To require a pilot program on troops to nurse teachers.
What it does: Adds SEC. 662. PILOT PROGRAM ON TROOPS TO NURSE TEACHERS at the end of subtitle E of title VI
Sen. Richard J. Durbin (D-IL)What it changes
1 change to S. 2766 · shown in the bill's text
Adds SEC. 662. PILOT PROGRAM ON TROOPS TO NURSE TEACHERS at the end of subtitle E of title VI
Adds a sectionIn S. 2766 · Placed on Calendar Senate
(4) Covered member of the armed forces defined.--In this subsection, the term "covered member of the Armed Forces" means a member of the Armed Forces wounded or injured in a combat zone who is evacuated from a theater of operations for inpatient care.
Inserted: SEC. 662. PILOT PROGRAM ON TROOPS TO NURSE TEACHERS.
Inserted: (a) Pilot Program Required.--
Inserted: (1) In general.--The Secretary of Defense shall, in coordination with the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Secretary of Education, conduct a pilot program to assess the feasibility and potential benefits of a program to--
Inserted: (A) assist nurse corps officers described in subsection (c) in achieving necessary qualifications to become nurse educators and in securing employment as nurse educators at accredited schools of nursing;
Inserted: (B) provide scholarships to nurse corps officers described in subsection (c) in return for continuing service in the Selected Reserve or other forms of public service; and
Inserted: (C) help alleviate the national shortage of nurse educators and registered nurses.
Inserted: (2) Duration.--Except as provided in subsection (h), the pilot program shall be conducted during the period beginning on January 1, 2007, and ending on December 31, 2012. A nurse corps officer may not enter into an agreement to participate in the pilot program after December 31, 2012.
Inserted: (3) Regulations.--The pilot program shall be conducted under regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Defense in consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Secretary of Education.
Inserted: (b) Designation.--The pilot program required by subsection (a) shall be known as the "Troops to Nurse Teachers Pilot Program" (in this section referred to as the "Program").
Inserted: (c) Nurse Corps Officers.--A nurse corps officer described in this subsection is any commissioned officer of the Armed Forces qualified and designated as an officer in a Nurse Corps of the Armed Forces who is--
Inserted: (1) serving in a reserve component of the Armed Forces;
Inserted: (2) honorably discharged from the Armed Forces; or
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Inserted: (3) a retired member of the Armed Forces.
Inserted: (d) Selection of Participants in Program.--
Inserted: (1) Application.--An eligible nurse corps officer seeking to participate in the Program shall submit to the Secretary of Defense an application therefor. The application shall be in such form, and contain such information, as the Secretary may require.
Inserted: (2) Selection.--The Secretary shall select participants in the Program from among qualified nurse corps officers submitting applications therefor under paragraph (1).
Inserted: (e) Participant Agreement.--
Inserted: (1) In general.--A nurse corps officer selected under subsection (d) to participate in the Program shall enter into an agreement with the Secretary of Defense relating to participation in the Program.
Inserted: (2) Elements.--The agreement of a nurse corps officer under the program shall, at the election of the Secretary for purposes of the Program and as appropriate with respect to that status of such nurse corps officer--
Inserted: (A) require such nurse corps officer, within such time as the Secretary may require, to accept an offer of full-time employment as a nurse educator from an accredited school of nursing for a period of not less than one year; or
Inserted: (B) require such nurse corps officer--
Inserted: (i) within such time as the Secretary may require, to successfully complete a program leading to a master's degree or doctoral degree in a nursing field from an accredited school of nursing or to a doctoral degree in a related field from an accredited institution of higher education;
Inserted: (ii) to serve in the Selected Reserve or some other form of public service under terms and conditions established by the Secretary; and
Inserted: (iii) upon completion of such program and service, to accept an offer of full-time employment as a nurse educator from an accredited school of nursing for a period of not less than 3 years.
Inserted: (f) Assistance.--
Inserted: (1) Transition assistance.--The Secretary of Defense may provide a participant in the Program who enters into an agreement described in subsection (e)(2)(A) assistance as follows:
Inserted: (A) Career placement assistance in securing full-time employment as a nurse educator at an accredited school of nursing.
Inserted: (B) A stipend in an amount not to exceed $5,000 for transition to employment referred to in paragraph (1), and for educational training for such employment, for a period not to exceed two years after entry by such participant into an agreement under subsection (e).
Inserted: (2) Scholarship assistance.--The Secretary of Defense may provide a participant in the Program who enters into an agreement described in subsection (e)(2)(B) scholarship assistance to pursue a degree described in subsection (e)(2)(B)(i) in an amount not to exceed $30,000 annually for a period of not more than four years.
Inserted: (g) Treatment of Assistance.--A stipend or scholarship provided under subsection (f) shall not be taken into account in determining the eligibility of a participant in the Program for Federal student financial assistance provided under title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070 et seq.).
Inserted: (h) Administration After Initial Period.--
Inserted: (1) In general.--The termination of the Program on December 31, 2012, under subsection (a)(2) shall not terminate the entitlement to assistance under the Program of any nurse corps officer entering into an agreement to participate in the Program under subsection (e) that continues in force after that date.
Inserted: (2) Administration.--The Secretary of Education shall undertake any administration of the Program that is required after December 31, 2012, including responsibility for any funding necessary to provide assistance under the Program after that date.
Inserted: (i) Report.--
Inserted: (1) In general.--Not later than three years after the commencement of the Program, the Secretary of Defense shall, in consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Secretary of Education, submit to Congress a report on the Program.
Inserted: (2) Elements.--The report shall--
Inserted: (A) describe the activities undertaken under the Program; and
Inserted: (B) include an assessment of the effectiveness of the Program in--
Inserted: (i) facilitating the development of nurse educators;
Inserted: (ii) encouraging service in the Selected Reserve and other forms of public service; and
Inserted: (iii) helping alleviate the national shortage of nurse educators and registered nurses.
Inserted: (j) Definitions.--In this section:
Inserted: (1) Nurse educator.--The term "nurse educator" means a registered nurse who--
Inserted: (A) is a member of the nursing faculty at an accredited school of nursing;
Inserted: (B) holds a graduate degree in nursing from an accredited school of nursing or a doctoral degree in a related field from an accredited institution of higher education;
Inserted: (C) holds a valid, unrestricted license to practice nursing from a State; and
Inserted: (D) has successfully completed additional course work in education and demonstrates competency in an advanced practice area of nursing.
Inserted: (2) School of nursing.--The term "school of nursing" means a school of nursing (as that term is defined in section 801 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 296)) that is accredited (as that term is defined in section 801(6) of the Public Health Service Act).
Inserted: (k) Funding.--From amounts authorized to be appropriated for the Department of Defense, $5,000,000 may be available for the Program.
Original wording
At the end of subtitle E of title VI, add the following:
Read automatically from the Congressional Record. Check the original before relying on it.
As printed
SA 4253. Mr. DURBIN (for himself, Ms. Collins, Mr. Inouye, Ms. Mikulski, Mr. Obama, Mr. Reed, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Inhofe, and Ms. Murkowski) proposed an amendment to the bill S. 2766, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2007 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe personnel strengths for such fiscal year for the Armed Forces, and for other purposes; as follows:
At the end of subtitle E of title VI, add the following:
SEC. 662. PILOT PROGRAM ON TROOPS TO NURSE TEACHERS.
(a) Pilot Program Required.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of Defense shall, in coordination with the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Secretary of Education, conduct a pilot program to assess the feasibility and potential benefits of a program to--
(A) assist nurse corps officers described in subsection (c) in achieving necessary qualifications to become nurse educators and in securing employment as nurse educators at accredited schools of nursing;
(B) provide scholarships to nurse corps officers described in subsection (c) in return for continuing service in the Selected Reserve or other forms of public service; and
(C) help alleviate the national shortage of nurse educators and registered nurses.
(2) Duration.--Except as provided in subsection (h), the pilot program shall be conducted during the period beginning on January 1, 2007, and ending on December 31, 2012. A nurse corps officer may not enter into an agreement to participate in the pilot program after December 31, 2012.
(3) Regulations.--The pilot program shall be conducted under regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Defense in consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Secretary of Education.
(b) Designation.--The pilot program required by subsection (a) shall be known as the “Troops to Nurse Teachers Pilot Program” (in this section referred to as the “Program”).
(c) Nurse Corps Officers.--A nurse corps officer described in this subsection is any commissioned officer of the Armed Forces qualified and designated as an officer in a Nurse Corps of the Armed Forces who is--
(1) serving in a reserve component of the Armed Forces;
(2) honorably discharged from the Armed Forces; or
(3) a retired member of the Armed Forces.
(d) Selection of Participants in Program.--
(1) Application.--An eligible nurse corps officer seeking to participate in the Program shall submit to the Secretary of Defense an application therefor. The application shall be in such form, and contain such information, as the Secretary may require.
(2) Selection.--The Secretary shall select participants in the Program from among qualified nurse corps officers submitting applications therefor under paragraph (1).
(e) Participant Agreement.--
(1) In general.--A nurse corps officer selected under subsection (d) to participate in the Program shall enter into an agreement with the Secretary of Defense relating to participation in the Program.
(2) Elements.--The agreement of a nurse corps officer under the program shall, at the election of the Secretary for purposes of the Program and as appropriate with respect to that status of such nurse corps officer--
(A) require such nurse corps officer, within such time as the Secretary may require, to accept an offer of full-time employment as a nurse educator from an accredited school of nursing for a period of not less than one year; or
(B) require such nurse corps officer--
(i) within such time as the Secretary may require, to successfully complete a program leading to a master's degree or doctoral degree in a nursing field from an accredited school of nursing or to a doctoral degree in a related field from an accredited institution of higher education;
(ii) to serve in the Selected Reserve or some other form of public service under terms and conditions established by the Secretary; and
(iii) upon completion of such program and service, to accept an offer of full-time employment as a nurse educator from an accredited school of nursing for a period of not less than 3 years.
(f) Assistance.--
(1) Transition assistance.--The Secretary of Defense may provide a participant in the Program who enters into an agreement described in subsection (e)(2)(A) assistance as follows:
(A) Career placement assistance in securing full-time employment as a nurse educator at an accredited school of nursing.
(B) A stipend in an amount not to exceed $5,000 for transition to employment referred to in paragraph (1), and for educational training for such employment, for a period not to exceed two years after entry by such participant into an agreement under subsection (e).
(2) Scholarship assistance.--The Secretary of Defense may provide a participant in the Program who enters into an agreement described in subsection (e)(2)(B) scholarship assistance to pursue a degree described in subsection (e)(2)(B)(i) in an amount not to exceed $30,000 annually for a period of not more than four years.
(g) Treatment of Assistance.--A stipend or scholarship provided under subsection (f) shall not be taken into account in determining the eligibility of a participant in the Program for Federal student financial assistance provided under title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070 et seq.).
(h) Administration After Initial Period.--
(1) In general.--The termination of the Program on December 31, 2012, under subsection (a)(2) shall not terminate the entitlement to assistance under the Program of any nurse corps officer entering into an agreement to participate in the Program under subsection (e) that continues in force after that date.
(2) Administration.--The Secretary of Education shall undertake any administration of the Program that is required after December 31, 2012, including responsibility for any funding necessary to provide assistance under the Program after that date.
(i) Report.--
(1) In general.--Not later than three years after the commencement of the Program, the Secretary of Defense shall, in consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Secretary of Education, submit to Congress a report on the Program.
(2) Elements.--The report shall--
(A) describe the activities undertaken under the Program; and
(B) include an assessment of the effectiveness of the Program in--
(i) facilitating the development of nurse educators;
(ii) encouraging service in the Selected Reserve and other forms of public service; and
(iii) helping alleviate the national shortage of nurse educators and registered nurses.
(j) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Nurse educator.--The term “nurse educator” means a registered nurse who--
(A) is a member of the nursing faculty at an accredited school of nursing;
(B) holds a graduate degree in nursing from an accredited school of nursing or a doctoral degree in a related field from an accredited institution of higher education;
(C) holds a valid, unrestricted license to practice nursing from a State; and
(D) has successfully completed additional course work in education and demonstrates competency in an advanced practice area of nursing.
(2) School of nursing.--The term “school of nursing” means a school of nursing (as that term is defined in section 801 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 296)) that is accredited (as that term is defined in section 801(6) of the Public Health Service Act).
(k) Funding.--From amounts authorized to be appropriated for the Department of Defense, $5,000,000 may be available for the Program.
Legislative Activity
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Senate amendment submitted
June 15, 2006
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Senate amendment submitted
June 15, 2006
Senate amendment agreed to: Amendment SA 4253 agreed to in Senate by Voice Vote.
June 15, 2006
Senate amendment proposed (on the floor): Amendment SA 4253 proposed by Senator Durbin.
June 15, 2006
Amendment SA 4253 proposed by Senator Durbin. (consideration: CR S5909-5913; text: CR S5909-5910) To require a pilot program on troops to nurse teachers.
June 15, 2006
Amendment SA 4253 agreed to in Senate by Voice Vote.
June 15, 2006