Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act of 2025
Sponsored By: Senator Merkley, Jeff [D-OR]
Introduced
Summary
Expands and reauthorizes federal nursing workforce programs to broaden advanced nursing education and boost training capacity. The bill would explicitly include nurse practitioner, nurse-midwifery, nurse anesthesia, and clinical nurse specialist programs in Advanced Nursing Education Grants and allow grant funds to cover clinical education and preceptor costs.
Show full summary
- Students and schools: Advanced nursing students and programs become explicitly eligible for grants, and schools could use funds for clinical training, preceptors, simulation, telehealth, and virtual or physical labs.
- Workforce and faculty: Adds a policy objective to increase the number of nursing faculty and students to help ease nursing shortages and expand training capacity.
- Clinical partners and survivors: Authorizes partnerships with health centers, nurse-managed clinics, and other health facilities to expand clinical placements and adds "survivors of sexual assault" to eligible populations.
*Would raise authorized federal funding for Title VIII programs for fiscal years 2026–2030 to $184.3 million and $121.1 million per year for specified programs, increasing federal outlays.*
Your PRIA Score
Personalized for You
How does this bill affect your finances?
Sign up for a PRIA Policy Scan to see your personalized alignment score for this bill and every other piece of legislation we track. We analyze your financial profile against policy provisions to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.
Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
More funding for nursing programs
If enacted, Title VIII would be authorized $184,337,000 per year for subsection (a) and $121,135,000 per year for subsection (b) for fiscal years 2026 through 2030. That is about $305,472,000 in authorized funding each year. This raises the statutory funding ceiling for Title VIII nursing workforce programs starting in 2026.
More training and support for nurses
If enacted, the bill would expand Advanced Nursing Education Grants. Advanced nursing students (NPs, nurse‑midwives, nurse anesthetists, clinical nurse specialists) would be explicitly eligible. Grants could pay fees, including clinical training and preceptor costs. Schools could buy simulation gear, telehealth tools, and virtual or physical labs. Programs could partner with clinics to add clinical training and explicitly serve survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. The bill would also set a policy goal to increase nursing faculty and student numbers.
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
Cindy Hyde-Smith
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
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov