YourVoice.Now Summary
Workers & JobsUp to $5 billion a year to hire public health nurses for local health departments, 2026 to 2035
Workers & Jobs
HHS would give grants to health departments to find, hire, train, and pay nurses. The money could cover pay and benefits. It would be allowed each year from 2026 through 2035. Areas that lack care would come first.
When picking who gets grants, HHS would favor health departments that have a union contract. A department would also get this edge if it has a clear rule not to block its workers from joining a union.
More about this bill
More nurses could work for your local health department, especially in poor, rural, or hard-to-reach areas. Congress could spend up to $5 billion a year on this from 2026 through 2035. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) would give grants to state, local, and territorial health departments. They would use the money to recruit, hire, train, and pay registered nurses as public health nurses. These nurses would work in health department sites, mobile clinics, and hospitals, or make home visits. Public health nurses teach and care for people on topics like nutrition, disease, and long-term illness. They also help with care before and after childbirth. Grants could also buy medical supplies, such as masks and gloves. Places with high rates of chronic disease, infant deaths, or harm to mothers would go first. So would low-income and rural areas, and areas short of health workers. Health departments with union contracts would also get an edge. Departments could not cut their own spending on this work after getting a grant.
Congressional Summary
Public Health Nursing Act This bill establishes a grant program within the Department of Health and Human Services to support a public health nursing workforce in state, territorial, and local public health departments.
Details
- Congress
- 119th
- Chamber
- House
- Status
- summarized
- Action
- Introduced in House
- Action Date
- 2026-01-08
- Date Added
- 2026-10-02
- Source
- Congress.gov →
Like reading a bill in plain English?
We're building an app that does this for every bill in Congress and lets you tell your reps how you want them to vote. We're a small team getting ready to launch, and we're trying to show investors that real people want this. Be one of them. Help us get it built. Leave your email and we'll tell you the moment the app is ready.