[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 728 Referred in Senate (RFS)]
<DOC>
116th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 728
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
October 29, 2019
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Health,
Education, Labor, and Pensions
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To amend title VIII of the Public Health Service Act to extend advanced
education nursing grants to support clinical nurse specialist programs,
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; TABLE OF CONTENTS.
(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Title VIII Nursing
Workforce Reauthorization Act of 2019''.
(b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents of this Act is as
follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. General provisions.
Sec. 3. Nurse practitioners, nurse midwives, nurse anesthetists, and
other advanced education nurses.
Sec. 4. Increasing nursing workforce diversity.
Sec. 5. Strengthening capacity for basic nurse education and practice.
Sec. 6. Student loans.
Sec. 7. National Advisory Council on Nurse Education and Practice.
Sec. 8. Other provisions.
SEC. 2. GENERAL PROVISIONS.
(a) Application.--Section 802(c) of the Public Health Service Act
(42 U.S.C. 296a(c)) is amended by striking ``shall address relevant
national nursing needs that the project will meet'' and inserting
``shall address relevant national nursing needs that the project will
address and how the project aligns with the national nursing service
goals referred to in section 806(a)''.
(b) Use of Funds.--Section 803 of the Public Health Service Act (42
U.S.C. 296b) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(c) Supplement Not Supplant.--Funds awarded as a grant under this
title for a project or activity shall be used to supplement, not
supplant, the non-Federal funds that would otherwise be made available
for such project or activity.''.
(c) Generally Applicable Provisions.--Section 806 of the Public
Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 296e) is amended--
(1) in subsection (b), by amending paragraph (2) to read as
follows:
``(2) Evaluations.--The Secretary shall establish
procedures to ensure the annual evaluation of programs and
projects operated by recipients of grants under this title.
Such procedures shall ensure that continued funding for such
programs and projects will be conditioned upon the submission
of--
``(A) data demonstrating that satisfactory progress
has been made by the program or project in meeting the
performance outcome standards (as described in section
802) of such program or project; and
``(B) a detailed description of activities
conducted by such program or project to meet such
performance outcome standards.'';
(2) in subsection (e)(2), by inserting ``, and have
relevant expertise and experience'' after ``who are not
officers or employees of the Federal Government''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(i) Annual Report on Nursing Workforce Programs.--Annually, the
Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor,
and Pensions of the Senate, and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of
the House of Representatives, a report containing an assessment of the
programs and activities of the Department of Health and Human Services
related to enhancing the nursing workforce, including the extent to
which programs and activities under this title meet identified goals
and performance measures developed for the respective programs and
activities.''.
SEC. 3. NURSE PRACTITIONERS, NURSE MIDWIVES, NURSE ANESTHETISTS, AND
OTHER ADVANCED EDUCATION NURSES.
Section 811 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 296j) is
amended--
(1) in subsection (b)--
(A) by striking ``R.N./Master's'' and inserting
``R.N./graduate''; and
(B) by inserting ``clinical nurse leaders,'' before
``or public health nurses'';
(2) by redesignating subsections (f) and (g) as subsections
(g) and (h), respectively;
(3) by inserting after subsection (e) the following new
subsection:
``(f) Authorized Clinical Nurse Specialist Programs.--Clinical
nurse specialist programs eligible for support under this section are
education programs that--
``(1) provide registered nurses with full-time clinical
nurse specialist education; and
``(2) have as their objective the education of clinical
nurse specialists who will upon completion of such a program be
qualified to effectively provide care through the wellness and
illness continuum to inpatients and outpatients experiencing
acute and chronic illness.''; and
(4) by adding at the end the following:
``(i) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section $77,585,000 for each of fiscal
years 2020 through 2024.''.
SEC. 4. INCREASING NURSING WORKFORCE DIVERSITY.
Section 821 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 296m) is
amended by adding at the end the following:
``(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section $18,037,000 for each of fiscal
years 2020 through 2024.''.
SEC. 5. STRENGTHENING CAPACITY FOR BASIC NURSE EDUCATION AND PRACTICE.
(a) Nurse Education, Practice, Quality, and Retention Grants.--
Section 831 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 296p) is
amended--
(1) in the section heading, by striking ``and quality'' and
inserting ``quality, and retention'';
(2) in subsection (b), by amending paragraph (2) to read as
follows:
``(2) providing care for underserved populations and high-
risk groups, which may include the elderly, individuals with
HIV/AIDS, individuals with mental health or substance use
disorders, individuals who are homeless, and victims and
survivors of domestic violence;'';
(3) in subsection (c), by amending paragraph (1) to read as
follows:
``(1) Grants for career ladder programs.--The Secretary may
award grants to and enter into contracts with eligible entities
for programs--
``(A) to promote career advancement for--
``(i) nursing personnel in a variety of
training settings, cross training or specialty
training among diverse population groups, and
the advancement of individuals, including to
become professional registered nurses, advanced
practice registered nurses, and nurses with
graduate nursing education; and
``(ii) individuals, including licensed
practical nurses, licensed vocational nurses,
certified nurse assistants, and diploma degree
or associate degree nurses, to become
baccalaureate-prepared registered nurses or
nurses with graduate nursing education;
``(B) to assist individuals in obtaining education
and training required to enter the nursing profession
and advance within such profession, such as by
providing career counseling and mentoring; and
``(C) to develop and implement internships,
accredited fellowships, and accredited residency
programs in collaboration with one or more accredited
schools of nursing to encourage mentoring and
development of specialties.'';
(4) by striking subsection (e) (relating to preference);
(5) by redesignating subsections (f) through (h) as
subsections (e) and (g), respectively;
(6) in subsection (e), as so redesignated, by striking
``The Secretary shall submit to the Congress before the end of
each fiscal year a'' and inserting ``As part of the report on
nursing workforce programs described in section 806(i), the
Secretary shall'';
(7) by amending subsection (f), as redesignated by
paragraph (5), to read as follows:
``(f) Definitions.--For purposes of this section:
``(1) Eligible entity.--The term `eligible entity' includes
an accredited school of nursing, a health care facility, a
partnership of such a school and facility, a federally
qualified health center, or a nurse-managed health clinic.
``(2) Nurse-managed health clinic.--The term `nurse-managed
health clinic' means a nurse-practice arrangement, managed by
advanced practice nurses, that provides primary care or
wellness services to underserved or vulnerable populations that
is associated with a school, college, university or department
of nursing, federally qualified health center, or independent
nonprofit health or social services agency.''; and
(8) in subsection (g), as redesignated by paragraph (5), by
striking ``such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal
years 2010 through 2014'' and inserting ``$43,590,000 for each
of fiscal years 2020 through 2024''.
(b) Nurse Retention Grants.--Section 831A of the Public Health
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 296p-1) is repealed.
SEC. 6. STUDENT LOANS.
(a) Loan Repayment and Scholarship Programs.--Section 846 of the
Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 297n) is amended--
(1) in subsection (b)(1), by striking ``he began such
practice'' and inserting ``the individual began such
practice'';
(2) in subsection (d)(1), by striking ``(for fiscal years
2003 and 2004) and may (for fiscal years thereafter)'';
(3) in subsection (h), in the matter preceding paragraph
(1), by striking ``Not later than'' through ``regarding'' and
inserting ``The annual report on nursing workforce programs, as
required by section 806(i), shall include information regarding
the programs carried out under this section, including''; and
(4) in subsection (i)(1), by striking ``such sums as may be
necessary for each of fiscal years 2003 through 2007'' and
inserting ``$90,620,000 for each of fiscal years 2020 through
2024''.
(b) Nurse Faculty Loan Program.--Section 846A(f) of the Public
Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 297n-1(f)) is amended by striking ``such
sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2010 through 2014''
and inserting ``$29,640,000 for each of fiscal years 2020 through
2024''.
SEC. 7. NATIONAL ADVISORY COUNCIL ON NURSE EDUCATION AND PRACTICE.
Section 851 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 297t) is
amended--
(1) in subsection (b)(1)(A)(iv), by striking ``and nurse
anesthetists'' and inserting ``nurse anesthetists, and clinical
nurse specialists'';
(2) in subsection (d), by amending paragraph (3) to read as
follows:
``(3) not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of
the Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act of 2019,
and every 2 years thereafter, prepare and submit to the
Secretary, the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and
Pensions of the Senate, and the Committee on Energy and
Commerce of the House of Representatives, a report describing
the activities of the Council, including findings and
recommendations made by the Council concerning the activities
under this title.''; and
(3) in subsection (g), by striking ``under this title'' and
inserting ``for carrying out parts B, C, and D of this title''.
SEC. 8. OTHER PROVISIONS.
(a) Public Service Announcements.--Part G of title VIII of the
Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 297w et seq.) is repealed.
(b) Funding.--Part I of title VIII of the Public Health Service Act
(42 U.S.C. 298d) is repealed.
(c) Eliminating Limitation on Assignment.--Section 846(a) of the
Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 297n(a)) is amended, in the matter
following paragraph (3), by striking ``After fiscal year 2007,'' and
all that follows through the period at the end.
Passed the House of Representatives October 28, 2019.
Attest:
CHERYL L. JOHNSON,
Clerk.