,,ii  #aaith ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #cfjd  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,january #h    
7legislative day1 ,january #g71         
#bjbf,mr4 ,markey 7for himself1 ,ms4    
,duckworth1 and ,mr4 ,wyden7 introduced 
the following bill2 which was read twice
 and referred to the ,committee on      
,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and        
,pensions  ,a ,,bill  ,to amend the     
,public ,health ,service ,act to require
 the ,secretary of ,health and ,human   
,services to carry out activities to    
establish1 expand1 and sustain a public 
health nursing workforce1 and for other 
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,public ,health     
,nursing ,act4  #b4 ,public health      
nursing workforce ,part ,e of title     
,,vii of the ,public ,health ,service   
,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bidn et seq47 is   
amended by adding at the end the        
following3  #d ,public health nursing   
workforce  #ghj4 ,public health nursing 
workforce  7a7 ,in general ,the         

,secretary shall carry out activities   
relating to establishing1 expanding1 and
 sustaining a public health nursing     
workforce1 including by making grants to
 ,state1 local1 and territorial public  
health departments4  7b7 ,use of funds  
for public health departments  7#a7 ,in 
general ,the recipient of a grant under 
subsection 7a7 shall use the grant funds
 for the following3 7,a7 ,costs         
7including wages and benefits7 relating 
to the recruiting1 hiring1 and training 
of licensed registered nurses to serve  
as public health nurses-- 7i7 who are   
employed by the ,state1 territorial1 or 
local public health department involved1
 particularly in medically underserved  
areas2 and  7ii7 who work in public     
health facilities1 including mobile     
health clinics and acute care hospitals1
 or who provide home visitation4  7,b7  
,costs of medical supplies1 including   
personal protective equipment1 necessary
 to carry out the activities described  
in subparagraph 7,a74  7,c7             

,administrative costs and activities    
relating to grant activities4  7#b7     
,subgrants ,the recipient of a grant    
under subsection 7a7 may make subgrants 
to local health departments to be used  
for the activities described in         
paragraph 7#a74  7c7 ,priority ,in      
selecting recipients of grants under    
subsection 7a71 the ,secretary shall    
give priority to applicants that-- 7#a7 
propose to serve-- 7,a7 areas with      
populations that have a high rate of    
chronic disease1 infant mortality1 or   
maternal morbidity and mortality2  7,b7 
low-income populations1 including       
medically underserved populations 7as   
defined in section #ccj7;b772  7,c7     
populations residing in health          
professional shortage areas 7as defined 
in section #ccb7;a772  7,d7 populations 
residing in maternity care health       
professional target areas identified    
under section #ccb7k72 or  7,e7 rural or
 traditionally underserved populations2 
7#b7 demonstrate a plan for providing   

services1 to the maximum extent         
practicable1 in the language and        
cultural context more appropriate to    
individuals expected to be served by the
 program2 and  7#c7 have a documented   
collective bargaining agreement with #a 
or more labor organizations representing
 employees of the applicant or have an  
explicit policy not to interfere with   
the rights of employees of the applicant
 under section #g of the ,national      
,labor ,relations ,act4  7d7            
,maintenance of effort ,the recipient of
 a grant under subsection 7a7 shall     
agree to maintain expenditures of       
non-,federal amounts for activities     
described in subsection 7b7 at a level  
that is not less than the level of such 
expenditures maintained by the recipient
 for the fiscal year preceding the      
fiscal year for which the recipient     
receives such a grant4  7e7 ,public     
health nurse defined ,in this section1  
the term public health nurse means a    
nurse providing health care services and

 education regarding preventive health1 
nutrition1 infectious diseases1 chronic 
disease management1 and maternal health1
 prenatal1 and postpartum care in order 
to improve maternal and infant health   
outcomes4  7f7 ,authorization of        
appropriations ,there is authorized to  
be appropriated to the ,secretary to    
carry out this section #e1jjj1jjj1jjj   
for each of fiscal years #bjbf through  
#bjce4  4