Public Health Nursing Act

The "Public Health Nursing Act" seeks to establish, expand, and sustain a robust public health nursing workforce across the United States. It mandates the Secretary of Health and Human Services to implement activities, primarily through grants, to State, local, and territorial public health departments. These grants are intended to support the recruitment, hiring, and training of licensed registered nurses to serve as public health nurses, particularly in medically underserved areas and facilities like mobile health clinics or acute care hospitals, or for home visitation services. Grant funds can cover wages, benefits, training costs, medical supplies, and administrative expenses related to these activities. Priority for grant selection is given to applicants proposing to serve areas with high rates of chronic disease, infant mortality, or maternal morbidity, as well as low-income, rural, or traditionally underserved populations. Applicants demonstrating a plan for culturally and linguistically appropriate services and those with collective bargaining agreements or non-interference policies regarding employee rights also receive preference. The bill authorizes an appropriation of $5,000,000,000 annually for fiscal years 2026 through 2035 to carry out these provisions, requiring grant recipients to maintain their current non-Federal expenditures.