Sponsors (2)
The bill directs $1 billion to expand nursing education capacity, faculty, clinical training, and modernized instruction—boosting access and workforce preparedness—while requiring federal spending and risking uneven benefits or limited impact if not well implemented.
Students, particularly those from disadvantaged, underrepresented, rural, low-income, and first-generation backgrounds, gain expanded enrollment supports and retention funding that increases access to nursing education.
Nursing schools can hire and retain more faculty (including underrepresented faculty), reducing faculty shortages and increasing the number of nurses trained.
Hospitals, clinics, and community health centers benefit from stronger clinical partnerships and more preceptors, expanding clinical training sites and strengthening the local health workforce pipeline.
Taxpayers face a $1 billion federal expenditure to fund the program.
The program’s benefits depend on effective implementation and oversight; without strong administration the funds may not yield measurable workforce increases or equitable distribution of benefits.
Prioritizing funding for underserved, HPSA, minority-serving, and rural institutions means some non-priority schools and their students may receive less or no support.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Authorizes $1 billion in HRSA grants to nursing schools to expand faculty/student capacity, modernize education, and boost pandemic/public-health preparedness with priority for underserved areas.
Introduced December 11, 2025 by Lauren Underwood · Last progress December 11, 2025
Authorizes the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to award grants to schools of nursing to increase faculty and student capacity, modernize nursing education, and strengthen public health emergency and pandemic preparedness. Grants prioritize programs that serve medically underserved areas, health professional shortage areas, institutions under the Higher Education Act, and rural or noncontiguous States/territories. The bill authorizes $1,000,000,000 to carry out the program (available until expended). Grant funds may be used for student recruitment and retention (with priority for disadvantaged and underrepresented students), faculty hiring and retention (including underrepresented faculty), clinical partnerships, infrastructure and technology modernization (simulation, AR, telehealth), curriculum updates, nurse researcher training, and interprofessional partnerships. Recipients must submit annual reports and the Secretary must produce a public report to Congress within five years summarizing activity and impacts. A separate provision removes a codified part heading without changing substantive law.