### §296m. Workforce diversity grants

#### (a) In general

#### (1) 1 Authority

The Secretary may award grants to and enter into contracts with eligible entities to meet the costs of special projects to increase nursing education opportunities for individuals who are from disadvantaged backgrounds (including racial and ethnic minorities underrepresented among registered nurses) by providing student scholarships or stipends, stipends for diploma or associate degree nurses to enter a bridge or degree completion program, student scholarships or stipends for accelerated nursing degree programs, pre-entry preparation, advanced education preparation, and retention activities.

#### (b) Guidance

In carrying out subsection (a), the Secretary shall take into consideration the recommendations of the National Advisory Council on Nurse Education and Practice and consult with nursing associations including the National Coalition of Ethnic Minority Nurse Associations, American 2 Nurses Association, the National League for Nursing, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, the National Black Nurses Association, the National Association of Hispanic Nurses, the Association of Asian American and Pacific Islander Nurses, the Native American Indian and Alaskan Nurses Association, and the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, and other organizations determined appropriate by the Secretary.

#### (c) Required information and conditions for award recipients

#### (1) In general

Recipients of awards under this section may be required, where requested, to report to the Secretary concerning the annual admission, retention, and graduation rates for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds and ethnic and racial minorities in the school or schools involved in the projects.

#### (2) Falling rates

If any of the rates reported under paragraph (1) fall below the average of the two previous years, the grant or contract recipient shall provide the Secretary with plans for immediately improving such rates.

#### (3) Ineligibility

A recipient described in paragraph (2) shall be ineligible for continued funding under this section if the plan of the recipient fails to improve the rates within the 1-year period beginning on the date such plan is implemented.

(July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title VIII, §821, as added Pub. L. 105–392, title I, §123(4), Nov. 13, 1998, 112 Stat. 3568; amended Pub. L. 111–148, title V, §5404, Mar. 23, 2010, 124 Stat. 649.)

#### **Editorial Notes**

#### Prior Provisions

A prior section 296m, act July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title VIII, §822, as added Pub. L. 94–63, title IX, §931(a), July 29, 1975, 89 Stat. 361; amended Pub. L. 95–83, title III, §307(o)(5)(A), Aug. 1, 1977, 91 Stat. 393; Pub. L. 96–76, title I, §107, Sept. 29, 1979, 93 Stat. 579; Pub. L. 97–35, title XXVII, §2755, Aug. 13, 1981, 95 Stat. 930; Pub. L. 99–92, §5, Aug. 16, 1985, 99 Stat. 394; Pub. L. 99–129, title II, §227(c), Oct. 22, 1985, 99 Stat. 548; Pub. L. 100–607, title VII, §703, Nov. 4, 1988, 102 Stat. 3157; Pub. L. 101–93, §5(q), Aug. 16, 1989, 103 Stat. 614; Pub. L. 101–597, title IV, §401(b)[(a)], Nov. 16, 1990, 104 Stat. 3035; Pub. L. 102–408, title II, §204, Oct. 13, 1992, 106 Stat. 2072, authorized grants and contracts for nurse practitioner and nurse midwife programs, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 105–392, title I, §123(1), Nov. 13, 1998, 112 Stat. 3562.

A prior section 821 of act July 1, 1944, was classified to section 296l of this title prior to repeal by Pub. L. 105–392.

#### Amendments

2010—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 111–148, §5404(1), designated existing provisions as par. (1), inserted heading, and substituted "stipends for diploma or associate degree nurses to enter a bridge or degree completion program, student scholarships or stipends for accelerated nursing degree programs, pre-entry preparation, advanced education preparation, and retention activities" for "pre-entry preparation, and retention activities".

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 111–148, §5404(2), substituted "National Advisory Council on Nurse Education and Practice and consult with nursing associations including the National Coalition of Ethnic Minority Nurse Associations," for "First, Second and Third Invitational Congresses for Minority Nurse Leaders on 'Caring for the Emerging Majority,' in 1992, 1993 and 1997, and consult with nursing associations including the" and inserted ", and other organizations determined appropriate by the Secretary" before period at end.

1 So in original. No par. (2) has been enacted.

2 So in original. Probably should be preceded by "the".