To amend the Public Health Service Act to establish an Office of the National Nurse.

Summary: National Nurse Act of 2006 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to establish the Office of the National Nurse within the Office of Public Health and Science to: (1) encourage individuals to enter the nursing profession; (2) encourage nurses to become educators in schools of nursing; and (3) promote the public health.

Requires the National Nurse to: (1) designate four methods of achieving better health that will be given priority; and (2) make grants to nonprofit private entities to carry out projects for the purpose of educating the public on the annual health priorities.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``National Nurse Act of 2006''.

SEC. 2. AMENDING PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE ACT WITH RESPECT TO THE OFFICE 
              OF THE NATIONAL NURSE.

    Title XVII of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300u et 
seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following section:

``SEC. 1711. OFFICE OF THE NATIONAL NURSE.

    ``(a) Establishment of Office.--There is established within the 
Office of Public Health and Science an office to be known as the Office 
of the National Nurse, which shall be headed by an individual serving 
in a position to be known as the National Nurse. The Secretary shall 
appoint a registered nurse to serve in such position. The Secretary 
shall carry out this section acting through the National Nurse.
    ``(b) Duties.--The National Nurse shall--
            ``(1) carry out activities to encourage individuals to 
        enter the nursing profession, including providing education on 
        the distinct role of nurses in the health professions and 
        examining nursing issues that would increase public safety, 
        such as issues relating to staff levels, working conditions, 
        and patient input;
            ``(2) carry out activities to encourage nurses to become 
        educators in schools of nursing;
            ``(3) carry out activities to promote the public health, 
        including encouraging nurses to be volunteers to projects that 
        educate the public on achieving better health; and
            ``(4) conduct media campaigns and make personal appearances 
        for purposes of paragraphs (1) through (3).
    ``(c) Annual Priorities on Achieving Better Health.--
            ``(1) In general.--Each fiscal year the National Nurse 
        shall designate four methods of achieving better health that 
        will be given priority by the National Nurse in carrying out 
        subsection (b)(3) (referred to in this subsection as `annual 
        health priorities'). The National Nurse shall designate such 
        priorities in consultation with the Surgeon General of the 
        Public Health Service, the heads of the agencies of such 
        Service, the States, and organizations that represent health 
        professionals.
            ``(2) Community-based projects.--
                    ``(A) In general.--In carrying out subsection 
                (b)(3), the National Nurse shall make grants to 
                nonprofit private entities to carry out projects for 
                the purpose of educating the public on the annual 
                health priorities, including outreach activities in 
                settings such as schools, senior centers, and 
                libraries.
                    ``(B) State coordinators; nurse teams.--In making 
                grants under subparagraph (A), the National Nurse shall 
                provide for the following with respect to a State and 
                particular communities in which activities under the 
                grant will be carried out:
                            ``(i) The designation of an individual to 
                        coordinate such activities within the State 
                        (referred to in this paragraph as the `State 
                        coordinator').
                            ``(ii) Under the guidance of the State 
                        coordinator, the formation of teams of nurses 
                        who volunteer to provide the education referred 
                        to subparagraph (A), which teams are diverse 
                        and representative in terms of educational 
                        level in the field of nursing and in terms of 
                        racial and ethnic minority groups.
                            ``(iii) The collection in such communities, 
                        in accordance with criteria of the National 
                        Nurse, of data relating to the annual health 
                        priorities.
                    ``(C) Media campaigns.--The National Nurse shall 
                ensure that media campaigns under subsection (b)(4) 
                include media campaigns regarding the annual health 
                priorities.
                    ``(D) Evaluations.--The National Nurse shall, 
                directly or through awards of grants or contracts, 
                evaluate projects under subparagraph (A) to determine 
                the extent to which the projects have been successful 
                in carrying out the purpose described in such 
                subparagraph.
                    ``(E) Dissemination of information.--The National 
                Nurse shall--
                            ``(i) disseminate information obtained in 
                        the evaluations under subparagraph (D); and
                            ``(ii) disseminate such other information 
                        obtained pursuant to projects under 
                        subparagraph (A) as the National Nurse 
                        determines to be appropriate.
    ``(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--For the purpose of carrying 
out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated such sums as 
may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 2006 through 2010.''.