Bipartisan legislation introduced by U.S. Rep. Dave Joyce (R-OH) to extend advanced education nursing grants to support clinical nurse specialist programs on July 17 received approval by the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee.
“I look forward to seeing this critical legislation brought to the House floor for a vote as soon as possible,” said Rep. Joyce, co-chair of the Congressional Nursing Caucus.
The congressman in January introduced the Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act of 2019, H.R. 728, with original cosponsor U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) to reauthorize programs and grants that support the recruitment and retention of nursing professionals.
Title VIII programs address specific nursing workforce needs by providing targeted funding to institutions that educate nurses, from entry-level to graduate study, for practice in rural and medically underserved communities, according to a July 18 statement released by Rep. Joyce’s office.
If enacted, H.R. 728 also would call for an annual report to be submitted to the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee and the House Energy and Commerce Committee “containing an assessment of the programs and activities of the Department of Health and Human Services related to enhancing the nursing workforce, including the extent to which programs and activities under this title meet identified goals and performance measures developed for the respective programs and activities,” according to the bill’s text.
“With our nation on the verge of a nursing shortage, we need to do all we can to support recruitment and retention programs to ensure those who are interested in pursuing a career in nursing have access to the high-quality education and training opportunities necessary to do so,” Rep. Joyce said.
H.R. 728, which currently has a total of 121 cosponsors, also is supported by the American Nurses Association and the American Association of College of Nursing.