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                                                            Current Legislation

H. R. 2572 - Nurse Loan Forgiveness Act of 2007
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to establish a student loan forgiveness program for nurses.
The purposes of this section are-
    (1) to encourage--
    (A) individuals to enter and continue in the nursing profession ; and
    (B) experienced nurses to instruct nurses entering the profession ; and
    (2) to reward such individuals for their service in the nursing profession by reducing the burden of student debt.
Loan Forgiveness-
    (1) LOAN FORGIVENESS AUTHORIZED- The Secretary is authorized to forgive, in accordance with this section, the student
    loan debt of an eligible borrower in the amount specified in subsection (d) for each of the first 5 complete years of service
    described in subsection (c)(1) by such eligible borrower that occur after the date of enactment of this section.
Eligible Borrower- The Secretary is authorized to provide loan forgiveness under this section to any individual who--
    (1) has been employed for at least one calendar year--
    (A) as a full-time registered nurse in a health care facility or a health care setting approved by the Secretary of
    Health and Human Services for the purposes of this section; or
    (B) as a nursing instructor in a school of nursing as defined by the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 296);
    (2) if qualifying on the basis of the employment described in paragraph (1)(B), has received a Masters of Science in
    Nursing ; and
    (3) is not in default on a loan for which the borrower seeks forgiveness.
Loan Forgiveness Amounts- The Secretary shall, from funds appropriated under subsection (j), forgive the loan obligation of an
eligible borrower in accordance with subsection (b)(2) and in the following increments:
    (1) After the first calendar year of employment described in subsection (c)(1), not more than $2,000.
    (2) After the second such year of employment, not more than $2,500.
    (3) After the third such year of employment, not more than $3,000.
    (4) After the fourth such year of employment, not more than $4,500.
    (5) After the fifth such year of employment, not more than $5,000.



H. R. 88 - Eating Disorder Awareness, Prevention and Education Act of 2007
To amend title V of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to raise awareness of eating disorders and to create
educational programs concerning the same, and for other purposes.
The purposes of this Act are the following:
    (1) To provide States, local school districts, and parents with the means and flexibility to improve awareness of, identify, and
    help students with eating disorders.
    (2) To help ensure that such individuals receive a high-quality education and secure their chance for a bright future.
The Congress finds the following:
    (1) An estimated 5,000,000 to 10,000,000 women and girls and 1,000,000 men and boys suffer from eating disorders,
    including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder, as well as eating disorders that are not otherwise
    defined.
    (2) Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by self starvation and excessive weight loss.
    (3) An estimated 0.5 to 3.7 percent of American women will suffer from anorexia nervosa in their lifetime.
    (4) Anorexia nervosa is associated with serious health consequences including heart failure, kidney failure, osteoporosis,
    and death.
    (5) Anorexia nervosa has the highest mortality rate of all psychiatric disorders. A young woman is 12 times more likely to die
    than other women her age without anorexia.
    (6) Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by excessive food consumption followed by inappropriate
    compensatory behaviors, such as self-induced vomiting, misuse of laxatives, fasting, or excessive exercise.
    (7) Bulimia nervosa is common: an estimated 1.1 to 4.2 percent of American women will suffer from this disorder in their
    lifetime.
    (8) Bulimia nervosa is associated with cardiac, gastrointestinal, and dental problems including irregular heartbeats, gastric
    rupture, peptic ulcer, and tooth decay.
    (9) Binge eating disorder is characterized by frequent episodes of uncontrolled overeating.
    (10) Binge eating disorder is common: an estimated 2 to 5 percent of Americans experience this disorder in a 6-month
    period.
    (11) Binge eating is associated with obesity, heart disease, gall bladder disease, and diabetes.
    (12) Eating disorders usually appear in adolescence and are associated with substantial psychological problems, including
    depression, substance abuse, and suicide.
    (13) Forty-two percent of 1st through 3d grade girls want to be thinner, and 81 percent of 10-year-old children are afraid of
    being fat.
    (14) Thirty-five percent of dieters progress to pathological dieting, and 20 to 25 percent of these individuals progress to
    partial or full syndrome eating disorders.
    (15) Eating disorders can lead to death. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 1 in 10 people with anorexia
    nervosa will die of starvation, cardiac arrest, or other medical complications.
    (16) Eating disorders can have a negative impact on the educational advancement of a student, a situation often
    overlooked and rarely addressed in the Nation's schools.
    (17) Educational efforts to prevent eating disorders are of primary importance to the health, well being, and academic
    success of the Nation's students.
    (18) Females are much more likely than males to develop an eating disorder. An estimated 5 to 15 percent of people with
    anorexia or bulimia and an estimated 35 percent of people with binge eating disorder are male.

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