[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 162 (Monday, November 14, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H6117-H6118]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
TITLE VIII NURSING WORKFORCE REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2016
Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 2713) 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, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 2713
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 ``Title VIII Nursing Workforce
Reauthorization Act of 2016''.
SEC. 2. SUPPORTING CLINICAL NURSE SPECIALISTS.
(a) Advanced Education Nursing Grants.--Section 811 of the
Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 296j) is amended--
(1) in subsection (b), by inserting ``clinical nurse
leaders,'' before ``or public health nurses'';
(2) by redesignating subsections (f) and (g) as subsections
(g) and (h), respectively; and
(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 to inpatients and
outpatients experiencing acute and chronic illness.''.
(b) Definition of Nurse-Managed Health Clinic.--Section 801
of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 296) is amended
by adding at the end the following:
``(18) Nurse-managed health clinic.--The term `nurse-
managed health clinic' has the meaning given to such term in
section 330A-1.''.
(c) National Advisory Council on Nurse Education and
Practice.--Section 851(b)(1)(A)(iv) of the Public Health
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 297t(b)(1)(A)(iv)) is amended by
striking ``and nurse anesthetists'' and inserting ``nurse
anesthetists, and clinical nurse specialists''.
SEC. 3. REAUTHORIZATION OF FUNDING FOR NURSING PROGRAMS.
(a) In General.--Title VIII of the Public Health Service
Act (42 U.S.C. 296 et seq.) is amended--
(1) in subsection (i)(1) of section 846 (42 U.S.C. 297n;
loan repayment and scholarship programs), by striking ``such
sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2003
through 2007'' and inserting ``$83,135,000 for each of fiscal
years 2017 through 2021'';
(2) in subsection (f) of section 846A (42 U.S.C. 297n-1;
nurse faculty loan program), by striking ``such sums as may
be necessary for each of fiscal years 2010 through 2014'' and
inserting ``$26,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2017 through
2021'';
(3) in subsection (e) of section 865 (42 U.S.C. 298;
comprehensive geriatric education), by striking ``such sums
as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2010 through
2014'' and inserting ``$38,737,000 for each of fiscal years
2017 through 2021''; and
(4) in section 871 (42 U.S.C. 298d; funding for carrying
out parts B, C, and D), by striking ``$338,000,000 for fiscal
year 2010, and such sums as may be necessary for each of the
fiscal years 2011 through 2016'' and inserting ``$119,837,000
for each of fiscal years 2017 through 2021''.
(b) Conforming Changes.--
(1) Section 831 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C.
296p) is amended--
(A) in subsection (g), by striking ``,,'' and inserting
``,''; and
(B) by striking subsection (h).
(2) Section 831A of the Public Health Service Act (42
U.S.C. 296p-1) is amended by striking subsection (g).
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. Burgess) and the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Schakowsky)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.
General Leave
Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks
and insert extraneous materials into the Record on the bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Texas?
There was no objection.
Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2713, the Title VIII
Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act of 2016, introduced by my
colleague, Representative Lois Capps, and supported by over 70 Members
of the House.
H.R. 2713 reauthorizes the Title VIII program, which has been funded
since 1964. This reauthorization will help many nurses, including
advanced practice nurses, better serve acute and chronic patients
through 2020. Title VIII also includes a National Advisory Council on
Nurse Education and Practice. Nurses are on the front lines of our
healthcare system and interact with almost every patient who depends on
them to provide quality care.
This legislation is CutGo compliant and enjoyed broad support in the
Energy and Commerce Committee.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
I rise in support of H.R. 2713, the Title VIII Nursing Workforce
Reauthorization Act. This important public health bill would
reauthorize nursing workforce programs that support education,
training, recruitment, and retention efforts.
Title VIII nursing workforce programs are the primary source of
Federal support for nursing education and training. These programs are
needed to address the growing shortage of registered nurses which
threaten to harm the quality of care that patients receive in the
United States healthcare delivery system. These vital programs have
endured widespread bipartisan support that I hope will continue today.
I want to thank Congresswoman Capps for her work on this bill and for
her longstanding leadership in promoting Federal efforts that advance
the nursing profession.
I urge my colleagues to support this important bill in order to help
ensure that we have the nursing workforce needed to meet our Nation's
growing demand for nursing services.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from
Ohio (Mr. Joyce).
Mr. JOYCE. Mr. Speaker, I rise before you today in support of H.R.
2713, the Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act.
First, I want to thank my good friend and co-chair, Lois Capps, for
her hard work on this legislation.
As a husband of a nurse, I know how important nurses are to their
patients and all aspects of care. Their leadership, compassionate care,
and team approach to healthcare delivery is why nurses are the most
trusted profession in America.
This legislation specifically helps sustain a nursing workforce with
sufficient numbers to keep America's healthcare system running
smoothly. It strengthens nursing education at all levels, from entry-
level preparation
[[Page H6118]]
through graduate study, and provides support for institutions that
educate nurses for practice in rural and medically underserved
communities.
Reauthorizing Title VIII programs ensure that these key initiatives
have an authorization for funding through fiscal year 2021. I believe
Title VIII is a long-term investment which will help propel the nursing
profession forward to meet the changing healthcare needs.
We must recruit, support, and train a strong nursing workforce, and
this bill will ensure that happens. So, please, stand with me today in
support of our nurses and this vital legislation.
Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Ohio
(Mr. Joyce) for this legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman
from California (Mrs. Capps), one of the nurses of the House of
Representatives.
Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2713, the Title VIII
Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act, a bill I authored to strengthen
our Nation's nursing workforce.
Nurses are there for the most intimate times of a person's life. They
touch the lives of patients and their families every day, not only
ensuring proper care but supporting them through difficult diagnoses
and helping them navigate the many complexities of our healthcare
system--and they do it well.
Time and time again, my colleagues here on the Hill will tell me
about the excellent nursing care they or a family member received. In
many ways, nurses are the backbone of the healthcare delivery system.
We need to keep that backbone strong.
That is exactly what Title VIII has done for over 50 years. In fact,
Title VIII is the primary program our Nation has to strengthen and grow
the nursing workforce. And it does so through targeted investments in
the recruitment, retention, and distribution of these highly educated
professionals who comprise our Nation's nursing workforce.
{time} 1445
It bolsters nursing education at all levels, from entry-level
preparation through graduate study. It helps nurses repay student loans
in exchange for working in underserved areas. It provides support for
institutions that educate nurses for practice in rural and medically
underserved communities, with a special focus on ensuring nurses are
ready and able to care for our Nation's aging population; and it
provides support for nurse educators so that they will be there--ready
and willing--to teach the next generation of nursing professionals.
It is also worth noting that title VIII has been incredibly
successful. From 2006 to 2013 alone, title VIII supported more than
520,000 nurses and nursing students in getting them trained and into
the field. H.R. 2713 would continue this impressive track record. Our
bill is a bipartisan effort to ensure that these programs can continue
while updating them to recognize advances in the profession. That is
why it has the support from so many of my colleagues here in Congress
as well as from over 50 nursing organizations.
I thank and acknowledge my Congressional Nursing Caucus co-chair,
Representative David Joyce from Ohio, who joined me to lead this
reauthorization effort. He has been a strong advocate for nurses and a
great partner in that effort. I again thank Chairman Upton and Ranking
Member Pallone and their staffs for moving this bill forward, and I
thank my long-time health policy adviser, Adriane Casalotti, who has
worked tirelessly with me, on behalf of this bill and the nursing
profession, over the course of her career on Capitol Hill.
Now I hope the House would indulge me for a moment.
As a nurse myself before my coming to Congress and as cofounder and
co-chair of the House Nursing Caucus, I could not be more proud that we
are here today. As some of my colleagues may remember, in 2002, one of
my earliest priorities in Congress--the Nurse Reinvestment Act--became
law. It was an important update to the title VIII program to ensure
that it would meet the most pressing needs of our healthcare system.
The bill we are considering today is a continuation of that work I
began so many years ago. Much has changed during this time in Congress,
but our ability to come together to support nurses and the nursing
profession in a bipartisan way has not changed.
I thank my colleagues on my behalf and all of our Nation's nurses for
this commitment then, now, and in the years to come. Making the Title
VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act law is a critical way to
fulfill this commitment, so I urge strong support for this bill.
Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from
Georgia (Mr. Carter).
Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2713,
the Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act of 2016, which
reauthorizes the title VIII Nursing Workforce Development programs that
are overseen by the Health Resources and Service Administration.
As integral members of the healthcare team, nurses serve in a wide
variety of delivery settings and collaborate with other professionals
to improve the quality of America's healthcare system. Registered
nurses comprise the largest group of health professionals, with over 3
million licensed providers, and offer essential care to patients in a
variety of settings, including hospitals, long-term care facilities,
community centers, schools, workplaces, and patients' homes.
For many students, title VIII support means the difference between
their ability to enter into the nursing profession and not. In 2014,
title VIII funding brought nearly $5 million to the State of Georgia to
bolster nursing education at all levels--from entry level preparation
through graduate study--and also to provide support for institutions
and nurse faculty.
This legislation demonstrates a commitment to the future generations
of practicing nurses, nurse faculty, and researchers across the
country. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to support this bill, and I
am grateful to Lois Capps and David Joyce.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I urge an ``aye'' vote on this important
legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Burgess) that the House suspend the rules and
pass the bill, H.R. 2713, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________