Nurse Faculty Shortage Reduction Act of 2026

Summary

The Nurse Faculty Shortage Reduction Act of 2026 is a bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives that aims to address the shortage of qualified nursing school faculty. The key provisions of the bill include:

Purpose

• Establish a demonstration program to provide grants to nursing schools to supplement the salaries of eligible nursing faculty members.
• The goal is to enhance the recruitment and retention of nursing faculty to address shortages.

Key Provisions

• The Secretary of Health and Human Services can award grants to eligible nursing schools for up to 3 years.
• The grants will cover the difference between the average local salary of nurses in clinical practice and the current salary of eligible nursing faculty members at the school.
• Schools must maintain faculty salaries at or above the greater of the faculty member's current salary or the school's average nursing faculty salary.
• Priority will be given to schools demonstrating the greatest need, commitment to continuing the salary supplement, and plans for sustainable funding.

Impact

• The bill is intended to make nursing faculty careers more financially competitive and attractive to help address nursing faculty shortages nationwide.
• Increased faculty capacity at nursing schools could allow them to expand enrollment and graduate more nursing students to meet growing healthcare workforce demands.

Overall, the Nurse Faculty Shortage Reduction Act of 2026 aims to provide targeted financial support to nursing schools to help recruit and retain qualified faculty, which is critical for expanding the pipeline of new nurses to meet healthcare needs.