SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
The Congress finds the following: 
(1) In recent years, the Institute of Medicine 
(IOM) has described the American health care sys-
tem in crisis. It is estimated between 44,000 to 
98,000 American die as a result of medical errors 
each year. A paramount reason for compromised pa-
tient safety is the critical shortage of Registered 
Nurses (RN) in the United States. 
(2) In 2002, the Joint Commission found that 
for roughly a quarter (24 percent) of hospital pa-
tient deaths and injuries, low nurse staffing levels 
was a contributing factor. 
(3) The current nursing shortage places the 
lives of patients at risk and the shortage is only pro-
jected to worsen. In April 2006, the Health Re-
sources and Services Administration (HRSA) pre-
dicted that the nation’s nursing shortage would grow 
to more than one million nurses by 2020. If the cur-
rent nursing shortage trend continues, only sixty- 
four percent of the projected demand will be met. 
(4) More registered nurses must be educated to 
meet the demanding needs of the future. They are 
a critical component of the health care delivery sys-
tem, are the first responders during natural disas-
ters and are essential to provide health care to the 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
23:11 Sep 20, 2007
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3597.IH
H3597
mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with BILLS
U.S. military. In the future, RNs will play an even 
larger role in the health care delivery system as 78 
million baby boomers age and require additional 
health care services. 
(5) Over the last nine years, the nursing short-
age has become more apparent as constraints in 
nursing education programs have intensified. Ac-
cording to the American Association of Colleges of 
Nursing report on 2006–2007 Enrollment and Grad-
uations in Baccalaureate and Graduate Programs in 
Nursing, U.S. nursing schools turned away 42,866 
qualified applicants from baccalaureate and graduate 
nursing programs in 2006 due to insufficient num-
ber of faculty, clinical sites, classroom space, clinical 
preceptors, and budget constraints. 
(6) While graduations increased by 18 percent 
from 2005 to 2006 in entry-level baccalaureate nurs-
ing programs, this increase does not meet the de-
mand. The April 2006 HRSA projection noted that 
nursing schools must increase the number of grad-
uates by 90 percent in order to adequately address 
the nursing shortage. 
(7) From 1971 to 1978, Congress provided 
schools of nursing Capitation Grants, which are for-
mula grants based on the number of students en-
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
23:11 Sep 20, 2007
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3597.IH
H3597
mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with BILLS
rolled. Most notably, the Nurse Training Act of 
1971 (P.L. 92–158) and the Nurse Training Act of 
1975 (P.L. 94–63) facilitated increased enrollments 
in schools of nursing and helped relieve past nursing 
shortages. 
(8) According to a 2006 National League for 
Nursing report, nurse faculty vacancies continued to 
grow with 1,390 as the estimated number of budg-
eted, unfilled, full-time positions countrywide in 
2006. 
SEC. 3. NURSING EDUCATION. 
Title VII of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 1133 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end 
the following new part: 
‘‘PART E—ADDITIONAL CAPACITY FOR R.N. STU-
DENTS OR GRADUATE-LEVEL NURSING STU-
DENTS 
‘‘SEC. 771. ADDITIONAL CAPACITY FOR R.N. STUDENTS OR 
GRADUATE-LEVEL NURSING STUDENTS. 
‘‘(a) AUTHORIZATION.—The Secretary shall award 
grants to institutions of higher education that offer— 
‘‘(1) a R.N. nursing program at the bacca-
laureate or associate degree level to enable such pro-
gram to expand the faculty and facilities of such 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
23:11 Sep 20, 2007
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3597.IH
H3597
mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with BILLS
program to accommodate additional R.N. nursing 
program students; or 
‘‘(2) a graduate-level nursing program to ac-
commodate advanced practice degrees for R.N.s or 
to accommodate students enrolled in a graduate-level 
nursing program to provide teachers of nursing stu-
dents. 
‘‘(b) DETERMINATION OF NUMBER OF STUDENTS 
AND APPLICATION.—Each institution of higher education 
that offers a program described in subsection (a) that de-
sires to receive a grant under this section shall— 
‘‘(1) determine for the 4 academic years pre-
ceding the academic year for which the determina-
tion is made the average number of matriculated 
nursing program students at such institution for 
such academic years; and 
‘‘(2) submit an application to the Secretary at 
such time, in such manner, and accompanied by 
such information as the Secretary may require, in-
cluding the average number determined under para-
graph (1). 
‘‘(c) GRANT AMOUNT; AWARD BASIS.— 
‘‘(1) GRANT AMOUNT.—For each academic year 
after academic year 2006–2007, the Secretary shall 
provide to each institution of higher education 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
23:11 Sep 20, 2007
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3597.IH
H3597
mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with BILLS
awarded a grant under this section an amount that 
is equal to $3,000 multiplied by the number of ma-
triculated nursing program students at such institu-
tion for such academic year that is more than the 
average number determined with respect to such in-
stitution under subsection (b)(1). Such amount shall 
be used for the purposes described in subsection (a). 
‘‘(2) DISTRIBUTION
OF
GRANTS
AMONG
DIF-
FERENT DEGREE PROGRAMS.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—Subject to subpara-
graph (B), from the funds available to award 
grants under this section for each fiscal year, 
the Secretary shall— 
‘‘(i) use 20 percent of such funds to 
award grants under this section to institu-
tions of higher education for the purpose 
of accommodating advanced practice de-
grees or students in graduate-level nursing 
programs; 
‘‘(ii) use 40 percent of such funds to 
award grants under this section to institu-
tions of higher education for the purpose 
of expanding R.N. nursing programs at the 
baccalaureate degree level; and 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
23:11 Sep 20, 2007
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3597.IH
H3597
mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with BILLS
‘‘(iii) use 40 percent of such funds to 
award grants under this section to institu-
tions of higher education for the purpose 
of expanding R.N. nursing programs at the 
associate degree level. 
‘‘(B) DISTRIBUTION OF EXCESS FUNDS.— 
If, for a fiscal year, funds described in clause 
(i), (ii), or (iii) of subparagraph (A) remain 
after the Secretary awards grants under this 
section to all applicants for the particular cat-
egory of nursing programs described in such 
clause, the Secretary shall use equal amounts of 
the remaining funds to award grants under this 
section to applicants for the remaining cat-
egories of nursing programs. 
‘‘(C) 
EQUITABLE
DISTRIBUTION.—In 
awarding grants under this section, the Sec-
retary shall, to the extent practicable, ensure— 
‘‘(i) an equitable geographic distribu-
tion of the grants among the States; and 
‘‘(ii) an equitable distribution of the 
grants among different types of institu-
tions of higher education. 
‘‘(d) PROHIBITION.— 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
23:11 Sep 20, 2007
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3597.IH
H3597
mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with BILLS
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Funds provided under this 
section may not be used for the construction of new 
facilities. 
‘‘(2) RULE
OF
CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in 
paragraph (1) shall be construed to prohibit funds 
provided under this section from being used for the 
repair or renovation of facilities. 
‘‘(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
such sums as may be necessary.’’. 
Æ 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
23:11 Sep 20, 2007
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H3597.IH
H3597
mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with BILLS