Public Health Nursing Act

Key Points

• Congress would require the Health Department to run a national program to grow the public health nursing workforce.
• The Health Department could give grants to state, local, and territorial health departments to recruit, hire, and train registered nurses as public health nurses.
• Grant money could pay for wages and benefits, needed medical supplies like protective gear, and basic administrative costs tied to the program.
• The bill prioritizes communities with major health needs, like high chronic disease rates, maternal and infant health problems, low-income areas, and rural areas.
• It would authorize $5 billion each year from 2026 through 2035 to support these hiring and service efforts, while requiring states to keep up their own non-federal spending levels.