Public Health Nursing Act

More public health nurses hired

If enacted, the bill would create a Public Health Nursing Workforce Program run by the Department of Health and Human Services. The program would get $5 billion each year for fiscal years 2026 through 2035. Grants would go to state, local, and territorial public health departments to recruit, hire, and train licensed registered nurses and to pay wages, benefits, medical supplies (including personal protective equipment), and related administrative costs. Recipients could make subgrants to local health departments and deploy nurses in medically underserved areas, public health facilities (including mobile clinics and acute care hospitals), or for home visitation. Grant selection would prioritize places with high chronic disease, high infant or maternal problems, low-income and medically underserved populations, health professional shortage and maternity care target areas, and rural or traditionally underserved communities; recipients would have to protect labor rights, plan for language and cultural services, and keep non‑Federal spending for these activities at least at the prior fiscal year's level. The bill defines a "public health nurse" as a nurse who provides preventive health, nutrition, infectious disease, chronic disease management, and prenatal and postpartum care and education to improve maternal and infant health outcomes.