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S 721 107th Congress Senate

NEED Act

Official title: A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to establish a Nurse Corps and recruitment and retention strategies to address the nursing shortage, and for other purposes.

Introduced: April 5, 2001 See on congress.gov
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Community health servicesCongressCongressional reporting requirementsContinuing educationCurriculaEconomics and Public FinanceEducationEducation of the disadvantagedElementary and secondary educationFederal advisory bodiesFederal aid to nursing educationGovernment Operations and PoliticsHigher educationHome care servicesHospices (Terminal care)
This bill died when the 107th Congress ended
It never became law before the 107th Congress (2001–2002) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 4 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Nov 1, 2001
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
Apr 5, 2001
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (text of measure as introduced: CR S3547-3550)
Apr 5, 2001
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S3546-3547)
Apr 5, 2001
Introduced in Senate
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 Latest action November 1, 2001

Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service
Nursing Employment and Education Development Act (the NEED Act) - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize appropriations for the nursing workforce development student loan repayment program and permit the service required by such program to be performed in a skilled nursing facility, in a home health agency, in a public health department, or in a nurse-managed health center.

Provide for a Nurse Corps Scholarship program to provide scholarships to individuals seeking nursing education in exchange for service from such individuals in a critical nursing shortage area upon completion of such education, a public awareness and education campaign encouraging pursuit of the nursing profession, an area health education centers program to develop models of excellence for nurses, community nurse outreach grants, educational assistance for nurses from diverse or disadvantaged backgrounds, career ladder program grants for nurses, nurse training grants, nurse internship and residency grants, a fast-track nursing faculty loan program, a stipend and scholarship program to encourage individuals to seek advanced nursing degrees, and a National Commission on the Nursing Crisis.

 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). S. 721: NEED Act. 107th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/107-S-721/
MLA
"S. 721: NEED Act." 107th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/107-S-721/.
Bluebook (legal)
S. 721, 107th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/107-S-721/.
Markdown link
[S. 721: NEED Act](https://openamerica.io/bill/107-S-721/)
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