nurse or nurses in the selected school or schools. The grant shall supplement, not supplant, a local education provider's funding for school nurse positions and student health care services existing prior to May 29, 2019.

• (b) A small rural school district or rural school district awarded a grant pursuant to this section shall first make reasonable efforts to use the grant money to hire a school nurse for the selected school or schools. If a small rural school district or rural school district can demonstrate to the department that it is unable to find a school nurse to fill the school nurse position, the small rural school district or rural school district may use the grant money to contract with a local public health agency established pursuant to section 25-1-506, a federally qualified health center as defined in section 25-3-101 (2)(a)(III)(A), or other similar community health care provider, or a registered nurse, to provide health services to the selected school or schools. The person providing health services must meet or exceed the academic and professional qualifications of a school nurse.