[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 7 (Monday, January 22, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S318-S319]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. INOUYE:
  S. 44. A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to increase the 
grade provided for the heads of the nurse corps of the Armed Forces; to 
the Committee on Armed Services.


         U.S. Military Chief Nurse Corps Amendment Act of 2001

  Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, today I introduce an amendment that would 
change the existing law regarding the designated position and grade for 
the Chief Nurses of the United States Army, the United States Navy, and 
the United States Air Force. Currently, the Chief Nurses of these three 
branches of the military are only one-star general officer grades; this 
law would change the current grade to Major General in the Army and Air 
Force, and Rear Admiral (upper half) in the Navy.
  Our military Chief Nurses have a tremendous responsibility--their 
scope of duties include peacetime and wartime health care doctrine, and 
standards and policy for all nursing personnel within their respective 
branches. They are responsible for thousands of Army, Navy, and Air 
Force officer and enlisted nursing personnel in the active, reserve, 
and guard components of the military. This level of responsibility 
certainly supports the need to change the grade for the Chief Nurses, 
which would ensure that they have an appropriate voice in Defense 
Health Program executive management.
  Organizations are best served when the leadership is composed of a 
mix of specialties--of equal rank--bring their unique talents to the 
policy setting and decision-making process. I believe it is time to 
ensure that military health care organizations utilize the expertise 
and unique contributions of the military Chief Nurses.

[[Page S319]]

  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of this bill be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                  S. 44

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

     SECTION 1. INCREASED GRADE FOR HEADS OF NURSE CORPS.

       (a) Army.--Section 3069(b) of title 10, United States Code, 
     is amended by striking ``brigadier general'' in the second 
     sentence and inserting ``major general''.
       (b) Navy.--The first sentence of section 5150(c) of such 
     title is amended--
       (1) by inserting ``rear admiral (upper half) in the case of 
     an officer in the Nurse Corps or'' after ``for promotion to 
     the grade of''; and
       (2) by inserting ``in the case of an officer in the Medical 
     Service Corps'' after ``rear admiral (lower half)''.
       (c) Air Force.--Section 8069(b) of such title is amended by 
     striking ``brigadier general'' in the second sentence and 
     inserting ``major general''.
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