National Nursing Workforce Center Act of 2023

II 118TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION S. 1150 To amend the Public Health Service Act to support and stabilize the existing nursing workforce, establish programs to increase the number of nurses, and for other purposes. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES MARCH 30, 2023 Mr. MERKLEY (for himself, Mr. TILLIS, Mr. KELLY, and Mr. WICKER) intro- duced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Com- mittee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions A BILL To amend the Public Health Service Act to support and stabilize the existing nursing workforce, establish pro- grams to increase the number of nurses, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National Nursing 4 Workforce Center Act of 2023’’. 5 SEC. 2. STATE NURSING WORKFORCE CENTERS. 6 Title VII of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 7 292 et seq.) is amended— 8 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:09 Apr 13, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1150.IS S1150 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 •S 1150 IS (1) by redesignating part G (42 U.S.C. 295j et 1 seq.) as part H; and 2 (2) by inserting after part F the following new 3 part: 4 ‘‘PART G—NURSING WORKFORCE CENTERS 5 ‘‘SEC. 785. STATE AND REGIONAL NURSING WORKFORCE 6 CENTER DATA COLLECTION PILOT PRO- 7 GRAM. 8 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall carry out a 9 2-year pilot program to establish new or enhance existing 10 State-based nursing workforce centers, evaluate the im- 11 pact of State-based nursing workforce centers on out- 12 comes, and assess the feasibility of nursing workforce pub- 13 lic-private partnerships. The Secretary shall begin imple- 14 mentation of such pilot program not later than 1 year 15 after the date of enactment of the National Nursing Work- 16 force Center Act of 2023. 17 ‘‘(b) GRANT TERMS.— 18 ‘‘(1) NUMBER OF GRANTS AWARDED.—The 19 Secretary shall award not fewer than 6 grants under 20 the pilot program under subsection (a). 21 ‘‘(2) TERM.—The term of a grant awarded 22 under the pilot program under subsection (a) shall 23 be 2 years. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:09 Apr 13, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1150.IS S1150 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 •S 1150 IS ‘‘(3) MATCHING REQUIREMENT.—As a condi- 1 tion on receipt of a grant under the pilot program 2 under subsection (a), the Secretary shall require the 3 applicant to agree, with respect to costs to be in- 4 curred by the applicant in carrying out the activities 5 funded through the grant, to make available non- 6 Federal contributions (in cash or in kind) toward 7 such costs in an amount that is equal to not less 8 than $1 for each $4 of Federal funds provided 9 through the grant. Such contributions may be made 10 directly or through donations from public or private 11 entities. 12 ‘‘(c) ELIGIBILITY.—To be eligible to receive a grant 13 under this section, an entity shall be— 14 ‘‘(1) a State agency; 15 ‘‘(2) a State board of nursing; 16 ‘‘(3) an organization that is exempt from tax- 17 ation under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Rev- 18 enue Act of 1986; 19 ‘‘(4) a community-based organization; 20 ‘‘(5) a school of nursing (as defined in section 21 801); or 22 ‘‘(6) another type of school or program deter- 23 mined by the Secretary to be an eligible entity for 24 purposes of this section. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:09 Apr 13, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1150.IS S1150 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 4 •S 1150 IS ‘‘(d) EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION.—In awarding 1 grants under this section, the Secretary shall ensure, to 2 the greatest extent possible, that such grants are equitably 3 distributed among— 4 ‘‘(1) the geographical regions of the United 5 States; and 6 ‘‘(2) States with an existing nursing workforce 7 center and States without any such existing center. 8 ‘‘(e) PRIORITY.—In selecting the eligible entity to be 9 awarded a grant under this section for a nursing work- 10 force center in a particular State, the Secretary shall give 11 priority to eligible entities that— 12 ‘‘(1) propose to provide statewide services; 13 ‘‘(2) have expertise in the State’s nursing work- 14 force issues; 15 ‘‘(3) have a history of convening entities to ad- 16 dress nursing workforce issues; and 17 ‘‘(4) have partnerships with entities that tradi- 18 tionally educate and employ the State’s nurses. 19 ‘‘(f) USE OF FUNDS.—A nursing workforce center 20 supported under this section may use funds provided 21 under this section for the following statewide activities: 22 ‘‘(1) Conducting comprehensive analysis of and 23 research on— 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:09 Apr 13, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1150.IS S1150 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 5 •S 1150 IS ‘‘(A) existing State nursing workforce data 1 and gaps in such data; 2 ‘‘(B) 2- and 4-year nursing education pro- 3 grams, including with respect to— 4 ‘‘(i) faculty capacity and pay; 5 ‘‘(ii) enrollment, retention, and grad- 6 uation; 7 ‘‘(iii) services for nursing students 8 and the outcomes of such services; 9 ‘‘(iv) facility needs; and 10 ‘‘(v) clinical placement capacity; 11 ‘‘(C) State-specific scholarships, grants, 12 and financial aid; and 13 ‘‘(D) factors contributing to retention and 14 recruitment challenges and to nurses leaving 15 the workplace or profession. 16 ‘‘(2) Conducting strategic nursing workforce 17 planning with employers across all work settings and 18 nursing education. 19 ‘‘(3) Conducting focused research on trends in 20 nursing shortages, including the fiscal and clinical 21 outcomes of contract nursing. 22 ‘‘(4) Establishing and implementing programs 23 to— 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:09 Apr 13, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1150.IS S1150 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 6 •S 1150 IS ‘‘(A) support and retain faculty to increase 1 enrollment in schools of nursing; 2 ‘‘(B) recruit and retain nurses in all set- 3 tings where nurses practice; 4 ‘‘(C) support leadership development; 5 ‘‘(D) prepare the nursing workforce to ad- 6 dress social determinants of health and health 7 inequities; 8 ‘‘(E) prepare nurses for public health crisis 9 and pandemic response; 10 ‘‘(F) assist individuals in obtaining edu- 11 cation and training required to enter the nurs- 12 ing profession, and advance within such profes- 13 sion, such as by providing career counseling and 14 mentoring; and 15 ‘‘(G) diversify the nursing workforce. 16 ‘‘(g) REPORTS.—Not later than one year after the 17 date on which the first grant is awarded under the pilot 18 program under subsection (a), and annually thereafter, 19 the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on the 20 grants awarded under such pilot program during the year 21 covered by the report. Each such report shall include— 22 ‘‘(1) a description of initiatives to study the 23 unique characteristics of State nursing workforces, 24 and efforts to increase the number of new nurses, 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:09 Apr 13, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1150.IS S1150 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 7 •S 1150 IS recruit nurses to the nursing profession, and retain 1 nurses in the workplace; 2 ‘‘(2) impact data on nurses served by nursing 3 workforce centers, including demographic informa- 4 tion of the individuals served, the number of such in- 5 dividuals, and the types of services provided; 6 ‘‘(3) the effectiveness of establishing formal 7 public-private relationships at understanding the na- 8 tional nursing workforce through improved data col- 9 lection and standardization; 10 ‘‘(4) data on continuous evaluation and quality 11 improvement, and other relevant data as determined 12 by the Secretary; and 13 ‘‘(5) the Secretary’s recommendations and best 14 practices for— 15 ‘‘(A) reducing shortages among different 16 nursing specialties; 17 ‘‘(B) reducing shortages in rural and un- 18 derserved areas; 19 ‘‘(C) improving geographical distribution of 20 the nursing workforce; and 21 ‘‘(D) reducing shortages among different 22 types of nursing employers. 23 ‘‘(h) FUNDING.—From the amounts appropriated to 24 the Health Resources and Services Administration for 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:09 Apr 13, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1150.IS S1150 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 8 •S 1150 IS workforce initiatives, the Secretary shall use $1,500,000 1 for each of fiscal years 2024 and 2025 for purposes of 2 carrying out this section.’’. 3 SEC. 3. STATE AND REGIONAL CENTERS FOR HEALTH 4 WORKFORCE ANALYSIS. 5 (a) EXPANSION OF COVERED PROGRAMS.—Section 6 761(c)(1)(A) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 7 294n(c)(1)(A)) is amended by striking ‘‘under this title’’ 8 and inserting ‘‘under this Act’’. 9 (b) ANALYSIS AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—Sec- 10 tion 761(c) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 11 294n(c)) is amended by adding at the end the following: 12 ‘‘(3) MINIMUM REQUIREMENT.—At least one 13 grant or contract awarded under this subsection 14 shall be awarded to an eligible entity that dem- 15 onstrates— 16 ‘‘(A) a mission to advance and support the 17 nursing workforce; 18 ‘‘(B) experience and expertise in guiding 19 State-level nursing workforce centers; 20 ‘‘(C) experience in working with nursing 21 workforce data; 22 ‘‘(D) expertise in analytical methods and 23 tools appropriate for nursing workforce re- 24 search; and 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:09 Apr 13, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1150.IS S1150 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 9 •S 1150 IS ‘‘(E) awareness of emerging topics, issues, 1 and trends related to the nursing workforce. 2 ‘‘(4) ANALYSIS AND REPORTING.—Analysis and 3 reporting carried out pursuant to a grant or con- 4 tract under this subsection may include— 5 ‘‘(A) collaborating with nursing workforce 6 centers to produce or deliver, with respect to 7 the supply of nurses, the demand for nurses, 8 and the capacity to educate and train the nurs- 9 ing workforce— 10 ‘‘(i) regional and national reports; 11 ‘‘(ii) articles in peer-reviewed journals; 12 ‘‘(iii) presentations at national and 13 international conferences and meetings; 14 and 15 ‘‘(iv) policy briefs, fact sheets, articles, 16 blogs, and other publications available in 17 the public domain; 18 ‘‘(B) evaluating the programs and activi- 19 ties of the nursing workforce centers overall; 20 ‘‘(C) developing evidence-based or evi- 21 dence-informed strategies and best practices to 22 alleviate nursing workforce shortages across 23 States and regions; and 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:09 Apr 13, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1150.IS S1150 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 10 •S 1150 IS ‘‘(D) conducting rapid data analysis and 1 short-term, issue-specific research. 2 ‘‘(5) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—Technical as- 3 sistance provided pursuant to this subsection may 4 include— 5 ‘‘(A) providing technical assistance to 6 nursing workforce centers on the collection, 7 analysis, and reporting of standardized supply, 8 demand, and education and training data to in- 9 form analysis conducted pursuant to subsection 10 (c)(1); 11 ‘‘(B) collaborating with nursing workforce 12 centers to identify and deliver evidence-based or 13 evidence-informed strategies to alleviate nursing 14 shortages and the maldistribution of nurses; 15 ‘‘(C) providing online and in-person train- 16 ing opportunities for nurses and other staff at 17 nursing workforce centers; and 18 ‘‘(D) developing and maintaining a website 19 that— 20 ‘‘(i) is accessible to grant and contract 21 recipients under section 785 and this sec- 22 tion; 23 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:09 Apr 13, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1150.IS S1150 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 11 •S 1150 IS ‘‘(ii) supports resources for the provi- 1 sion of technical assistance under this sec- 2 tion, such as— 3 ‘‘(I) evidence-based or evidence- 4 informed educational materials, tools, 5 recent findings of interest, and links 6 to relevant resources; and 7 ‘‘(II) logistical and administrative 8 information, such as online trainings, 9 webinars, and publications; and 10 ‘‘(iii) includes a publicly accessible re- 11 pository of webinars, tools, and resources. 12 ‘‘(6) DEFINITION.—In this subsection, the term 13 ‘nursing workforce center’ means a nursing work- 14 force center funded under section 785.’’. 15 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:09 Apr 13, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\S1150.IS S1150 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS