I 
113TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 485 
To establish the position of National Nurse for Public Health, to be filled 
by the same individual serving as the Chief Nurse Officer of the Public 
Health Service. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 4, 2013 
Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas (for herself, Mr. KING of New York, 
Ms. LINDA T. SA´NCHEZ of California, Ms. SPEIER, Mr. MORAN, Mr. 
RANGEL, Mr. CONYERS, Ms. BONAMICI, Mr. DEFAZIO, Ms. NORTON, Mr. 
CICILLINE, Ms. BORDALLO, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, 
Ms. WILSON of Florida, Ms. JACKSON LEE, Mr. CONNOLLY, Mr. DOG-
GETT, Mr. BEN RAY LUJA´N of New Mexico, Mr. HONDA, Mr. HOLT, Ms. 
SLAUGHTER, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. YARMUTH, Mr. WALDEN, Mr. RYAN of 
Ohio, Mr. LARSEN of Washington, Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California, 
Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. WELCH, and Mr. SCHRADER) introduced the fol-
lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Com-
merce 
A BILL 
To establish the position of National Nurse for Public 
Health, to be filled by the same individual serving as 
the Chief Nurse Officer of the Public Health Service. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National Nurse Act 
of 2013’’. 
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SEC. 2. NATIONAL NURSE FOR PUBLIC HEALTH. 
Title XVII of the Public Health Service Act (42 
U.S.C. 300u et seq.) is amended by adding at the end 
the following: 
‘‘SEC. 1711. NATIONAL NURSE FOR PUBLIC HEALTH. 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—There is established within 
the Office of the Surgeon General a full-time posi-
tion, to be filled by a registered nurse to be known 
as the National Nurse for Public Health. 
‘‘(2) APPOINTMENT.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Except for the initial 
appointment of the National Nurse for Public 
Health under subparagraph (B), the Secretary 
shall appoint the National Nurse for Public 
Health in accordance with Commissioned Corps 
Instruction CC23.4.6 (relating to Chief Profes-
sional Officer Nominations), as in effect on 
February 13, 2008. 
‘‘(B) INITIAL
APPOINTMENT.—Not later 
than 30 days after the date of enactment of 
this section, the Secretary shall appoint the in-
dividual serving as the Chief Nurse Officer of 
the Public Health Service as the first National 
Nurse for Public Health. 
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‘‘(3) RELATION TO POSITION OF CHIEF NURSE 
OFFICER.—The individual serving as the National 
Nurse for Public Health shall also serve as the Chief 
Nurse Officer of the Public Health Service. 
‘‘(b) RANK AND GRADE.—The National Nurse for 
Public Health shall have the same rank and grade as the 
Deputy Surgeon General of the Public Health Service. 
‘‘(c) DUTIES.—The National Nurse for Public Health 
shall carry out the following: 
‘‘(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-
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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 
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 engage in furthering their education in 
order to conduct nursing research, increase the 
awareness of evidence-based practice, and educate 
future nurses. 
‘‘(7) Provide guidance and leadership for activi-
ties that will increase public safety and emergency 
preparedness. 
‘‘(d) NATIONAL
HEALTH
PRIORITIES—HEALTHY 
PEOPLE 2020.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—The National Nurse for 
Public Health, in cooperation with the Surgeon Gen-
eral of the Public Health Service, heads of the agen-
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health professionals and students enrolled 
in health professional programs, to partici-
pate in health promotion activities and rep-
licate successful health promotion activi-
ties; and 
‘‘(v) monitor activities being con-
ducted through the collection and evalua-
tion of data to determine if national health 
priorities are being addressed. 
‘‘(B) MEDIA
CAMPAIGNS.—The National 
Nurse for Public Health shall ensure that 
media campaigns conducted under subsection 
(c)(4) include media campaigns regarding the 
national health priorities. 
‘‘(C) EVALUATIONS.—The National Nurse 
for Public Health shall, directly or through 
awards of grants or contracts, evaluate the ac-
tivities encouraged by the National Nurse for 
Public Health and conducted by community- 
based, nonprofit organizations to determine the 
extent to which such activities have succeeded 
in carrying out national health priorities. 
‘‘(D) DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION.— 
The National Nurse for Public Health shall dis-
seminate information to governmental agencies, 
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schools, and community-based, nonprofit orga-
nizations interested in health promotion and 
improving public health through community ac-
tion.’’. 
Æ 
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