NURSE Act

The Nurses for Under-Resourced Schools Everywhere Act (NURSE Act) would create a federal demonstration grant program to increase the number of school nurses in public elementary and secondary schools. The program would award competitive grants to eligible entities—primarily high-need local educational agencies (LEAs) or consortia of LEAs, and in some cases a state educational agency (SEA) working with LEAs. Grants can cover up to 75% of the cost in a given year, with the federal share declining over multi-year awards to encourage continued funding from state or local sources after the grant ends. The act allows subgrants from SEAs to member LEAs and reserves up to 10% of funds for statewide health activities, such as training and technical assistance. Applicants must provide data on current nurse staffing, student health acuity, and nurse workloads. A Congress-report is due within two years of first grants, assessing program effectiveness and any link to learning outcomes. Money would be authorized as necessary for 2026–2030.