The Public Health Nursing Act directs the federal government to establish and expand the public health nursing workforce by providing grants to state, local, and territorial health departments. These grants would fund the recruitment, hiring, and training of registered nurses to work in public health settings—including mobile clinics, hospitals, and home visitation programs—with a focus on serving medically underserved and rural areas. The bill prioritizes funding for regions with high rates of chronic disease, infant mortality, maternal health complications, and other underserved populations, while requiring applicants to provide culturally appropriate services and respect employee labor rights. The legislation authorizes $5 billion annually from 2026 through 2035 to support these efforts, with recipient agencies required to maintain their own baseline funding levels for public health activities.
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