This bill reauthorizes through FY2031, revises, and establishes programs that support recruitment, education, retention, and advanced practices of nurses and nursing school faculty. Specifically, the bill reauthorizes programs within the Health Resources and Services Administration that provide grants to support increased enrollment in nursing education (including for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds), advanced nursing education and specialized training, nurse retention, and enhanced patient care. The bill also reauthorizes programs that support student loan repayment and scholarships for nurses who agree to work at facilities with critical nursing shortages and nursing faculty who work at accredited schools of nursing. Also, the bill expands certain grants to include (1) training on the use of new technologies such as telehealth and virtual resources, and (2) care for survivors of sexual assault. Additionally, the bill temporarily establishes (1) grants to nursing schools for supplementing the salaries of eligible faculty for a period of up to three years to enhance faculty recruitment and retention, and (2) grants to state agencies, nonprofits, and nursing schools for establishing nursing workforce centers and collecting data regarding the nursing workforce.

Full bill text →

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SubjectsEmployment and training programsHealth personnelHealth programs administration and fundingMedical educationNursing

XML scalars

congress: 119
type: S
number: 1874
originChamber: Senate
originChamberCode: S
introducedDate: 2025-05-22
updateDate: 2026-09-30T11:03:20Z
updateDateIncludingText: 2026-09-30T11:03:20Z
title: Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act of 2026
legislationUrl: https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/1874

Constitutional authority statement (CDATA)

null

Pipeline

Track

federal_presidential

Stage

Introduced

Stage rank

Sponsor

Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] · [D-OR] · M001176
Dem-OR current · 3 terms · @SenJeffMerkley · 6 district offices

Sponsor record (congress_legislators)

Bio (legislators)

bioguide

M001176

status

current

official_full

Jeff Merkley

first

Jeff

middle

null

last

Merkley

suffix

null

nickname

null

birthday

1956-10-24

gender

Current term (3 total)

type

sen

state

district

null

class

party

Democrat

caucus

null

start

2021-01-03

end

2027-01-03

end_type

null

how

null

url

https://www.merkley.senate.gov

address

531 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510

office

531 Hart Senate Office Building

phone

202-224-3753

fax

null

contact_form

https://www.merkley.senate.gov/contact/

rss_url

http://www.merkley.senate.gov/rss/

Leadership roles (0)

none

Committee memberships (18)

Joint Committee on Printing (joint) · joint · rank 2 · site
Africa and Global Health Policy (senate) · senate · rank 3
Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies (senate) · senate · rank 2
Chemical Safety, Waste Management, Environmental Justice, and Regulatory Oversight (senate) · senate · Ranking Member · rank 1
Clean Air, Climate, and Nuclear Innovation and Safety (senate) · senate · rank 3
Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (senate) · senate · rank 6
Department of Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies (senate) · senate · Ranking Member · rank 1
Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies (senate) · senate · rank 6
East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy (senate) · senate · rank 2
Energy and Water Development (senate) · senate · rank 3
Senate Committee on Appropriations (senate) · senate · rank 5 · site
Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (senate) · senate · rank 3 · site
Senate Committee on Foreign Relations (senate) · senate · rank 5 · site
Senate Committee on Rules and Administration (senate) · senate · rank 5 · site
Senate Committee on the Budget (senate) · senate · Ranking Member · rank 1 · site
State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs (senate) · senate · rank 5
Transportation and Infrastructure (senate) · senate · rank 2
Western Hemisphere, Transnational Crime, Civilian Security, Democracy, Human Rights, and Global Women's Issues (senate) · senate · rank 2

Social media

Twitter: @SenJeffMerkley
Facebook: @jeffmerkley
Instagram: @senjeffmerkley
YouTube: @SenatorJeffMerkley

District offices (6)

1705 Main St., Suite 504, Baker City, OR, 97814 · 541-278-1129 · 44.7747562,-117.8301918
131 NW Hawthorne Ave., Suite 208, Bend, OR, 97703 · 541-318-1298 · 44.0577568,-121.3096179
405 East 8th Ave., Suite 2010, Eugene, OR, 97401 · 541-465-6750 · 44.0516928,-123.0858119
10 South Bartlett St., Suite 201, Medford, OR, 97501 · 541-608-9102 · 42.3266304,-122.8712245
121 SW Salmon St., Suite 1400, Portland, OR, 97204 · 503-326-3386 · fax 202-224-2073 · 45.5160884,-122.6748937
500 Liberty St. SE, Suite 320, Salem, OR, 97301 · 503-362-8102 · 44.9360439,-123.0403946

Other names (0)

none

Sponsor FEC record (fec_live)

Candidate record (candidates) · cycle 2026

candidate_id

S8OR00207

cycle

2026

name

MERKLEY, JEFFREY ALAN

party

DEMOCRATIC PARTY

office

Senate

state

district

incumbent_challenge

Incumbent

candidate_status

active_through

2026

election_year

null

first_file_date

2007-08-01

last_file_date

2026-01-13

last_f2_date

2026-01-13

address

null

Candidate summary (candidate_summaries) · cycle 2026

cycle

2026

total_receipts

$7,893,849.32

total_disbursements

$4,871,006.77

cash_on_hand_end_period

$6,828,403.72

debts_owed_by_committee

$0.00

coverage_start_date

2021-01-01

coverage_end_date

2026-06-30

Connected committees (0)

none

Cosponsors (17)

Sen. Collins, Susan M. [R-ME] · [R-ME] · C001035 · Co-sponsored 2025-05-22 · original
Rep-ME current · 5 terms · @SenatorCollins · 6 district offices
Sen. Baldwin, Tammy [D-WI] · [D-WI] · B001230 · Co-sponsored 2025-05-22 · original
Dem-WI current · 10 terms · @SenatorBaldwin · 6 district offices
Sen. Blackburn, Marsha [R-TN] · [R-TN] · B001243 · Co-sponsored 2025-05-22 · original
Rep-TN current · 10 terms · @MarshaBlackburn · 6 district offices
Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT] · [D-CT] · B001277 · Co-sponsored 2025-05-22 · original
Dem-CT current · 3 terms · @SenBlumenthal · 2 district offices
Sen. Coons, Christopher A. [D-DE] · [D-DE] · C001088 · Co-sponsored 2025-05-22 · original
Dem-DE current · 3 terms · @ChrisCoons · 2 district offices
Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY] · [D-NY] · G000555 · Co-sponsored 2025-05-22 · original
Dem-NY current · 6 terms · @GillibrandNY · 8 district offices
Sen. Kelly, Mark [D-AZ] · [D-AZ] · K000377 · Co-sponsored 2025-05-22 · original
Dem-AZ current · 2 terms · @SenMarkKelly · 2 district offices
Sen. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA] · [D-CA] · S001150 · Co-sponsored 2025-05-22 · original
Dem-CA current · 14 terms · @SenAdamSchiff · 3 district offices
Sen. Murkowski, Lisa [R-AK] · [R-AK] · M001153 · Co-sponsored 2025-05-22 · original
Rep-AK current · 5 terms · @LisaMurkowski · 6 district offices
Sen. Hyde-Smith, Cindy [R-MS] · [R-MS] · H001079 · Co-sponsored 2025-06-24
Rep-MS current · 3 terms · @SenHydeSmith · 4 district offices
Sen. Blunt Rochester, Lisa [D-DE] · [D-DE] · B001303 · Co-sponsored 2025-06-25
Dem-DE current · 5 terms · @SenLBR · 2 district offices
Sen. Luján, Ben Ray [D-NM] · [D-NM] · L000570 · Co-sponsored 2025-07-14
Dem-NM current · 7 terms · @SenatorLujan · 5 district offices
Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH] · [D-NH] · S001181 · Co-sponsored 2026-04-27
Dem-NH current · 3 terms · @SenatorShaheen · 6 district offices
Sen. Ossoff, Jon [D-GA] · [D-GA] · O000174 · Co-sponsored 2026-06-03
Dem-GA current · 1 term · @SenOssoff · 4 district offices
Sen. Gallego, Ruben [D-AZ] · [D-AZ] · G000574 · Co-sponsored 2026-06-11
Dem-AZ current · 6 terms · @RepRubenGallego · 2 district offices
Sen. Peters, Gary C. [D-MI] · [D-MI] · P000595 · Co-sponsored 2026-09-15
Dem-MI current · 5 terms · @SenGaryPeters · 7 district offices
Sen. Alsobrooks, Angela D. [D-MD] · [D-MD] · A000382 · Co-sponsored 2026-09-28
Dem-MD current · 1 term · 1 district office

Committees (1)

Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee [Senate Standing]
2026-07-28T22:28:35ZReported By
2026-07-22T15:20:10ZMarkup By
2025-05-22T16:58:28ZReferred To
2025-05-22T16:58:28ZReferred To

Actions — from XML (6)

2026-07-28Calendarsvia Senate
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 527.
2026-07-28Committeevia Senate
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Reported by Senator Cassidy with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
2026-07-28Committee14000via Library of Congress
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Reported by Senator Cassidy with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
2026-07-22Committeevia Senate
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
2025-05-22IntroReferralvia Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
2025-05-22IntroReferral10000via Library of Congress
Introduced in Senate

Actions — from bill_actions table (0)

none

Titles

Display Title2026-09-30T11:03:20Z
Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act of 2026
Short Title(s) as Reported to SenateRSS2026-07-30T01:53:19Z
Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act of 2026
Short Title(s) as IntroducedIS2025-06-04T03:23:24Z
Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act of 2025
Official Title as IntroducedIS2025-06-04T03:18:25Z
A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize certain nursing workforce development programs, and for other purposes.

Text versions (from XML)

Reported to Senate2026-07-28T04:00:00Z
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BILLS-119s1874rs/xml/BILLS-119s1874rs.xml
Introduced in Senate2025-05-22T04:00:00Z
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BILLS-119s1874is/xml/BILLS-119s1874is.xml

Versions — from bill_versions table (0)

none

Policy area

Health

Summaries

25 · 2026-07-28 · Reported to Senate

Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act of 2026

This bill reauthorizes through FY2031, revises, and establishes programs that support recruitment, education, retention, and advanced practices of nurses and nursing school faculty.

Specifically, the bill reauthorizes programs within the Health Resources and Services Administration that provide grants to support increased enrollment in nursing education (including for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds), advanced nursing education and specialized training, nurse retention, and enhanced patient care. The bill also reauthorizes programs that support student loan repayment and scholarships for nurses who agree to work at facilities with critical nursing shortages and nursing faculty who work at accredited schools of nursing.

Also, the bill expands certain grants to include (1) training on the use of new technologies such as telehealth and virtual resources, and (2) care for survivors of sexual assault.

Additionally, the bill temporarily establishes (1) grants to nursing schools for supplementing the salaries of eligible faculty for a period of up to three years to enhance faculty recruitment and retention, and (2) grants to state agencies, nonprofits, and nursing schools for establishing nursing workforce centers and collecting data regarding the nursing workforce.

Related bills

HR 3593 (119) Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act of 2025
Latest: 2025-09-10 — Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote.
Relationship: Identical bill (via CRS)

Amendments (0)

none

Laws

none

Committee reports

none

Calendar number

null

CBO cost estimates

none

Latest action

Date

2026-07-28

Text

Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 527.

Time

null

Dublin Core

format

text/xml

language

rights

Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

contributor

Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress

description

This file contains bill summaries and statuses for federal legislation. A bill summary describes the most significant provisions of a piece of legislation and details the effects the legislative text may have on current law and federal programs. Bill summaries are authored by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) of the Library of Congress. As stated in Public Law 91-510 (2 USC 166 (d)(6)), one of the duties of CRS is "to prepare summaries and digests of bills and resolutions of a public general nature introduced in the Senate or House of Representatives". For more information, refer to the User Guide that accompanies this file.

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8503

congress

119

bill_type

bill_number

1874

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s-1874-119

title

Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act of 2026

short_title

Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act of 2026

sponsor_bioguide_id

M001176

sponsor_name

Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR]

sponsor_party

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introduced_date

2025-05-22

latest_action_date

2026-07-28

latest_action_text

Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 527.

status

null

policy_area

Health

subjects_json

[
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  "Health personnel",
  "Health programs administration and funding",
  "Medical education",
  "Nursing"
]

govinfo_billstatus_path

BILLSTATUS-119s1874

raw_billstatus_xml

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