Nurse Education Amendments of 1985
Public Law 99-92 · H.R. 2370 · 99th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Aug 16, 1985 · Education
Sponsor: Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA-24)
Cosponsors (12): Rep. James Scheuer, Rep. Douglas Walgren,
Passage votes
- HouseUnanimous consent
- SenateVoice vote
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Nurse Education Amendments of 1985 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize funds for FY 1986 through 1988 for the nursing special projects programs. Authorizes additional projects that demonstrate: (1) clinical nurse education programs which combine educational curricula and clinical practice; (2) methods to improve access to nursing services in non-institutional settings; and (3) methods to encourage nursing graduates to practice in health manpower shortage areas.
Revises the advanced nurse training program to authorize grants and contracts for programs that lead to masters' and doctoral degrees and prepare nurses to serve as nurse educators, administrators, researchers, or to serve in clinical nurse specialties which require advanced education. Authorizes appropriations for such programs for FY 1986 through 1988.
Authorizes grants and contracts for schools of nursing and other non-profit entities to meet the costs of programs for the education of nurse practitioners and nurse midwives. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1986 through 1988.
Authorizes grants for public and private nonprofit schools of nursing to cover the costs of post-baccalaureate fellowships for faculty in such schools. Authorizes appropriations for FY 1986 through 1988.
Extends the authority for traineeships for nurse anesthetists. Provides financial assistance to nurse anesthetist faculty members for advanced education.
Requires any standard established by the Secretary for the collection of loans to provide that the failure of any school to collect such loans shall be measured by the ratio that the defaulted principal bears to the matured loans of such school.
Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to attempt to collect any loan made under such Act which is in default.
Directs the Secretary to set dates by which schools of nursing must file applications for Federal capital contributions. Describes how such appropriations are to be allotted.
Revises the date for the distribution of loan fund assets.
Provides for the repayment of a specified portion of the balance of the student loan fund within 90 days after a school terminates its participation in such program.
Requires the Secretary to provide a school of nursing with notice specifying the intention to terminate an agreement with such school. Provides procedures for the appeal of such termination.
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to permit the disclosure to the Secretary of Health and Human Services of the mailing address of any taxpayer who has defaulted on a nursing student loan made under the Public Health Service Act.
Repeals specified provisions of such Act dealing with Federal construction grants and assistance.
Provides for the recovery of Federal construction assistance where a facility: (1) ceases to be a public or nonprofit school; (2) is no longer used for the training purposes for which it was constructed; or (3) is used for sectarian instruction or as a place for religious worship. Allows the Secretary to waive Federal recovery rights for good cause.
Amends the Federal Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act to allow low volume cigarette manufacturers or importers to apply to the Federal Trade Commission to allow simultaneous rotation of the health warning labels required under such Act.
Amends the Comprehensive Smoking Education Act to extend to January 1, 1986, the deadline for a report to be prepared by the Department of Health and Human Services.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 11 actions.
- Aug 16, 1985Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 99-92.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Aug 8, 1985PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
- Jul 31, 1985Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Agreed to Senate Amendments by Unanimous Consent.
- Jul 22, 1985FloorFloor · Passed Senate in lieu of S. 1284 with an amendment by Voice Vote.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- Jul 15, 1985FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
- Jun 5, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Energy and Commerce Committee
- May 22, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Energy and Commerce Committee
- May 6, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Energy and Commerce Committee
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the House
Data notes
Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.