Bill Summary
This legislation, known as the "Bringing Additional Nurses to the Fight Act", aims to amend the Public Health Service Act in order to increase access to accelerated postgraduate nursing programs. This would allow individuals who have already completed some coursework in a nursing-related field at an institution of higher education to quickly advance their education and become nurses. The act also authorizes $30 million in appropriations for fiscal years 2020 through 2023 to support these programs. Additionally, the Secretary of Health and Human Services is required to submit a report to Congress within one year of the first grant or contract being made under this act, detailing the effectiveness of the grants in increasing the nursing workforce, as well as a list of the institutions of higher education that have implemented these programs and the number of students enrolled in each.
Possible Impacts
1. The legislation could provide more opportunities for individuals pursuing a course of study in a nursing-related field to enroll in an accelerated postgraduate nursing program, potentially leading to a larger and more diverse nursing workforce.
2. The use of funds to support these accelerated programs could result in increased tuition costs for students, making it more difficult for some individuals to afford the necessary education and training to become a nurse.
3. The report to Congress could potentially lead to changes in the allocation of funds and resources for these programs, potentially affecting the number of students who are able to enroll and graduate from accelerated postgraduate nursing programs.
[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6686 Introduced in House (IH)]
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116th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 6686
To amend the Public Health Service Act to increase access to
accelerated postgraduate nursing programs, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 1, 2020
Ms. Mucarsel-Powell introduced the following bill; which was referred
to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Public Health Service Act to increase access to
accelerated postgraduate nursing programs, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Bringing Additional Nurses to the
Fight Act''.
SEC. 2. ACCELERATED POSTGRADUATE PROGRAMS.
(a) In General.--Section 831(a) of the Public Health Service Act
(42 U.S.C. 296p(a)) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ``or'' at the end;
(2) in paragraph (2), by striking the period at the end and
inserting ``; or''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(3) developing, implementing, or expanding an accelerated
postgraduate nursing program for individuals who--
``(A) have earned some credit pursuing a course of
study in a nursing-related field (including
foundational science courses at the undergraduate
level) at an institution of higher education (as
defined in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of
1965) or a foreign institution of higher education; and
``(B) are citizens, nationals, or lawfully admitted
permanent resident aliens of the United States.''.
(b) Authorization of Appropriations.--Section 871 of the Public
Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 298d) is amended by adding at the end the
following:
``(c) Accelerated Postgraduate Programs.--In addition to amounts
made available under paragraph (1), for the purpose of carrying out
section 831(a)(3), there are authorized to be appropriated $30,000,000
for each of fiscal years 2020 through 2023.''.
(c) Report to Congress.--Not later than one year after the date on
which the first grant or contract is made under paragraph (3) of
section 831(a) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 296p(a)), as
added by subsection (a), the Secretary of Health and Human Services
shall submit to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and
Pensions of the Senate a report on--
(1) the efficacy of the grants awarded under such paragraph
in increasing the nursing workforce;
(2) a list of the institutions of higher education that
developed, implemented, or expanded an accelerated postgraduate
nursing program using such a grant; and
(3) the number of students enrolled in each such program.
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