Nurse Training Amendments of 1979

=Title I: Nurse Training= - Nurse Training Amendments of 1979 - Amends title VIII of the Public Health Service Act to extend the assistance program for nurse training and students.

Establishes a new assistance program for training nurse anesthetists.

Directs the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare to arrange for the conduct of a study, either with the National Academy of Sciences (if such body agrees) or with another public or nonprofit private entity (if the Academy declines), to determine the need to continue a specific Federal assistance program for nursing education, taking into account specified factors, and to report the results of such study to Congress.

=Title II: Other Health Professions Programs= - Amends title VII of the Public Health Service Act (Health Research and Teaching Facilities and Training of Professional Health Personnel) to authorize the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare to increase the ceiling on federally insured loans in any academic year to a medical student in a school of medicine, osteopathy, or dentistry from $10,000 to $15,000 upon a determination that educational costs require such increase. Increases the aggregate insured unpaid principal amount for all such insured loans made to any such borrower from $50,000 to $60,000.

Authorizes the Secretary to defer the date used with respect to service requirements for National Health Service Corps scholarships for students of medicine, osteopathy, or dentistry for a period longer than the current three-year limit for such deferment.

Authorizes the Secretary to defer the service obligation of a scholarship recipient in a school of veterinary medicine, optometry, podiatry, or pharmacy so that such individual may complete an internship, residency, or other advanced clinical training.

Increases from $70,000,000 to $82,000,000 the authorization of appropriations for fiscal year 1980 for the activities of the National Health Service Corps.

Exempts a medical or osteopathic school participating in an area health education center program from the requirement that such school conduct a program for training physical assistants or nurse practitioners which emphasizes enrolling individuals from the area served by the center of the program, if another school participating in the same program meets such requirement.

Increases from $5,000,000 to $10,000,000 the sums which may be obligated for schools of medicine and other types of health care which are financially distressed or unaccredited, from the total authorizations for start-up assistance, financial distress training, and curriculum development of medical schools.

Includes maternal and child health among those disciplines within schools of public health which are eligible to receive traineeship and special project support.

Authorizes the Secretary to waive the following requirements for a school of dentistry in order to remain eligible for a capitation grant if determined that compliance by a school with such requirements will result in the loss of its accreditation: (1) maintain its increased enrollment requirements; (2) train a certain percentage of students in specialty areas; and (3) train students in certain geographical areas for specified lengths of time.

Amends the Health Programs Extension Act to prohibit any entity which receives any funding under the Public Health Service Act, the Community Mental Health Centers Act, or the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act from discriminating against an applicant for training or study because of such applicants view of abortion.

Amends title XVII of the Public Health Service Act (Health Information and Promotion) to extend through fiscal year 1982 the authorization of appropriations for payments under grants and contracts under such title.

=Title III: Public Health Service Administration= - Public Health Service Administrative Amendments of 1979 - Amends title II of the Public Health Service Act (Administration) to revise the administration of the Public Health Service.

Permits warrant officers to be appointed to the Public Health Service.

Establishes two additional positions of Assistant Surgeon General (the Chief Nurse Officer of the Service and the Chief Pharmacist Officer of the Service). Increases from three-fourths of one percent to one percent the number of active duty officers of the Corps who may hold the special temporary grade of Assistant Surgeon General.

Extends to officers of the Reserve Corps the same education and training credits currently available to officers of the Regular Corps.

Authorizes the conditioning of the detail of a Commissioned Officer on the reimbursement by the entity to which he is detailed and includes congressional committees among such authorized entities.

Requires an officer to pay back two times the total of all sums paid by the Public Health Service for training programs upon a voluntary departure from the Service following such training.

Extends to Commissioned Officers of the Public Health Service certain benefits which are provided for Commissioned Officers of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard.

Prescribes the method of calculating the severance pay of Reserve Corps officers who are involuntarily released from active duty.

Increases the pay grade of the Surgeon General from 0-8 to 0-9.

Allows service credit for certain commissioned officers of the service who attain educational degrees before entry or reentry into active service.

Authorizes: (1) advance pay to be made to members of the Public Health Service; and (2) a uniform allowance to Commissioned Officers required to wear the uniform of the United States Coast Guard.