Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act of 2025
HB3593, titled the Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act of 2025, would reauthorize and update several federal nursing workforce development programs under Title VIII of the Public Health Service Act. The bill expands advanced nursing education grant eligibility and clarifies that support may cover nurse practitioner, nurse-midwifery, nurse anesthesia, and clinical nurse specialist programs. It also updates language in the nurse-midwifery provisions and allows grant funds to be used for clinical education and preceptor costs.
The bill further broadens the scope of nursing education capacity grants by removing the word “basic” from the program heading and adding new allowable uses for funds. These include audiovisual equipment, simulation and augmented reality tools, telehealth technologies, virtual and physical laboratories, and efforts to increase the number of nursing faculty and students to address workforce shortages. It also expands clinical training opportunities through partnerships with health care facilities, nurse-managed health clinics, community health centers, and other care settings, and adds survivors of sexual assault to the populations that may be served under certain grant programs.
In practical terms, the bill would amend multiple sections of the Public Health Service Act and increase authorized appropriations for nursing workforce programs through fiscal year 2030. It raises funding levels for advanced nursing education and related nursing workforce development programs, signaling continued federal investment in nursing education, training infrastructure, and workforce pipeline support.
The general sentiment around the bill appears favorable and noncontroversial. It was forwarded by subcommittee to the full committee by voice vote, and there are no recorded votes or committee transcript excerpts showing opposition. The absence of recorded dissent suggests broad support for reauthorizing nursing workforce programs and expanding training capacity.
No major points of contention are evident in the available materials. The main policy choices are technical and programmatic: how broadly to define eligible nursing education activities, whether to include newer training technologies and clinical partnerships, and how much funding to authorize. Any disagreement would likely center on spending levels or program design rather than the overall goal of strengthening the nursing workforce.
HB3593 would amend the Public Health Service Act to extend and revise federal nursing workforce grant programs, including advanced nursing education and nursing education capacity grants. It would broaden eligible uses of grant funds, update terminology, add clinical education and preceptor costs, and authorize higher appropriations for fiscal years 2026 through 2030. The bill would affect nursing schools, faculty, students, clinical training partners, and health care facilities that participate in federally supported workforce development programs.
The available legislative history indicates a positive and largely unanimous reception. The bill was advanced by voice vote in subcommittee, and there are no recorded votes or transcript excerpts indicating opposition. Overall, the measure appears to be viewed as a routine reauthorization and modernization of nursing workforce support programs.
No significant controversy is reflected in the provided materials. The bill’s changes are mainly expansions of eligible activities and funding levels, such as support for simulation technology, telehealth, clinical placements, and faculty growth. If any concerns exist, they would likely relate to the size of the authorization or the breadth of allowable grant uses, but no specific objections are documented here.