One School, One Nurse Act of 2025
- Bill Number
- H.R. 305
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Education
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-01-09: Referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- Last Updated
- 2026-05-20T08:08:05Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
The "One School, One Nurse Act of 2025" aims to help states and local school districts ensure that every elementary and secondary school has at least one full-time registered nurse (a licensed professional qualified under state law to provide health services like assessments, counseling, and treatments). It focuses on addressing nurse shortages through recruitment, hiring, and retention, while maintaining appropriate nurse-to-student ratios to support student health and wellness.
Key Provisions
- Grant Program: The Secretary of Education must establish a competitive grant program within 12 months of enactment. Grants last 5 years and are awarded to eligible entities, which include local educational agencies (school districts) or partnerships between state educational agencies and groups of school districts.
- Application Requirements: Applicants must submit a needs assessment showing nurse shortages, describe student health needs, outline a plan for using funds (including post-grant retention strategies), and explain efforts to recruit from local and underrepresented communities in public health (e.g., racial, ethnic, or other groups defined by regulation).
- Priorities for Awards: Preference goes to high-need school districts (defined under existing federal law as those with high poverty or low resources) or state partnerships with such districts, and those committing to hire more nurses from underrepresented groups with specific goals.
- Allowed Activities: Funds can be used to:
- Recruit and hire school nurses.
- Convert part-time nurse positions to full-time.
- Support retention, such as by raising salaries.
- Maintain recommended nurse-to-student ratios (to be set by regulation).
- Reporting and Oversight: Grantees must submit annual reports on progress toward full-time nurses in schools, nurse-to-student ratios, disaggregated data on nurse demographics (by race, ethnicity, and gender), and improvements in student health needs.
- Regulations: Within 12 months, the Secretary of Education, in consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services and (for the full-time definition) the Secretary of Labor, must define:
- Recommended nurse-to-student ratios.
- "Underrepresented populations in public health professions."
- What counts as "full-time" for school nurses.
- Provide guidance and technical assistance to grantees.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
This bill introduces a new federal grant program under the Department of Education, which does not currently exist in this form. It builds on existing definitions from laws like the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (for school agencies) and the Higher Education Act (for high-need districts) but adds specific mandates for nurse staffing, equity in hiring, and data reporting on school health resources. No direct amendments to prior laws are specified; instead, it authorizes fresh funding and regulatory authority.
Potential Impacts
- On Government Agencies: The Department of Education gains new responsibilities for administering grants, issuing regulations, and providing technical assistance, potentially increasing administrative workload. Consultations with Health and Human Services and Labor departments could foster inter-agency collaboration on public health in schools.
- On Citizens: Students, especially in underserved or high-poverty schools, may benefit from better access to health services, leading to fewer absences, improved management of conditions like asthma or diabetes, higher immunization rates, and overall healthier school environments. Families without health insurance could rely more on school nurses for basic care.
- On International Relations: No direct impacts, as the bill focuses solely on domestic U.S. education and health policy.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Local and State Educational Agencies: Primary recipients of grants; they must assess needs, hire/retain nurses, and report data.
- Schools and Students: Elementary and secondary schools gain resources for on-site nursing; students (particularly in high-need areas) receive enhanced health support.
- School Nurses and Public Health Professionals: Opportunities for employment, salary increases, and recruitment from underrepresented groups.
- Federal Agencies: Department of Education (lead implementation); Departments of Health and Human Services and Labor (consultation on regulations).
- Communities: Underserved populations, including low-income families and racial/ethnic minorities, prioritized for hiring and service improvements.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Establishes enforceable regulations on nurse ratios and definitions, with competitive grants tied to equity goals, potentially allowing for federal oversight of local hiring practices without mandating outcomes. Requires compliance with existing federal education laws for definitions.
- Constitutional: Aligns with Congress's spending power to fund education and public health initiatives; promotes equal access to services in public schools, supporting equal protection principles for disadvantaged students, though it avoids direct mandates on states to prevent federalism challenges.
- Political: Highlights bipartisan interest in child health and education equity, using findings on disparities (e.g., in low-income schools) to justify funding. Could influence future budgets for school health amid ongoing debates on healthcare access and workforce shortages, but success depends on congressional appropriations (not specified in the bill).
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Rep. Wilson, Frederica S. [D-FL-24]
Cosponsors (4)
Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large], Rep. Doggett, Lloyd [D-TX-37], Rep. Houlahan, Chrissy [D-PA-6], Rep. Ross, Deborah K. [D-NC-2]
Recent Actions
- 2025-01-09: Referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 2025-01-09: Referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 2025-01-09: Introduced in House
- 2025-01-09: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- One School, One Nurse Act of 2025 — issued 2025-01-09 — PDF (8 pages)