HR 2794 IHCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

To amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize grants to increase the number of qualified nursing faculty, and for other purposes.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

June 20, 2007

Mr. PASTOR introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and CommerceCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

To amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize grants to increase the number of qualified nursing faculty, and for other purposes.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `America's Partnership for Nursing Education Act of 2007'.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 2. FINDINGS; PURPOSE.

(a) Findings- The Congress finds as follows:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) The nursing shortage has a detrimental impact on the quality of care patients receive in health care settings and plays a role in driving up health care costs.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) States that have developed strategies involving partnerships with educational institutions and have allocated funds toward implementing their strategies are well suited to make effective use of matching Federal funds to better address and reduce this nursing shortageCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(b) Purpose- The purpose of this Act is to support State and private efforts to address lack of capacity in college and university nursing programs, the critical driving force behind the serious nursing shortage in many States with fast growing populations.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 3. GRANTS TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF QUALIFIED NURSING FACULTY.

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:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

`SEC. 832. GRANTS TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF QUALIFIED NURSING FACULTY.

`(a) Grants- The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall make grants to qualified States (or agencies or other governmental units thereof) to increase the number of qualified nursing faculty in college and university nursing programs in the State.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(b) Use of Funds-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(1) IN GENERAL- As a condition on the receipt of a grant under this section, a qualifying State shall agree to implement or continue implementing a program for the purpose of increasing the number of qualified nursing faculty in college and university nursing programs in the State. Such program--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(A) shall be implemented in cooperation with one or more colleges or universities in the State; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(B) shall include payment of nursing faculty salaries, benefits, training costs, operational costs, and any other costs related to such purpose.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(2) RESTRICTIONS- As a condition on the receipt of a grant under this section, a qualifying State shall agree--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(A) to use the grant only to pay costs described in paragraph (1)(B) that are associated with the number of qualified nursing faculty in college and university nursing programs in the State that is in addition to such number in academic year 2006-2007; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(B) to refrain from using any funds made available through the grant for capital expenses.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(c) Amount of Grant-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(1) FEDERAL FUNDS- Subject to the availability of appropriations, the minimum amount of a grant to a qualifying State under this section for a fiscal year shall be $2,000,000.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(2) STATE FUNDS- As a condition on the receipt of a grant under this section, a qualifying State shall agree--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(A) to use the grant to supplement and not supplant the amount of funds made available by the State for academic year 2006-2007 for maintaining the number of qualified nursing faculty in college and university nursing programs in the State; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(B) in addition to such funds, to make available not less than $2,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2008 through 2012 for the purpose of increasing the number of qualified nursing faculty in college and university nursing programs in the State.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(d) Colleges and Universities- The Secretary shall allow a qualifying State receiving a grant under this section to determine which college and university nursing programs in the State are eligible for funding through such grant.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(e) Reports to Congress- Not later than the end of each of fiscal years 2008 through 2012, the Secretary shall submit to the Congress a report on the grants awarded under this section. Each such report shall identify the overall number of grants awarded under this section, which States (or agencies or other governmental units thereof) received the grants, the number of new nursing faculty who were added, and the number of new nurses who are projected to graduate as a result of the grant in each State involved.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(f) Definitions- In this section:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(1) The term `qualifying State' means a State that--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(A) is experiencing explosive population growth, with total population projected to increase by more than 50 percent between 1990 and 2025 based on data of the Bureau of the Census;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(B) has a substantial projected shortage of nurses, such that the State is expected to have fewer than 555 nurses per 100,000 population in 2020, based on data of the Bureau of Health Professions of the Health Resources and Services Administration; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(C) is implementing or continuing to implement a program for the purpose of increasing the number of qualified nursing faculty in college and university nursing programs in the State.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(2) The term `Secretary' means the Secretary of Health and Human Services.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





`(g) Authorization of Appropriations- To carry out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2008 through 2012.'.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink