Emergency Nursing Supply Relief Act

Bill: 110-hr-5924
Sponsor: Rep. Wexler, Robert [D-FL-19]
Introduced: 2008-04-29 in the House
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Administrative fees
Admission of nonimmigrants
Alien labor
Aliens
Collection of accounts
Developing countries
Disaster relief
Economics and Public Finance
Education
Emergency Management
Evidence (Law)
Federal aid to education
Fees
Government trust funds
Higher education
Immigrants
Immigration
International Affairs
Labor and Employment
Law
Medical personnel
Nurses
Nursing
Nursing education
Paramedical personnel
Physical therapy
Recruiting of employees
Residence requirements
Visas

Summary:
action_date: 2008-04-29
text: 
Emergency Nursing Supply Relief Act - Amends the American Competitiveness in the Twenty-first Century Act of 2000 to lift the numerical limitations for employment based immigrants (and accompanying family members) for nurses and physical therapists until September 30, 2011, subject to a cap.
 
Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to impose a fee upon each petitioning employer who uses such a visa to provide employment for an alien as a professional nurse. 
 
Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Service (HHS), acting through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), to award a grant each fiscal year to each eligible nursing school that applies and meets specified requirements to increase the number of nursing faculty and students at the school.
 
Establishes in the Treasury's general fund a Domestic Nursing Enhancement Account.
 
Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to: (1) direct the Secretary to allow an eligible alien (and spouse or child) to reside in a candidate country (defined to include a lower middle income country or one experiencing a natural disaster) during the period the alien is working there as a health care worker; and (2) make inadmissible an alien seeking entry into the United States to perform labor as a health care worker unless the alien attests that he or she does not have an outstanding obligation to the alien's government or country of residence, subject to a waiver.
 
Directs the Secretary of Labor to establish a partnership program to award grants to eligible entities to carry out comprehensive programs to provide education to nurses and create a pipeline to nursing for incumbent ancillary health care workers who wish to advance their careers.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-07-31
text: Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by the Yeas and Nays: 7 - 2 .
action_date: 2008-07-31
text: Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
action_date: 2008-06-03
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law.
action_date: 2008-04-30
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2008-04-29
text: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2008-04-29
text: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2008-04-29
text: Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2008-04-29
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2008-04-29
text: Introduced in House