---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 296e"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "296e"
heading: "Generally applicable provisions"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/296e"
units:
  - "Chapter 6A — Public Health Service"
  - "Subchapter VI — Nursing Workforce Development"
  - "Part A — General Provisions"
---

# §296e. Generally applicable provisions

- (a) **Awarding of grants and contracts—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) shall ensure that grants and contracts under this subchapter are awarded on a competitive basis, as appropriate, to carry out innovative demonstration [projects](/usc/42/13641.md?p=2) or provide for strategic workforce supplementation activities as needed to address national nursing needs, including—
  - (1) addressing challenges, including through supporting training and education of nursing students, related to the distribution of the nursing workforce and existing or projected nursing workforce shortages in geographic areas that have been identified as having, or that are projected to have, a nursing shortage;
  - (2) increasing access to and the quality of health [care services](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-7), including by supporting the training of professional registered nurses, advanced practice registered nurses, and advanced education nurses within [community based](/usc/42/11851.md?p=1) settings and in a variety of health delivery system settings; or
  - (3) addressing the strategic goals and priorities identified by the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) and that are in accordance with this subchapter.

  Contracts may be entered into under this subchapter with public or private entities as determined necessary by the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c).

- (b) **Information requirements—**
  - (1) **In general—** Recipients of grants and contracts under this subchapter shall meet information requirements as specified by the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c).
  - (2) **Evaluations—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) shall establish procedures to ensure the annual evaluation of [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) and [projects](/usc/42/13641.md?p=2) operated by recipients of grants under this subchapter. Such procedures shall ensure that continued funding for such [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) and [projects](/usc/42/13641.md?p=2) will be conditioned upon the reporting of data and information demonstrating that satisfactory progress has been made by the [program](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) or [project](/usc/42/13641.md?p=2) in meeting the performance outcome standards (as described in [section 296a of this title](/usc/42/296a.md)) of such [program](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) or [project](/usc/42/13641.md?p=2).
- (c) **Training programs—** Training [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) conducted with amounts received under this subchapter shall meet applicable accreditation and quality standards.
- (d) **Duration of assistance—**
  - (1) **In general—** Subject to [paragraph (2)](#d-2), in the case of an award to an entity of a grant, cooperative agreement, or contract under this subchapter, the period during which payments are made to the entity under the award may not exceed 5 years. The provision of payments under the award shall be subject to annual approval by the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) of the payments and subject to the availability of appropriations for the fiscal year involved to make the payments. This paragraph may not be construed as limiting the number of awards under the [program involved](/usc/42/300x–64.md?p=a-1) that may be made to the entity.
  - (2) **Limitation—** In the case of an award to an entity of a grant, cooperative agreement, or contract under this subchapter, [paragraph (1)](#d-1) shall apply only to the extent not inconsistent with any other provision of this subchapter that relates to the period during which payments may be made under the award.
- (e) **Peer review regarding certain programs—**
  - (1) **In general—** Each application for a grant under this subchapter, except advanced nurse traineeship grants under [section 296j(a)(2) of this title](/usc/42/296j.md?p=a-2), shall be submitted to a peer review group for an evaluation of the merits of the proposals made in the application. The [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) may not approve such an application unless a peer review group has recommended the application for approval.
  - (2) **Composition—** Each peer review group under this subsection shall be composed principally of individuals who are not officers or [employees](/usc/42/300gg–91.md?p=d-5) of the Federal Government, and have relevant expertise and experience. In providing for the establishment of peer review groups and procedures, the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) shall, except as otherwise provided, ensure sex, racial, ethnic, and geographic representation among the membership of such groups.
  - (3) **Administration—** This subsection shall be carried out by the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) acting through the [Administrator](/usc/42/4005.md?p=1) of the Health Resources and [Services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) Administration.
- (f) **Analytic activities—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) shall ensure that—
  - (1) cross-cutting workforce analytical activities are carried out as part of the workforce information and analysis activities under this subchapter; and
  - (2) discipline-specific workforce information is developed and analytical activities are carried out as part of—
    - (A) the advanced education nursing activities under part B;
    - (B) the workforce diversity activities under part C; and
    - (C) basic nursing education and practice activities under part D.
- (g) **State and regional priorities—** Activities under grants or contracts under this subchapter shall, to the extent practicable, be consistent with related Federal, [State](/usc/42/296.md?p=8), or regional nursing professions [program](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) plans and priorities.
- (h) **Filing of applications—**
  - (1) **In general—** Applications for grants or contracts under this subchapter may be submitted by health professions [schools](/usc/42/300j–21.md?p=6), [schools](/usc/42/300j–21.md?p=6) of nursing, academic health centers, [State](/usc/42/296.md?p=8) or local governments, or other appropriate public or private [nonprofit](/usc/42/296.md?p=7) entities as determined appropriate by the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) in accordance with this subchapter.
  - (2) **For-profit entities—** Notwithstanding [paragraph (1)](#h-1), a for-profit entity may be eligible for a grant or contract under this subchapter as determined appropriate by the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c).
- (i) **Biennial report on nursing workforce program improvements—** Not later than September 30, 2020, and biennially thereafter, the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) shall submit to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives, a report that contains an assessment of the [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) and activities of the Department of Health and Human [Services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) related to enhancing the nursing workforce, including the extent to which [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) and activities under this subchapter meet the identified goals and performance measures developed for the respective [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) and activities, and the extent to which the Department coordinates with other Federal departments regarding [programs](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) designed to improve the nursing workforce.

## Source credit

(July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title VIII, § 806, as added Pub. L. 105–392, title I, § 123(4), Nov. 13, 1998, 112 Stat. 3565; amended Pub. L. 116–136, div. A, title III, § 3404(a)(4), Mar. 27, 2020, 134 Stat. 392.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Prior Provisions

A prior section 296e, act July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title VIII, § 810, formerly § 806, as added Sept. 4, 1964, Pub. L. 88–581, § 2, 78 Stat. 912; amended Dec. 5, 1967, Pub. L. 90–174, § 12(a), 81 Stat. 541; Aug. 16, 1968, Pub. L. 90–490, title II, § 211, 82 Stat. 781; Nov. 18, 1971, Pub. L. 92–158, § 4(a), 85 Stat. 470; renumbered § 810 and amended July 29, 1975, Pub. L. 94–63, title IX, §§ 902(b), 915(a)–(c), 916(a), (b), 941(e), 89 Stat. 354, 356, 358, 365; Aug. 1, 1977, Pub. L. 95–83, title III, § 307(o)(1)–(4), 91 Stat. 393; Sept. 29, 1979, Pub. L. 96–76, title I, § 104, 93 Stat. 579, set forth provisions relating to computation, requirements, etc., respecting grants for institutional support, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 99–92, §§ 9(a)(1), 10(a), Aug. 16, 1985, 99 Stat. 400, 402, effective Oct. 1, 1985.

### Amendments

2020—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 116–136, § 3404(a)(4)(A), substituted “as needed to address national nursing needs, including—”, pars. (1) to (3), and concluding provisions for “as needed to meet national nursing service goals and in accordance with this subchapter. Contracts may be entered into under this subchapter with public or private entities as determined necessary by the Secretary.”

Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 116–136, § 3404(a)(4)(B), substituted “the reporting of data and information demonstrating that satisfactory progress has been made by the program or project in meeting the performance outcome standards (as described in section 296a of this title) of such program or project.” for “a demonstration that satisfactory progress has been made by the program or project in meeting the objectives of the program or project.”

Subsec. (e)(2). Pub. L. 116–136, § 3404(a)(4)(C), inserted “, and have relevant expertise and experience” before period at end of first sentence.

Subsec. (i). Pub. L. 116–136, § 3404(a)(4)(D), added subsec. (i).