text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
      This Act may be cited as the ``National Nurse Act of 2011''.
  
  SEC. 2. NATIONAL NURSE FOR PUBLIC HEALTH.
  
      Title XVII of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300u et 
  seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:
  
  ``SEC. 1711. NATIONAL NURSE FOR PUBLIC HEALTH.
  
      ``(a) Establishment.--
              ``(1) In general.--There is established within the Office 
          of the Surgeon General a full-time position, to be filled by 
          registered nurse to be known as the National Nurse for Public 
          Health.
              ``(2) Procedure.--Except for the initial appointment of the 
          National Nurse for Public Health under paragraph (3), the 
          Secretary shall appoint the National Nurse for Public Health in 
          accordance with Commissioned Corps Instruction CC23.4.6 
          (relating to Chief Professional Officer Nominations), as in 
          effect on February 13, 2008.
              ``(3) Initial appointment.--Not later than 30 days after 
          the date of enactment of this section, the Secretary shall 
          appoint the individual serving as the Chief Nurse Officer of 
          the Public Health Service as of the date of the enactment of 
          this section as the first National Nurse for Public Health.
      ``(b) Rank and Grade.--The National Nurse for Public Health shall 
  have the same rank and grade as the Deputy Surgeon General of the 
  Public Health Service.
      ``(c) Duties.--The National Nurse for Public Health shall carry out 
  the following:
              ``(1) Provide leadership and coordination of Public Health 
          Service nursing professional affairs for the Office of the 
          Surgeon General and other agencies of the Public Health 
          Service, including providing representation for the Government 
          of the United States at the Global Forum for Government Chief 
          Nursing and Midwifery Officers and serving as a member of the 
          Federal Nursing Service Council.
              ``(2) Represent the Surgeon General and the agencies of 
          Public Health Service in communications with groups and 
          societies concerned with nursing issues at the local, State, 
          national, and international levels.
              ``(3) Provide guidance and advice to the Surgeon General 
          and the Nurse Professional Advisory Committee on matters such 
          as standards, recruitment, retention, readiness, and career 
          development of nurses employed by and contracted with agencies 
          of the Public Health Service.
              ``(4) Conduct media campaigns and make personal appearances 
          for purposes of paragraphs (5) through (7).
              ``(5) Provide guidance and leadership for activities to 
          promote the public health, including encouraging nurses and 
          other health professionals to be volunteers and developing 
          projects that educate the public about and engage the public in 
          prevention practices to achieve better health.
              ``(6) Provide guidance and leadership to encourage nurses 
          to engage in furthering their education in order to conduct 
          nursing research, increase the awareness of evidence-based 
          practice, and educate future nurses.
              ``(7) Provide guidance and leadership for activities that 
          will increase public safety and emergency preparedness.
      ``(d) National Health Priorities--Healthy People 2020.--
              ``(1) In general.--The National Nurse for Public Health, in 
          cooperation with the Surgeon General of the Public Health 
          Service, heads of the agencies of the Public Health Service, 
          States, and organizations that represent health professionals, 
          shall participate in the identification of national health 
          priorities.
              ``(2) Addressing national health priorities.--The National 
          Nurse for Public Health, in addressing national health 
          priorities, shall encourage volunteerism of nurses and other 
          individuals, and strengthen the relationship between Government 
          agencies and health-related national organizations.
              ``(3) Community-based projects.--
                      ``(A) Implementation.--In addressing national 
                  health priorities, the National Nurse for Public Health 
                  shall--
                              ``(i) provide guidance and coordination on 
                          recommended activities to organizations;
                              ``(ii) acknowledge successful programs and 
                          encourage their replication;
                              ``(iii) promote the dissemination of 
                          evidence-based practice in educating the public 
                          on health promotion and disease prevention 
                          activities;
                              ``(iv) encourage practicing nurses and 
                          other health professionals, including retired 
                          health professionals and students enrolled in 
                          health professional programs, to participate in 
                          health promotion activities and replicate 
                          successful health promotion activities; and
                              ``(v) monitor activities being conducted 
                          through the collection and evaluation of data 
                          to determine if national health priorities are 
                          being addressed.
                      ``(B) Media campaigns.--The National Nurse for 
                  Public Health shall ensure that media campaigns 
                  conducted under subsection (c)(4) include media 
                  campaigns regarding the national health priorities.
                      ``(C) Evaluations.--The National Nurse for Public 
                  Health shall, directly or through awards of grants or 
                  contracts, evaluate the activities encouraged by the 
                  National Nurse for Public Health and conducted by 
                  community-based, nonprofit organizations to determine 
                  the extent to which such activities have succeeded in 
                  carrying out national health priorities.
                      ``(D) Dissemination of information.--The National 
                  Nurse for Public Health shall disseminate information 
                  to governmental agencies, schools, and community-based, 
                  nonprofit organizations interested in health promotion 
                  and improving public health through community action.
      ``(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--For carrying out this 
  section, there are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be 
  necessary for each of fiscal years 2012 through 2016.''.
target: National Nurse Act of 2011 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to establish the position of National Nurse for Public Health within the Office of the Surgeon General. Includes among the duties of such position providing leadership and coordination of Public Health Service nursing professional affairs for the Office of the Surgeon General and other agencies of the Public Health Service, conducting media campaigns, and providing guidance and leadership for activities that will increase public safety and emergency preparedness.
  
  Requires the National Nurse for Public Health to: (1) participate in identification of national health priorities, (2) encourage volunteerism of nurses and strengthen the relationship between government agencies and health-related national organizations, and (3) promote the dissemination of evidence-based practice in educating the public on health promotion and disease prevention activities.
feat_title: To amend the Public Health Service Act to establish the position of National Nurse for Public Health.