Congress funds nursing schools to address workforce shortage, prioritizes underrepresented students
S. 3435 — FAAN Act · Filed by Jeff Merkley (D-OR) · 14 cosponsors · Introduced Dec 11, 2025 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill authorizes $1 billion in federal grants to nursing schools to hire more faculty, enroll more students, modernize facilities and equipment, and improve clinical training partnerships—with priority given to schools serving medically underserved, rural, and health-shortage areas. The grants are designed to address nursing workforce shortages and improve pandemic preparedness, with a focus on recruiting and retaining students and faculty from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups.
Why we flagged it
The bill's operative mechanism is straightforward: federal grants to nursing schools for capacity-building, faculty hiring, and infrastructure modernization. It is a direct public investment in health workforce supply, not a regulatory change, tax provision, or private subsidy.
What the text implies
- Grants flow to schools, not directly to students or faculty—implementation depends on institutional allocation decisions and may not reach intended beneficiaries if schools prioritize other uses.
- Equity language (underrepresented groups, rural students, low-income) is aspirational but not binding; schools must 'prioritize' but are not required to meet enrollment targets, creating accountability risk.
The full analysis lists 4 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
nursing schools (public and private institutions of higher education); equipment and simulation technology vendors; clinical education facility partners