Sponsors (2)
The bill makes a substantial one-time federal investment to expand and modernize nursing education—particularly targeting underserved areas and preparedness—but relies on limited-duration funding and program rules that could be uneven in distribution, impose administrative burdens, and require taxpayer financing.
Students and hospitals/health systems will receive federal funds (authorization of $1 billion) to expand nursing training capacity, enabling more students to enroll and helping increase the supply of nurses.
Nursing schools (and their students) will get grants to hire and retain faculty — including support for underrepresented groups — easing faculty shortages that limit training capacity.
Students and schools will gain modernized training resources (simulation, telehealth, virtual labs) and expanded clinical partnerships, improving clinical preparedness and increasing placement opportunities.
Nursing schools, students, and health systems may not see lasting relief because the authorization is a one-time or time-limited funding approach that may be insufficient to fix long-term workforce shortages.
Taxpayers will bear the cost of the authorized $1 billion, creating budgetary trade-offs and potential pressure to offset spending elsewhere.
Schools and students could be excluded if grant distributions end up favoring certain institutions or meeting narrow eligibility criteria, risking uneven access and entrenching inequities.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Creates a HRSA grant program to expand nursing faculty and student capacity, modernize education, and improve pandemic readiness, with $1 billion authorized.
Introduced December 11, 2025 by Lauren Underwood · Last progress December 11, 2025
Creates a new federal grant program administered by HRSA to strengthen nursing education by increasing faculty and student capacity, modernizing programs and infrastructure, and improving readiness for public health emergencies and pandemics. The program gives priority to schools serving medically underserved areas, health professional shortage areas, certain minority-serving institutions, and rural or noncontiguous states and territories. Provides flexible grant uses (enrollment and retention supports, faculty hiring/retention, clinical partnerships, curriculum and infrastructure modernization, research training, interprofessional partnerships, and other Secretary‑approved activities), requires annual grantee reporting and a Secretary report to relevant congressional committees within five years, and authorizes $1 billion to carry out the program, available until expended.