NURSE PRACTITIONER AND NURSE MIDWIFE PROGRAMS.

SEC. 204. NURSE PRACTITIONER AND NURSE MIDWIFE PROGRAMS. Section 822 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 296m) is amended to read as follows: “nurse practitioner and nurse midwife programs “Sec. 822. (a) In General.—The Secretary may make grants to and enter into contracts with public and nonprofit private schools of nursing or other public and nonprofit private entities to meet the costs of projects that, with respect to programs described in subsection (b)— “(1) plan, develop, and operate new such programs; or “(2) maintain or significantly expand existing such programs. “(b) Authorized Programs.— “(1) In general.— The programs referred to in subsection (a) are educational programs for registered nurses (irrespective 106 STAT. 2073of the type of school of nursing in which the nurses received their training) that— “(A) meet guidelines prescribed by the Secretary in accordance with paragraph (2); and “(B) have as their objective the education of nurses who will, upon completion of their studies in such programs, be qualified to effectively provide primary health care, including primary health care in homes and in ambulatory care facilities, long-term care facilities and other health care institutions. “(2) Guidelines.— After consultation with appropriate educational organizations and professional nursing and medical organizations, the Secretary shall prescribe guidelines for programs described in paragraph (1). Such guidelines shall, as a minimum, require that such a program— “(A) extend for at least one academic year and consist of— “(i) supervised clinical practice directed toward preparing nurses to deliver primary health care; and “(ii) at least four months (in the aggregate) of classroom instruction that is so directed; and “(B) have an enrollment of not less than six full-time equivalent students. “(c) Certain Considerations in Making Awards.— “(1) Preference.—In making awards of grants and contracts under subsection (a), the Secretary shall give preference to any qualified applicant that, with respect to programs described in subsection (b), agrees to expend the award to plan, develop, and operate new such programs or to significantly expand existing such programs. “(2) Special consideration.—In making awards of grants and contracts under subsection (a), the Secretary shall give special consideration to qualified applicants that agree to expend the award to train individuals as nurse practitioners and nurse midwives who will practice in health professional shortage areas designated under section 332. “(d) Authorization of Appropriations.—For the purpose of carrying out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated $20,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 1993 and 1994.”.