Sponsors (2)
Official title: To amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize grants to support schools of nursing in increasing the number of nursing students and faculty and in program enhancement and infrastructure modernization, and for other purposes.
Introduced December 11, 2025 by Lauren Underwood · Last progress December 11, 2025
The bill channels $1 billion in federal funding to expand nursing education capacity and access—especially for underserved students and facilities—while posing costs to taxpayers and relying on effective implementation and equitable distribution to deliver promised workforce and public-health benefits.
Disadvantaged, underrepresented, rural, low-income, and first-generation students gain expanded enrollment and retention supports, increasing access to nursing education and career pathways.
Nursing schools receive sustained federal funding to hire and retain faculty (including underrepresented faculty), reducing faculty shortages and increasing overall training capacity.
Hospitals, clinics, and community health centers gain stronger clinical partnerships and more preceptors, expanding clinical training sites and improving the local health workforce pipeline.
Taxpayers fund a $1 billion authorization, increasing federal spending and potentially diverting resources from other priorities.
Program impact depends on effective implementation and oversight; without strong management the funds may not yield measurable increases in workforce or equitable distribution of benefits.
Prioritizing underserved, HPSA, minority-serving, and rural institutions means some non-priority schools and their students may receive less or no funding.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Authorizes HRSA grants (with $1B authorized) to expand nursing faculty/students, modernize education, and boost preparedness capacity.
Authorizes a new HRSA grant program to expand nursing faculty and student capacity, modernize nursing education, and strengthen workforce readiness for pandemics and public health emergencies. Prioritizes schools serving underserved, shortage, rural, and tribal areas, allows funds for faculty/student recruitment and retention, clinical partnerships, infrastructure and curriculum modernization, and researcher training, and authorizes $1 billion in funding available until expended. Recipients must report annually and HHS must produce a public report to Congress within five years.