Sponsors (5)
The bill would substantially expand access to school nurses—improving student health, mental-health support, attendance, and creating nursing jobs—by using federal grants, but it shifts significant recurring costs, administrative burdens, and implementation challenges to local districts and may leave some needy schools without support.
Students (children/youth) gain broader access to full-time professional school nurses, improving management of chronic conditions (asthma, diabetes, epilepsy), mental-health screening and support, immunization rates, and reducing illness-related lost school days so more students can stay in class and learn.
Schools and teachers experience less instructional time lost to health issues because added nurses help address health needs on-site, which can improve attendance and academic time.
Local and state school districts receive federal grants that can cover up to 75% of the cost to hire nurses, lowering immediate budget pressure to expand nursing staff.
Taxpayers and local school districts face higher costs if every school is staffed with a full-time registered nurse, increasing budgetary pressure on districts and states.
Local districts must provide a 25% match and later pick up a growing share as multiyear federal support declines, creating sustainability risks and potential job losses if local funding falls short.
Rural and underserved districts may struggle to hire and retain enough licensed nurses, producing uneven implementation and staffing shortages in some communities.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Creates a competitive grant program to fund up to 75% of school nurse positions in high‑need public K–12 districts, with a required phase‑down of federal share and reporting to Congress.
Introduced May 7, 2025 by Alice Costandina Titus · Last progress May 7, 2025
Creates a competitive federal grant program to help high‑need public K–12 school districts hire more professional registered school nurses. Grants can pay up to 75% of nurse costs (with a required declining federal share over multiyear awards), allow state education agencies to subgrant funds, include match flexibility for hardship, and require reporting on program effectiveness within two years of first awards.