I 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2053
To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants 
to associate degree schools of nursing and professional nursing organiza-
tions to improve nursing education, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 9, 2003
Mr. CAPUANO (for himself, Mr. FLETCHER, Ms. NORTON, Ms. MILLENDER-
MCDONALD, Mr. MCNULTY, Mr. FROST, Mr. ENGEL, Ms. LEE, Mr. 
REYES, Ms. DELAURO, Mr. SERRANO, Mr. SIMMONS, Mr. MARKEY, and 
Mr. BACA) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services 
to award grants to associate degree schools of nursing 
and professional nursing organizations to improve nurs-
ing education, and for other purposes.
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 referred to as the ‘‘Nurse Education 
Promotion Act’’.
SEC. 2. GRANTS FOR NURSING EDUCATION. 
(a) ASSOCIATE SCHOOLS OF NURSING.—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 fol-
lowing: 
‘‘SEC. 832. GRANTS FOR ASSOCIATE DEGREE SCHOOLS OF 
NURSING. 
‘‘(a) PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.—The Secretary may 
award grants on a competitive basis to associate degree 
schools of nursing to establish or expand programs of edu-
cation in professional nursing. 
‘‘(b) USE OF FUNDS.—The Secretary may not award 
a grant to an applicant under subsection (a) unless the 
applicant involved agrees that funds received as a grant 
under this section will be used only to pay all or part of 
the costs of the following: 
‘‘(1) Recruitment of nursing students. 
‘‘(2) Scholarships for nursing students. 
‘‘(3) Hiring nursing faculty. 
‘‘(c) ELIGIBILITY
FOR SCHOLARSHIPS.—For pur-
poses of awarding a scholarship described in subsection 
(b)(2), an associate degree school of nursing shall treat 
an individual as eligible for the scholarship irrespective of 
whether the individual has or has not previously received 
any postsecondary education.’’.
(b) 
CONTINUING
EDUCATION
FOR
CERTAIN 
NURSES.—Part D of title VIII of the Public Health Serv-
ice Act (42 U.S.C. 296p et seq.) is further amended by 
adding at the end the following: 
‘‘SEC. 833. GRANTS FOR CONTINUING EDUCATION FOR CER-
TAIN NURSES. 
‘‘(a) PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.—The Secretary may 
award grants on a competitive basis to professional nurs-
ing organizations (including nursing union chapters) to es-
tablish and administer cooperative programs described in 
subsection (b). 
‘‘(b) USE OF FUNDS.—The Secretary may not award 
a grant to an applicant under subsection (a) unless the 
applicant involved agrees that funds received as a grant 
under this section will be used to establish or administer 
a program, in cooperation with one or more hospitals and 
one or more colleges, to enable individuals who have re-
ceived an associate degree in nursing (or its equivalent) 
or a diploma in nursing—
‘‘(1) to pursue a full-time or half-time course of 
study leading to a baccalaureate degree in nursing 
or an equivalent degree; or 
‘‘(2) to receive training in a nursing specialty 
that has been designated by the Secretary as under-
staffed and critical.
‘‘(c) CLINICAL TRAINING.—The Secretary may not 
award a grant to a professional nursing organization to 
establish or administer a program under subsection (a) 
unless the organization agrees to ensure the following: 
‘‘(1) CHOICE.—Subject to paragraph (2), the 
professional nursing organization will allow an indi-
vidual pursuing a course of study or receiving train-
ing pursuant to subsection (b)(1) or (b)(2) to choose 
to perform the clinical portion of the study or train-
ing at the hospital where the individual is employed 
or at any hospital cooperating in the program. 
‘‘(2) AGREEMENT.—An individual may perform 
the clinical portion described in paragraph (1) at the 
hospital chosen by the individual under such para-
graph only if the hospital agrees to provide the clin-
ical portion. 
‘‘(3) PRIORITY.—If a particular hospital cannot 
accommodate all of the individuals who choose to 
perform the clinical portion described in paragraph 
(1) at that hospital, the professional nursing organi-
zation will give priority to the choice of any such in-
dividual who is employed at that hospital. 
‘‘(4) RELATION TO REGULAR WORK.— In the 
case of an individual who performs the clinical por-
tion described in paragraph (1) at the hospital where
the individual is employed, that hospital may incor-
porate all or some of the clinical portion into the 
regular work period of the individual. 
‘‘(d) COMPENSATION.—The Secretary may not award 
a grant to a professional nursing organization to establish 
or administer a program under subsection (a) unless the 
organization agrees compensate each hospital and college 
that cooperates in the program, at rates to be negotiated 
between the organization and the respective hospital or 
college.’’.
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