National Nursing Workforce Center Act of 2023
Key claim: The National Nursing Workforce Center Act of 2023 would create a pilot program supporting state-based nursing workforce centers and require HRSA to establish a dedicated nursing-focused health workforce research center.
Abstract
(S1150 · 118th Congress) National Nursing Workforce Center Act of 2023 This bill sets out a pilot program to support state agencies, state boards of nursing, nursing schools, or other eligible entities with establishing or expanding state-based nursing workforce centers that carry out research, planning, and programs to address nursing shortages, nursing education, and other matters affecting the nursing workforce. The bill also expands the authority of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to establish health workforce research centers and specifically requires that HRSA establish a center focused on nursing. Latest action (2023-03-30): Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Why this matters
Nursing shortages remain a persistent constraint on care delivery capacity across hospitals, long-term care, and rural settings. This bill would formalize federal support for state-level nursing workforce data and planning centers and stand up a HRSA nursing-focused research center, potentially improving the evidence base used to target future nursing supply, training, and retention interventions.