Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act of 2018

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 959, the Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act of 2018.

It is undeniable that nurses play a critical role in our society's function, as they are trusted healthcare professionals who are the heart and soul of the healthcare system.

H.R. 959 amends the Public Health Service Act by extending support for nursing workforce programs and grants through the fiscal year 2022.

This bill will reauthorize the Title VIII nursing workforce development programs.

Further, eligibility for advanced nursing education grants will be expanded to include education programs for clinical nurse leaders and all combined registered nurse and graduate degree programs.

The Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act bolsters nursing education at all levels, strengthens nursing education and funds institutions educating nurses to practice in rural and medically underserved communities.

For nearly six decades, the nursing workforce development programs have helped fortify the workforce by increasing the number of students, faculty, and practicing nurses.

Unfortunately, health inequities, inflated costs, and poor health care outcomes are intensifying because of today's shortfall of appropriately prepared licensed vocational/practical nurses (LVNs/ LPNs), registered nurses (RNs), advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), and nurse faculty.

This trend must be ameliorated, as the importance of nurses cannot be understated.

Nurses are extremely vital components to quality healthcare and patient education.

Nurses are the primary professionals delivering quality health care in the nation, as there are over 4.2 million Registered Nurses in practice today.

Moreover, the nurse workforce is expected to continue to grow, due to the current technological advancements for treatments, preventive care needs, and the rising demand from new health reform enrollments.

It is imperative that the nursing shortage in society be eliminated, as the need for qualified, experienced nurses is rising and will continue to do so.

Insufficient federal investments in nursing education, training, and the overall workforce will only be a detriment to our nation's quality of healthcare.

H.R. 959 ensures that nursing workforce development programs will continue to address the specific needs of the nursing and nurse faculty workforce as well as patients in our communities.

By modernizing the current nursing workforce development programs, through technical training and further financial funding, nurses will be able to fulfill the needs of their patients at the highest level.

Further funding and training for nurses at all levels ensures that all types and levels of nurses have concrete training and are able to deliver high quality healthcare.

I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 959, which will strengthen the future of nursing and the health of the nation.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 959) to amend title VIII of the Public Health Service Act to extend advanced education nursing grants to support clinical nurse specialist programs, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material in the Record on the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 959, the Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act of 2018, which was introduced by the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Joyce).

The bill reauthorizes the title VIII Nursing Workforce Development Programs for fiscal years 2019 through 2023. Title VIII programs, in addition to the title VII physician workforce programs, expired several years ago, but have continued to receive appropriations. This bill reauthorizes title VIII programs at the fiscal year 2018 level.

While our appropriations process has continued to fund these programs without a reauthorization, there remains uncertainty regarding how much money the programs will receive each year.

These programs range from providing our advanced practice nurses with additional educational opportunities to increasing the nursing workforce diversity.

The bill includes grants for nurses at different levels of education to obtain further education so that they can advance within the nursing profession. Additionally, this legislation reauthorizes loan repayment scholarships and grants for education, practice, quality, and retention. These provisions are essential in educating and retaining a qualified nurse workforce.

Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to support H.R. 959, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Joyce), the author of the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time, and only to point out that this bill did pass in the previous Congress, in the 114th Congress, both in subcommittee and full committee, but was never enacted into law.

The author of that bill in the last Congress was our colleague, Lois Capps, on the Energy and Commerce Committee, and I know she will be grateful to see that her work has finally cleared the floor of the House and on to the Senate, and we will be successful.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time, and I urge an ``aye'' vote.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 959, the Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act.

I thank the main sponsor of the legislation, Representative David Joyce, and original cosponsors including: Representative Doris Matsui, Representative Kathy Castor, and Representative Tulsi Gabbard for their hard work on this important legislation.

An estimated 10,000 people are turning 65 years old in America every day. That trend will continue through the end of the decade. In addition to an aging population, the United States faces rising healthcare costs, prevalent chronic diseases, and the rise in substance abuse disorders. In order to meet this increased need for care, we need to grow the largest group of healthcare providers in our Nation: nurses.

The title VIII programs bolster nursing education at all levels, from entry-level preparation through graduate study, and provides support for institutions that educate nurses for practice in rural and medically underserved communities. This program is designed to address specific needs within the nursing workforce and America's patient population.

This legislation will reauthorize title VIII of the Public Health Service Act that provides Federal resources toward nursing workforce development programs, including the recruitment, retention, and advanced education of skilled nursing professionals.

This bill extends advanced education nursing grants to support clinical nurse specialists, clinical nurse leaders, defines nurse- managed health clinics, adds clinical nurse specialists to the National Advisory Council on Nurse Education and Practice, and reauthorizes loan repayments, scholarships, and grants for education, practice, quality, and retention.

This bipartisan legislation passed the Energy and Commerce Committee on voice vote earlier this month. I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting this important legislation to expand and strengthen our American nursing workforce, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Hawaii (Ms. Gabbard), who is a cosponsor of this bill.

Mr. Speaker, we have no further speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague, Congressman Joyce, who has been a great leader on these issues relating to our nursing workforce. I appreciate working with him as co-chair of the House Congressional Nursing Caucus, where we are able to bring a lot of these issues and challenges to life.

We all know that nurses and caregivers are the heartbeat of our healthcare providers. Day in and day out, they provide lifesaving care with empathy, compassion, and care in the most trying and stressful situations. But across the country, we continue to see nursing workforce shortages, especially in our rural and underserved communities, like many in my home State of Hawaii where people on different islands are literally separated by a body of water sometimes from getting access to the care that they need.

In the next 2 years alone, the United States is on track to face a shortage of nearly 200,000 nursing professionals. These shortages not only drive up the cost of healthcare for those most in need, but they actually endanger the wellbeing and care of our patients.

As our healthcare system faces heightened and complex challenges, like an aging population, increase in chronic diseases, an ever- worsening opioid epidemic, and so much more, our healthcare workers must have the training they need to address the needs of our communities.

Reauthorizing Federal funding for vital programs that provide nurses with training, education, and support, will help grow our nursing workforce, both in my home State of Hawaii and across the country, and expand access to the quality care for our children, our veterans, our seniors, and all of our communities.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation, and empower our nurses and healthcare professionals to continue serving and caring for the people in our communities.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my legislation, H.R. 959, the Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act of 2018.

First, I want to thank Chairman Walden and Ranking Member Pallone for moving this legislation through the Energy and Commerce Committee. It is easy to see why nursing consistently ranks as the most trusted profession in America. As the husband of a nurse, and co-chair of the Congressional Nursing Caucus, I know the amount of dedication and support nurses put into their daily task of caring for every patient.

An estimated 10,000 baby boomers are turning 65 years old every day. In order to meet this increased demand for care, we need to grow the largest group of healthcare providers: nurses.

Despite the importance of nurses to the wellbeing of patients, we face a projected nursing shortage that will leave too many patients without the care that they need. The shortage will affect the entire healthcare system, so we need to do all we can to make sure that those individuals are interested in this valued career path and have access to high-quality education opportunities.

My bill authorizes funds for loan payback programs and grants for advanced education, workforce diversity, and nursing recruitment programs. This bill will expand our Nation's trained nursing workforce so they can provide the highest quality care American patients need.

Mr. Speaker, I am thankful for the incredible bipartisan support this bill has received on behalf of the Nation's nurses, and I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation.