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S1874119th CongressWALLET

Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act of 2026

Sponsored By: Senator Merkley, Jeff [D-OR]

In Committee

Summary

This bill would expand and modernize the nursing workforce by widening grant eligibility for advanced practice nursing, boosting faculty capacity, funding salary supplements, and building state data centers to track shortages.

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  • Broadens training support for students and clinical education. It would make nurse practitioners, nurse-midwives, nurse anesthetists, and clinical nurse specialists explicitly eligible for advanced nursing education grants and allows fee support to cover clinical education and preceptors.
  • Strengthens nursing faculty capacity. It would create a Nurse Faculty Demonstration Program to award up to three-year salary supplements to schools that report salary and vacancy data and prioritize high-need areas. It authorizes $15 million for FY2027–2031.
  • Builds state and regional workforce data. It would start a three-year pilot to fund State and Regional Nursing Workforce Centers with a 1-to-4 non-Federal match and up to $1.5 million per year to collect and report workforce data.

*Would increase federal spending by authorizing higher and new appropriations, including raised Title VIII baselines of $184.3 million and $121.1 million per year for 2027–2031, $15 million for the faculty demonstration, and up to $1.5 million annually for the pilot.*

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

5 provisions identified: 5 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.

Short-term nurse faculty pay boosts

This bill would create a 3-year Nurse Faculty Demonstration Program to top up eligible nursing faculty pay. Grants would pay the difference between the average clinical nurse salary and the greater of the faculty member's salary or average nursing faculty salary, prorated for part-time staff. Schools must use the funds only to supplement salaries and keep the faculty member's salary at least at the comparator level. The program would get authorization of $15 million total for each year FY2027–FY2031 and must send a report to Congress within 3 years. At least 20% of awards would go to entities in States with populations under 1.5 million, and grant authority would end September 30, 2031.

Higher federal nursing workforce funding

If enacted, the bill would raise authorized Title VIII amounts for FY2027–FY2031. Subsection (a) would be set at $184.3 million per year and subsection (b) at $121.135 million per year for each of those fiscal years. These new authorizations would increase available funding for nursing workforce programs nationwide.

More student aid and training support

The bill would expand advanced nursing education grants to cover students in nurse practitioner, nurse-midwifery, nurse anesthesia, and clinical nurse specialist programs. Grants would explicitly cover clinical education costs and preceptor payments. It would also let the Secretary and accredited schools set up student loan funds to finance nursing students upon enactment. Separately, allowable Part D uses would broaden to buy simulators, virtual labs, telehealth tools, and to fund more faculty and clinical partnerships to expand training and placements.

Adds protections for assault survivors

The bill would add "survivors of sexual assault" to the survivor protections listed in the statute. If enacted, survivors of sexual assault would get the same protections and program access that section 831(b) provides for other covered survivors.

State nursing data center pilot

The bill would create a 3-year pilot to build or improve state and regional nursing workforce data centers. The Secretary could use up to $1.5 million per year for FY2027–FY2029 for the pilot, but only if Parts B, C, and D funding that year exceed FY2026 levels. Applicants would provide at least $1 non-Federal dollar for every $4 Federal dollars. Recipients would collect and share workforce data and report to the Secretary and Congress.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Merkley, Jeff [D-OR]

OR • D

Cosponsors

  • Sen. Collins, Susan M. [R-ME]

    ME • R

    Sponsored 5/22/2025

  • Sen. Baldwin, Tammy [D-WI]

    WI • D

    Sponsored 5/22/2025

  • Sen. Blackburn, Marsha [R-TN]

    TN • R

    Sponsored 5/22/2025

  • Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT]

    CT • D

    Sponsored 5/22/2025

  • Sen. Coons, Christopher A. [D-DE]

    DE • D

    Sponsored 5/22/2025

  • Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY]

    NY • D

    Sponsored 5/22/2025

  • Sen. Kelly, Mark [D-AZ]

    AZ • D

    Sponsored 5/22/2025

  • Sen. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA]

    CA • D

    Sponsored 5/22/2025

  • Sen. Murkowski, Lisa [R-AK]

    AK • R

    Sponsored 5/22/2025

  • Sen. Hyde-Smith, Cindy [R-MS]

    MS • R

    Sponsored 6/24/2025

  • Sen. Blunt Rochester, Lisa [D-DE]

    DE • D

    Sponsored 6/25/2025

  • Sen. Luján, Ben Ray [D-NM]

    NM • D

    Sponsored 7/14/2025

  • Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH]

    NH • D

    Sponsored 4/27/2026

  • Sen. Ossoff, Jon [D-GA]

    GA • D

    Sponsored 6/3/2026

  • Sen. Gallego, Ruben [D-AZ]

    AZ • D

    Sponsored 6/11/2026

  • Sen. Peters, Gary C. [D-MI]

    MI • D

    Sponsored 9/15/2026

  • Sen. Alsobrooks, Angela D. [D-MD]

    MD • D

    Sponsored 9/28/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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