H.R. 6989

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6989 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 6989

To amend the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of 
Health and Human Services to carry out activities to establish, expand, 
and sustain a public health nursing workforce, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

January 8, 2026

Ms. Stansbury (for herself and Ms. Moore of Wisconsin) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and 
Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To amend the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of 
Health and Human Services to carry out activities to establish, expand, 
and sustain a public health nursing workforce, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Public Health Nursing Act''.

SEC. 2. PUBLIC HEALTH NURSING WORKFORCE.

Part E of title VII of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
294n et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

``Subpart 4--Public Health Nursing Workforce

``SEC. 780. PUBLIC HEALTH NURSING WORKFORCE.

``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall carry out activities 
relating to establishing, expanding, and sustaining a public health 
nursing workforce, including by making grants to State, local, and 
territorial public health departments.
``(b) Use of Funds for Public Health Departments.--
``(1) In general.--The recipient of a grant under 
subsection (a) shall use the grant funds for the following:
``(A) Costs (including wages and benefits) relating 
to the recruiting, hiring, and training of licensed 
registered nurses to serve as public health nurses--
``(i) who are employed by the State, 
territorial, or local public health department 
involved, particularly in medically underserved 
areas; and
``(ii) who work in public health 
facilities, including mobile health clinics and 
acute care hospitals, or who provide home 
visitation.
``(B) Costs of medical supplies, including personal 
protective equipment, necessary to carry out the 
activities described in subparagraph (A).
``(C) Administrative costs and activities relating 
to grant activities.
``(2) Subgrants.--The recipient of a grant under subsection 
(a) may make subgrants to local health departments to be used 
for the activities described in paragraph (1).
``(c) Priority.--In selecting recipients of grants under subsection 
(a), the Secretary shall give priority to applicants that--
``(1) propose to serve--
``(A) areas with populations that have a high rate 
of chronic disease, infant mortality, or maternal 
morbidity and mortality;
``(B) low-income populations, including medically 
underserved populations (as defined in section 330(b));
``(C) populations residing in health professional 
shortage areas (as defined in section 332(a));
``(D) populations residing in maternity care health 
professional target areas identified under section 
332(k); or
``(E) rural or traditionally underserved 
populations;
``(2) demonstrate a plan for providing services, to the 
maximum extent practicable, in the language and cultural 
context more appropriate to individuals expected to be served 
by the program; and
``(3) have a documented collective bargaining agreement 
with 1 or more labor organizations representing employees of 
the applicant or have an explicit policy not to interfere with 
the rights of employees of the applicant under section 7 of the 
National Labor Relations Act.
``(d) Maintenance of Effort.--The recipient of a grant under 
subsection (a) shall agree to maintain expenditures of non-Federal 
amounts for activities described in subsection (b) at a level that is 
not less than the level of such expenditures maintained by the 
recipient for the fiscal year preceding the fiscal year for which the 
recipient receives such a grant.
``(e) Public Health Nurse Defined.--In this section, the term 
`public health nurse' means a nurse providing health care services and 
education regarding preventive health, nutrition, infectious diseases, 
chronic disease management, and maternal health, prenatal, and 
postpartum care in order to improve maternal and infant health 
outcomes.
``(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section $5,000,000,000 
for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2035.''.
<all>