[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1928 Introduced in House (IH)]
111th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1928
To increase home healthcare services, particularly for underserved and
at-risk populations, by assisting visiting nurse associations and other
non-profit home health agencies to improve training and workforce
development for home healthcare nurses, promoting and facilitating
academic-practice collaborations, and enhancing recruitment and
retention of home healthcare nurses.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 2, 2009
Mr. Kagen (for himself, Mr. Terry, Mr. Boswell, Mrs. Bono Mack, Ms.
Bordallo, and Mr. Yarmuth) introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To increase home healthcare services, particularly for underserved and
at-risk populations, by assisting visiting nurse associations and other
non-profit home health agencies to improve training and workforce
development for home healthcare nurses, promoting and facilitating
academic-practice collaborations, and enhancing recruitment and
retention of home healthcare nurses.
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 cited as the ``Home Healthcare Nurse Promotion Act
of 2009''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.
(a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
(1) There is a significant shortage of home healthcare
nurses, which is harming individuals' access to cost-effective
home healthcare, particularly among underserved and high-risk
populations. A recent survey found that 59 percent of visiting
nurse associations indicated they must decline patient
referrals on a weekly basis.
(2) The increasing aging population, prevalence of chronic
disease, and strong preference by individuals to live
independently at home as long as possible will create an
unprecedented demand for home-based care during the next
several decades. By 2020, home health utilization is projected
to increase by 36 percent.
(3) The demand for home healthcare nurses is projected to
increase by 109 percent by 2020, compared to 37 percent for
hospital nurses.
(4) An estimated 1,000,000 new registered nurses will be
needed by 2016 to fill new demand for nurses and replace
retirees.
(5) Visiting nurse associations have been shown to lower
costs for high-cost patient populations. Yet because they
provide a substantial amount of uncompensated care, they are
increasingly unable to compete for nurses in a national nursing
shortage environment.
(6) A recent survey by the Visiting Nurses Association of
America found that--
(A) staff nursing rate shortages average around 10
percent;
(B) 81 percent of visiting nurse associations
indicate that salary limitations are the number one
barrier to recruitment; and
(C) 22 percent of visiting nurse associations
indicate that their local hospital offers salaries
$10,000 greater than they are able to offer.
(b) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to increase home health
care services, particularly for underserved and at-risk populations,
by--
(1) assisting visiting nurse associations and other non-
profit home health agencies to improve training and workforce
development for home healthcare nurses;
(2) promoting and facilitating academic-practice
collaborations; and
(3) improving recruitment and retention of home healthcare
nurses.
SEC. 3. DEFINING VISITING NURSE ASSOCIATION.
Section 801 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 296) is
amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
``(16) Visiting nurse association.--The term `visiting
nurse association' means a home health agency that--
``(A) has a participation agreement in effect under
section 1866 of the Social Security Act;
``(B) is a nonprofit entity exempt from taxation
under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of
1986;
``(C) is organized and participating under title
XVIII of the Social Security Act as a provider of
services separately from any other provider of services
under such title; and
``(D) is governed by a board of directors and all
members of the board (excluding the head of the agency
in any case in which the head of the agency is a board
member) serve on such board on an exclusively volunteer
basis.''.
SEC. 4. HOME HEALTH TRAINING AND LOAN FORGIVENESS PROGRAMS.
(a) Home Health Nurse Training Programs.--Part D of title VIII of
the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 296p) is amended by adding at
the end the following new sections:
``SEC. 832. HOME HEALTH NURSE TRAINING PROGRAM GRANTS.
``(a) In General.--The Secretary may make grants under this section
to visiting nurse associations for the purpose of providing training in
home health care to nurses who--
``(1) are hired by a visiting nurse association to provide
home health care; and
``(2) have no recent nursing work experience in home health
care.
``(b) Priority for Grants.--When awarding grants under subsection
(a), the Secretary shall give priority to visiting nurse associations
that provide medically-necessary home health care to individuals who
request home health services (as defined in section 1861(m) of the
Social Security Act) from such associations, regardless of ability to
pay.
``SEC. 833. PILOT PROGRAM FOR HOME HEALTH TRAINING AT SCHOOLS OF
NURSING.
``(a) In General.--Not later than the last day of the 90-day period
beginning on the date of enactment of this section, the Secretary shall
establish a pilot program to make grants to a number (to be determined
by the Secretary, but to be not less than five and not more than 10) of
accredited schools of nursing that have entered into partnerships with
visiting nurse associations for the purpose of developing and
implementing a curriculum on home health care at such schools.
``(b) Application.--In order to qualify for a grant under
subsection (a), a school of nursing must submit an application to the
Secretary--
``(1) demonstrating that the school has established a
partnership with a visiting nurse association as required in
subsection (a); and
``(2) containing--
``(A) a description of how the school and the
association will work collaboratively to develop and
implement a curriculum on home health care for the
students at the school;
``(B) a description of how academic-practice
collaboration will occur, such as--
``(i) utilizing visiting nurse faculty from
the visiting nurse association; and
``(ii) promoting student nurse internships,
mentoring opportunities, or other collaborative
activities to aid in the education and
practical home healthcare experience of nursing
students; and
``(C) any other information required by the
Secretary.
``(c) Termination Date.--The pilot program under subsection (a)
shall terminate at the end of the 5-year period beginning on the date
of enactment of this section.
``(d) Report.--Not later than the last day of the first calendar
year following the date of enactment of this section and the end of
each succeeding calendar year, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a
report on the pilot program under subsection (a).
``SEC. 834. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
``There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this part
(other than section 831) such sums as may be necessary in each fiscal
year.''.
(b) Loan Forgiveness for Certain Nurses.--
(1) Amendments regarding service for visiting nurse
associations.--Section 846 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 297n) is
amended--
(A) in subsection (a)(3), by inserting ``or for a
visiting nurse association'' after ``critical shortage
of nurses'';
(B) in subsection (g)(2)--
(i) by striking ``or health facility'' and
inserting ``, health facility, or visiting
nurse association'';
(ii) by striking ``or the health facility''
and inserting ``, the health facility, or the
visiting nurse association''; and
(iii) by striking ``or facility'' each
place it appears and inserting ``, facility, or
association''; and
(C) in subsection (h)(5) by inserting ``and
visiting nurse associations'' before the semicolon at
the end.
(2) Technical amendments.--Section 846 of such Act (42
U.S.C. 297n) is further amended--
(A) by striking subsection (f); and
(B) by redesignating subsections (g) through (i) as
subsections (f) through (h), respectively.
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