[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2053 Introduced in House (IH)]







108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2053

To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants 
    to associate degree schools of nursing and professional nursing 
  organizations to improve nursing education, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 9, 2003

   Mr. Capuano (for himself, Mr. Fletcher, Ms. Norton, Ms. Millender-
 McDonald, Mr. McNulty, Mr. Frost, Mr. Engel, Ms. Lee, Mr. Reyes, Ms. 
DeLauro, Mr. Serrano, Mr. Simmons, Mr. Markey, and Mr. Baca) introduced 
 the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and 
                                Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants 
    to associate degree schools of nursing and professional nursing 
  organizations to improve nursing education, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be referred to as the ``Nurse Education Promotion 
Act''.

SEC. 2. GRANTS FOR NURSING EDUCATION.

    (a) Associate Schools of Nursing.--Part D of title VIII of the 
Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 296p et seq.) is amended by adding 
at the end the following:

``SEC. 832. GRANTS FOR ASSOCIATE DEGREE SCHOOLS OF NURSING.

    ``(a) Program Authorized.--The Secretary may award grants on a 
competitive basis to associate degree schools of nursing to establish 
or expand programs of education in professional nursing.
    ``(b) Use of Funds.--The Secretary may not award a grant to an 
applicant under subsection (a) unless the applicant involved agrees 
that funds received as a grant under this section will be used only to 
pay all or part of the costs of the following:
            ``(1) Recruitment of nursing students.
            ``(2) Scholarships for nursing students.
            ``(3) Hiring nursing faculty.
    ``(c) Eligibility for Scholarships.--For purposes of awarding a 
scholarship described in subsection (b)(2), an associate degree school 
of nursing shall treat an individual as eligible for the scholarship 
irrespective of whether the individual has or has not previously 
received any postsecondary education.''.
    (b) Continuing Education for Certain Nurses.--Part D of title VIII 
of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 296p et seq.) is further 
amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 833. GRANTS FOR CONTINUING EDUCATION FOR CERTAIN NURSES.

    ``(a) Program Authorized.--The Secretary may award grants on a 
competitive basis to professional nursing organizations (including 
nursing union chapters) to establish and administer cooperative 
programs described in subsection (b).
    ``(b) Use of Funds.--The Secretary may not award a grant to an 
applicant under subsection (a) unless the applicant involved agrees 
that funds received as a grant under this section will be used to 
establish or administer a program, in cooperation with one or more 
hospitals and one or more colleges, to enable individuals who have 
received an associate degree in nursing (or its equivalent) or a 
diploma in nursing--
            ``(1) to pursue a full-time or half-time course of study 
        leading to a baccalaureate degree in nursing or an equivalent 
        degree; or
            ``(2) to receive training in a nursing specialty that has 
        been designated by the Secretary as understaffed and critical.
    ``(c) Clinical Training.--The Secretary may not award a grant to a 
professional nursing organization to establish or administer a program 
under subsection (a) unless the organization agrees to ensure the 
following:
            ``(1) Choice.--Subject to paragraph (2), the professional 
        nursing organization will allow an individual pursuing a course 
        of study or receiving training pursuant to subsection (b)(1) or 
        (b)(2) to choose to perform the clinical portion of the study 
        or training at the hospital where the individual is employed or 
        at any hospital cooperating in the program.
            ``(2) Agreement.--An individual may perform the clinical 
        portion described in paragraph (1) at the hospital chosen by 
        the individual under such paragraph only if the hospital agrees 
        to provide the clinical portion.
            ``(3) Priority.--If a particular hospital cannot 
        accommodate all of the individuals who choose to perform the 
        clinical portion described in paragraph (1) at that hospital, 
        the professional nursing organization will give priority to the 
        choice of any such individual who is employed at that hospital.
            ``(4) Relation to regular work.-- In the case of an 
        individual who performs the clinical portion described in 
        paragraph (1) at the hospital where the individual is employed, 
        that hospital may incorporate all or some of the clinical 
        portion into the regular work period of the individual.
    ``(d) Compensation.--The Secretary may not award a grant to a 
professional nursing organization to establish or administer a program 
under subsection (a) unless the organization agrees compensate each 
hospital and college that cooperates in the program, at rates to be 
negotiated between the organization and the respective hospital or 
college.''.
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