National Nursing Workforce Center Act of 2025
The National Nursing Workforce Center Act of 2025 would create and fund state nursing workforce centers and expand federal support for nursing workforce analysis and planning. The bill establishes a two-year pilot program to create or strengthen state-based nursing workforce centers, with grants that require matching funds and a focus on evaluating impact and public-private partnerships. It also broadens the Public Health Service Act’s health workforce analysis framework to explicitly include nursing workforce centers, enabling more robust data collection, analysis, and technical assistance to improve the supply, distribution, and education of nurses. Overall, the measure aims to stabilize the current nursing workforce, expand the number of nurses, and improve planning and coordination to address shortages, especially in rural and underserved areas. Key design elements include: (1) a 2-year pilot for state nursing workforce centers with implementation within a year of enactment; (2) grant terms with a 2-year duration and a 1-for-4 non-Federal matching requirement; (3) eligibility for a broad set of entities (state agencies, nursing boards, 501(c)(3) organizations, community-based groups, schools of nursing, and other Secretary-designated entities); (4) emphasis on equitable geographic distribution, statewide service delivery, and partnerships with entities that educate and employ nurses; (5) funding use for statewide data analysis, workforce planning, faculty recruitment and retention, leadership development, addressing social determinants of health, crisis preparedness, and pathways into the profession; and (6) expansion of health workforce analysis to include nursing workforce centers, with requirements for analysis, reporting, and technical assistance, plus a public-facing data and resources platform.
Key Points
- 1Establishes a 2-year pilot program to create or enhance State Nursing Workforce Centers, with implementation to begin within 1 year of enactment and grant terms of 2 years to test impact and public-private partnerships.
- 2Grants require non-Federal matching contributions (at least $1 in non-Federal funds for every $4 of Federal funds) and are available to a broad set of eligible entities, including state agencies, state nursing boards, 501(c)(3) organizations, community-based groups, schools of nursing, and other Secretary-approved entities.
- 3Funds may be used for statewide activities such as analyzing nursing workforce data and education programs, scholarships and financial aid, recruitment and retention strategies, faculty support, leadership development, addressing social determinants of health, pandemic/public health crisis preparedness, and helping individuals enter and advance in the nursing profession.
- 4The Secretary must ensure equitable geographic distribution and give priority to entities that propose statewide services, have nursing workforce expertise, convening history, and partnerships with entities that educate and employ nurses; annual reports to Congress are required detailing initiatives, outcomes, data, and recommendations to reduce shortages and improve distribution.
- 5The bill authorizes up to $1.5 million per year for fiscal years 2026 and 2027 to support the Section 785 nursing workforce center activities, and also expands the health workforce analysis framework to explicitly include nursing workforce centers (Section 3), enhancing analysis, reporting, and technical assistance.