SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) The American Hospital Association reported 
in July 2007 that United States hospitals need ap-
proximately 116,000 registered nurses to fill vacant 
positions nationwide. 
(2) To address the shortage of qualified nurses, 
schools of nursing have developed accelerated, sec-
ond-baccalaureate degree programs in nursing. In 
2005, these programs graduated 3,769 students. 
The number of accelerated degree graduates in 2006 
was 5,236. This is an additional 1,467 nursing grad-
uates in 1 year. 
(3) Despite the nurse shortage and efforts to 
increase the pool of qualified nurses, schools of nurs-
ing struggle to increase student capacity. According 
to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing 
(referred to in this Act as the ‘‘AACN’’), United 
States nursing schools turned away nearly 43,000 
qualified applicants in 2006 primarily due to an in-
sufficient number of faculty. 
(4) The AACN reported in July 2006, a total 
of 637 faculty vacancies at 329 nursing schools with 
baccalaureate or graduate programs, or both, across 
the Nation. Besides the vacancies, schools cited the 
need to create an additional 55 faculty positions to 
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accommodate student demand. Most of the vacancies 
(53.7 percent) were faculty positions requiring a 
doctoral degree. 
(5) In 2007, the Association of Academic 
Health Centers surveyed chief executive officers 
(CEOs) from academic health centers regarding fac-
ulty shortages across various health professions. The 
CEOs rated the nursing faculty shortage as the 
most severe of all health professions with 81 percent 
noting the nursing faculty shortage as a problem. 
(6) The average ages of doctorally-prepared 
nurse faculty holding the ranks of professor, asso-
ciate professor, and assistant professor are 58.6, 
55.8, and 51.6 years, respectively. Considering the 
average age of nurse faculty at retirement is 62.5 
years, a wave of nurse faculty retirements is ex-
pected in the next decade. 
(7) Master’s and doctoral programs in nursing 
are not producing a large enough pool of potential 
nurse educators to meet the demand. In 2006, the 
AACN found that graduations from doctoral nursing 
programs were up by only 1.4 percent from the pre-
vious academic year. 
(8) Nurses are vital to the Nation’s health care 
delivery system. Due to the nurse shortage, patient 
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safety and quality of care are at risk. Given the find-
ings described in paragraphs (1) through (7), meas-
ures must be taken to address the nurse shortage 
and nursing faculty shortage. 
SEC. 3. NURSING STUDENT LOAN PROGRAM. 
Title VIII of the Public Health Service Act (42 
U.S.C. et seq.) is amended— 
(1) in section 835(b)(4), by inserting ‘‘(includ-
ing a student in an accelerated nursing degree pro-
gram who is pursuing a second baccalaureate degree 
or a master’s degree as an entry level nursing de-
gree)’’ after ‘‘graduate degree in nursing’’; and 
(2) in section 836— 
(A) in subsection (a)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘$2,500’’ and inserting 
‘‘$4,400’’; 
(ii) by striking ‘‘$4,000’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘$7,000’’; and 
(iii) by striking ‘‘$13,000’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘$22,900’’; and 
(B) in subsection (b)— 
(i) in paragraph (1), by inserting 
‘‘(including a student in an accelerated 
nursing degree program who is pursuing a 
second baccalaureate degree or a master’s 
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degree as an entry level nursing degree)’’ 
after ‘‘graduate degree in nursing’’; and 
(ii) in paragraph (2), by inserting 
‘‘(including a student in an accelerated 
nursing degree program who is pursuing a 
second baccalaureate degree’’ after ‘‘equiv-
alent degree’’. 
SEC. 4. ACCELERATED NURSING DEGREE PROGRAMS. 
Section 801(3) of the Public Health Service Act (42 
U.S.C. 296(3)) is amended by inserting ‘‘(including an ac-
celerated nursing degree program’’ before ‘‘and includ-
ing’’. 
SEC. 5. ADVANCED EDUCATION NURSING GRANTS. 
Section 811(f)(2) of the Public Health Service Act 
(42 U.S.C. 296j(f)(2)) is amended by striking the period 
at the end and inserting ‘‘, except in the case of a nurse 
faculty shortage, the Secretary may, in the Secretary’s dis-
cretion, obligate more than 10 percent of such traineeships 
for individuals in doctoral degree programs.’’. 
SEC. 6. GRANT PROGRAM FOR DOCTORAL NURSING PRO-
GRAMS. 
Part D of title VIII of the Public Health Service Act 
(42 U.S.C. 296p et seq.) is amended by adding at the end 
the following: 
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‘‘SEC. 832. GRANT PROGRAM FOR DOCTORAL NURSING 
PROGRAMS. 
‘‘(a) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary shall award 
grants to eligible entities to enable the eligible entities to 
establish doctoral nursing degree programs. 
‘‘(b) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—In this section, the term 
‘eligible entity’ means an entity that is 1 of the ‘eligible 
entities’ as such term is defined in section 801. 
‘‘(c) APPLICATION.—An eligible entity that desires a 
grant under this section shall submit an application to the 
Secretary at such time, in such manner, and accompanied 
by such information as the Secretary may require. 
‘‘(d) SELECTION OF GRANT RECIPIENTS.—Not later 
than 6 months after the date of enactment of the Nursing 
Education Opportunities Act, the Secretary shall establish 
requirements and procedures for the administration of 
grants under this section and procedures for selecting 
grant recipients. In awarding grants under this section, 
the Secretary shall consider the following: 
‘‘(1) DOCTORAL NURSING PROGRAM DISTRIBU-
TION.—Providing priority to eligible entities located 
in States in which there are no doctoral nursing de-
gree programs. 
‘‘(2) GEOGRAPHIC
DISTRIBUTION.—Providing 
an equitable geographic distribution of such grants. 
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‘‘(3) RURAL AND URBAN AREAS.—Distributing 
such grants to rural and urban areas. 
‘‘(4) PRIOR
EXPERIENCE
OR
EXCEPTIONAL 
PROGRAMS.—Whether the eligible entity has dem-
onstrated— 
‘‘(A) prior experience in, or exceptional 
programs for, the preparation of baccalaureate 
prepared nurses or master’s prepared nurses; 
and 
‘‘(B) an interest in establishing a doctoral 
nursing degree program. 
‘‘(e) GRANT AMOUNT.—Each grant awarded under 
this section shall be equal to not more than $2,000,000. 
‘‘(f) GRANT DURATION.—A grant awarded under this 
section shall be for a period of not more than 5 years. 
‘‘(g) USE OF FUNDS.—An eligible entity that receives 
a grant under this section shall use the grant funds to 
establish a doctoral nursing degree program, including— 
‘‘(1) hiring administrators, faculty, and staff; 
‘‘(2) retaining current faculty; 
‘‘(3) developing doctoral curriculum; 
‘‘(4) repairing and expanding infrastructures; 
‘‘(5) purchasing educational equipment; 
‘‘(6) developing and enhancing clinical labora-
tories; 
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‘‘(7) recruiting students; 
‘‘(8) establishing technology infrastructures; 
and 
‘‘(9) other investments determined necessary by 
the eligible entity for the development of a doctoral 
nursing degree program. 
‘‘(h) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
not more than $40,000,000 for fiscal year 2008 and such 
sums as may be necessary for each of the 4 succeeding 
fiscal years.’’. 
SEC. 7. DOCTORAL NURSING CONSORTIA PILOT PROJECT. 
Part D of title VIII of the Public Health Service Act 
(42 U.S.C. 296p et seq.), as amended by section 6, is fur-
ther amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘SEC. 
833. 
DOCTORAL 
NURSING 
CONSORTIA 
PILOT 
PROJECT. 
‘‘(a) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the pilot project 
under this section is to provide grants to partnerships of 
eligible entities to establish consortia to enhance and ex-
pand the availability of doctoral nurse faculty and edu-
cation by enabling the partners involved to share doctoral 
faculty and programmatic resources so that the nursing 
faculty shortage does not further inhibit the preparation 
of future nurses or nurse faculty. 
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‘‘(b) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary shall award 
grants to partnerships of eligible entities to enable the 
partnerships to establish doctoral nursing consortia. 
‘‘(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) DOCTORAL
NURSING
CONSORTIUM.—The 
term ‘doctoral nursing consortium’ means a partner-
ship that includes 2 or more of— 
‘‘(A) eligible entities within the same 
State; 
‘‘(B) eligible entities within different 
States; or 
‘‘(C) eligible entities establishing a doctoral 
nursing program. 
‘‘(2) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘eligible en-
tity’ has the meaning given the term in section 
832(b). 
‘‘(d) APPLICATION.—A partnership of eligible entities 
that desires a grant under this section shall submit an 
application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, 
and accompanied by such information as the Secretary 
may require. Such partnership may apply for a grant 
under this section each year of the pilot project. 
‘‘(e) SELECTION.—Not later than 6 months after the 
date of enactment of the Nursing Education Opportunities 
Act, the Secretary shall establish requirements and proce-
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dures for the administration of grants under this section 
and procedures for selecting grant recipients. 
‘‘(f) CONSIDERATION
IN
MAKING
AWARDS.—In 
awarding grants under this section, the Secretary shall 
consider the following: 
‘‘(1) PRIOR
EXPERIENCE
OR
EXCEPTIONAL 
PROGRAMS.—Eligible 
entities 
that 
have 
dem-
onstrated prior experience in, or exceptional pro-
grams for, the preparation of— 
‘‘(A) doctorally prepared nursing faculty 
and nursing researchers; and 
‘‘(B) baccalaureate prepared nurses or 
master’s prepared nurses. 
‘‘(2) GEOGRAPHIC
DISTRIBUTION.—Providing 
an equitable geographic distribution of such grants. 
‘‘(3) RURAL AND URBAN AREAS.—Distributing 
such grants to rural and urban areas. 
‘‘(4) NEW GRANTEES.—Awarding grants to eli-
gible entities that have not previously received a 
grant under this section. 
‘‘(g) GRANT AMOUNT.—The Secretary shall deter-
mine the amount of each grant awarded under this section 
based on the purpose of this section, which amount shall 
not be more than $500,000. 
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‘‘(h) USE OF FUNDS.—A partnership of eligible enti-
ties that receives a grant under this section shall use the 
grant funds to establish a doctoral nursing consortium 
that shall share doctoral faculty and programmatic re-
sources, such as— 
‘‘(1) establishing technology infrastructures; 
‘‘(2) developing shared doctoral curriculum; 
‘‘(3) hiring faculty and staff; 
‘‘(4) retaining current faculty; 
‘‘(5) providing travel stipends for nursing fac-
ulty who agree to teach nursing courses at another 
eligible entity within the doctoral nursing consor-
tium; 
‘‘(6) providing scholarships for post-doctoral 
fellows who agree to teach a nursing course within 
the nursing doctoral consortium; 
‘‘(7) providing collaborative networks for nurs-
ing research; and 
‘‘(8) other investments determined necessary by 
the eligible entities for use within the doctoral nurs-
ing consortium. 
‘‘(i) GRANT DURATION.—The pilot project under this 
section shall be for a period of not more than 5 years. 
‘‘(j) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
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not more than $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2008 and such 
sums as may be necessary for each of the 4 succeeding 
fiscal years.’’. 
SEC. 8. NURSE FACULTY PILOT PROJECT. 
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: 
‘‘PART F—NURSE FACULTY PILOT PROJECT 
‘‘SEC. 781. PURPOSES. 
‘‘The purposes of this part are to create a pilot pro-
gram— 
‘‘(1) to provide scholarships to qualified nurses 
in pursuit of an advanced degree with the goal of be-
coming faculty members in an accredited nursing 
program; and 
‘‘(2) to provide grants to partnerships between 
accredited schools of nursing and hospitals or health 
facilities to fund release time for qualified nurse em-
ployees, so that those employees can earn a salary 
while obtaining an advanced degree in nursing with 
the goal of becoming nurse faculty. 
‘‘SEC. 782. ASSISTANCE AUTHORIZED. 
‘‘(a) COMPETITIVE GRANTS AUTHORIZED.—The Sec-
retary may, on a competitive basis, award grants to, and 
enter into contracts and cooperative agreements with, 
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