‘‘SEC. 1711. OFFICE OF THE NATIONAL NURSE. 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF OFFICE.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—There is established within 
the Public Health Service an office to be known as 
the Office of the National Nurse, which shall be 
headed by a registered nurse, appointed by the Sec-
retary, serving in a full-time position to be known as 
the National Nurse. 
‘‘(2) PROCEDURE.—Except for the initial ap-
pointment of the National Nurse under paragraph 
(3), the Secretary shall appoint the National Nurse 
in accordance with Commissioned Corps Instruction 
CC23.4.6 (relating to Chief Professional Officer 
Nominations), as in effect on February 13, 2008. 
‘‘(3) INITIAL
APPOINTMENT.—Not later than 
30 days after the date of enactment of this section, 
the Secretary shall appoint the individual serving as 
the Chief Nurse Officer of the Public Health Service 
as of the date of the enactment of this section as the 
first National Nurse. 
‘‘(b) RANK AND GRADE.—The National Nurse shall 
have the same rank and grade as the Deputy Surgeon 
General of the Public Health Service. 
‘‘(c) DUTIES.—The National Nurse shall carry out 
the following: 
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‘‘(1) Provide leadership and coordination of 
Public Health Service nursing professional affairs 
for the Office of the Surgeon General and other 
agencies of the Public Health Service, including pro-
viding representation for the Government of the 
United States at the Global Forum for Government 
Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officers and serving as 
a member of the Federal Nursing Service Council. 
‘‘(2) Represent the Surgeon General and the 
agencies of Public Health Service in communications 
with groups and societies concerned with nursing 
issues at the local, State, national, and international 
levels. 
‘‘(3) Provide guidance and advice to the Sur-
geon General and the Nurse Professional Advisory 
Committee on matters such as standards, recruit-
ment, retention, readiness, and career development 
of nurses employed by and contracted with agencies 
of the Public Health Service. 
‘‘(4) Conduct media campaigns and make per-
sonal appearances for purposes of paragraphs (5) 
through (7). 
‘‘(5) Provide guidance and leadership for activi-
ties to promote the public health, including encour-
aging nurses and other health professionals to be 
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volunteers and developing projects that educate the 
public about and engage the public in prevention 
practices to achieve better health. 
‘‘(6) Provide guidance and leadership to encour-
age nurses to become nurse educators. 
‘‘(7) Provide guidance and leadership for activi-
ties that will increase public safety and emergency 
preparedness. 
‘‘(d) ANNUAL HEALTH PRIORITIES.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Each fiscal year, the Na-
tional Nurse shall identify, in consultation with the 
Surgeon General, heads of the agencies of the Public 
Health Service, States, and organizations that rep-
resent health professionals, annual health priorities. 
‘‘(2) CARRYING OUT ANNUAL HEALTH PRIOR-
ITIES.—The National Nurse, in addressing the an-
nual health priorities, shall encourage volunteerism 
of nurses and other individuals, and strengthen the 
relationship between Government agencies and 
health-related national organizations. 
‘‘(3) COMMUNITY-BASED PROJECTS.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out this 
subsection, the National Nurse shall encourage 
community-based, nonprofit organizations to 
seek grants for the purpose of education and 
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interventions to address the annual health pri-
orities. 
‘‘(B) IMPLEMENTATION.—In encouraging 
community-based, 
nonprofit 
organizations 
under subparagraph (A), the National Nurse 
shall— 
‘‘(i) provide guidance and coordination 
on recommended activities to such organi-
zations; 
‘‘(ii) encourage practicing nurses and 
other health professionals, including retired 
health professionals and students enrolled 
in health professional programs, to partici-
pate in health promotion activities and rep-
licate successful health promotion activi-
ties; 
‘‘(iii) monitor activities being con-
ducted through the collection and evalua-
tion of data to determine if the annual 
health priorities are being addressed; and 
‘‘(iv) acknowledge successful programs 
and encourage their replication. 
‘‘(C) MEDIA
CAMPAIGNS.—The National 
Nurse shall ensure that media campaigns con-
ducted under subsection (c)(4) include media 
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campaigns regarding the annual health prior-
ities. 
‘‘(D) EVALUATIONS.—The National Nurse 
shall, directly or through awards of grants or 
contracts, evaluate the activities encouraged by 
the National Nurse and conducted by commu-
nity-based, nonprofit organizations under sub-
paragraph (A) to determine the extent to which 
such activities have succeeded in carrying out 
the purpose described in such subparagraph. 
‘‘(E) DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION.— 
The National Nurse shall disseminate informa-
tion to governmental agencies, schools, and 
community-based, nonprofit organizations inter-
ested in health promotion and improving public 
health through community action. 
‘‘(e) 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 2010 through 2014.’’. 
Æ 
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