FAAN Act

Bill Number

S. 3435

Origin Chamber

Senate

Congress

119th Congress, Session 1

Status

Introduced

Latest Action

2025-12-11: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Last Updated

2026-01-06T06:24:16Z

AI-Generated Summary

Purpose

The Future Advancement of Academic Nursing Act (FAAN Act), S. 3435, aims to strengthen the nursing workforce in the United States by providing federal grants to schools of nursing. It focuses on expanding student and faculty numbers, improving program quality, and updating facilities to address shortages, enhance emergency preparedness, and promote equity in nursing education.

Key Provisions

• Grant Authorization: The Secretary of Health and Human Services, through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), may award grants to eligible schools of nursing under a new Section 832 added to Part D of Title VIII of the Public Health Service Act.
• Grants support three main goals:
• Increasing faculty and student numbers to tackle nursing shortages.
• Building capacity to prepare for and respond to public health emergencies (declared under section 319 of the Act) and undeclared pandemics.
• Enhancing and modernizing nursing education programs.
• Priorities for Awarding Grants: Preference goes to schools that:
• Are in or train students for medically underserved areas (regions with limited access to healthcare providers).
• Are in or train for health professional shortage areas (HPSAs, defined as places lacking sufficient medical professionals).
• Are historically Black colleges or universities (HBCUs) or other minority-serving institutions.
• Are in rural areas or noncontiguous U.S. states/territories (e.g., Alaska, Hawaii).
• Equitable Distribution: Grants should be spread fairly across U.S. geographic regions where possible.
• Allowed Uses of Funds: Recipients must use grants for activities such as:
• Boosting student enrollment and retention, prioritizing disadvantaged groups (e.g., racial/ethnic minorities underrepresented in nursing, rural/low-income/first-generation students) via mentorship and support programs.
• Retaining or hiring faculty, especially from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups.
• Forming partnerships with healthcare facilities (e.g., clinics, community health centers) for clinical training, including using preceptors (experienced nurses who mentor students).
• Updating infrastructure, like adding simulation tools, augmented reality, telehealth tech, and labs.
• Developing or updating curricula, expanding research-focused nursing programs, and creating interprofessional (team-based) education partnerships.
• Other improvements to nursing school development.
• Reporting Requirements:
• Grantees submit annual reports to the Secretary on activities and outcomes.
• Within 5 years of enactment, the Secretary must report to Congress (Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions; House Committee on Energy and Commerce) and make it public, covering grant recipients, student demographics/enrollment data (de-identified and broken down by factors like race, ethnicity, and background), impacts on faculty hiring, partnerships, infrastructure, and emergency response, plus recommendations.
• Funding: Authorizes $1 billion in appropriations, available until spent.
• Technical Amendment: Removes "basic" from the heading of Part D of Title VIII, broadening the scope of existing nursing education support.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• Introduces a new grant program (Section 832) to the Public Health Service Act, expanding federal support beyond current nursing workforce development efforts by emphasizing modernization, emergency preparedness, and equity-focused recruitment.
• The removal of "basic" from the part heading signals a shift from foundational to more comprehensive nursing education initiatives, potentially allowing integration with broader public health goals.

Potential Impacts

• On Government Agencies: HRSA gains responsibility for administering grants, reporting, and data collection, which could increase administrative workload but enhance federal oversight of nursing education. Congress receives detailed evaluations to inform future policy.
• On Citizens: Could lead to a larger, more diverse nursing workforce, improving healthcare access in underserved and rural areas, better pandemic/emergency response, and more opportunities for underrepresented students to enter nursing. Low-income and minority communities may benefit from increased clinical training sites.
• On International Relations: No direct impacts; the bill focuses on domestic workforce and education.

Main Stakeholders Affected

• Schools of Nursing: Primary recipients, gaining resources for growth and modernization, especially those in underserved or rural locations.
• Nursing Students and Faculty: Benefits students from disadvantaged backgrounds through support programs; aids faculty retention and diversity hiring.
• Healthcare Providers and Facilities: Gains from expanded clinical partnerships and a stronger nursing pipeline, potentially easing shortages in clinics and hospitals.
• Underserved Communities: Rural, low-income, minority, and shortage-area populations may see improved local healthcare access and emergency readiness.
• Federal Government: HRSA and Congress, through funding and reporting obligations.

Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications

• Legal: Builds on existing Public Health Service Act authority without creating new regulatory burdens; emphasizes data privacy in reporting (e.g., de-identified student info). No challenges to enforceability anticipated.
• Constitutional: Aligns with Congress's spending power to promote general welfare via education and health grants; promotes equity without violating equal protection principles.
• Political: Supports bipartisan goals of workforce development and health equity, but prioritizes underserved areas, which could influence debates on federal education funding. The $1 billion authorization may spark discussions on budget priorities amid nursing shortages post-COVID-19.

This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.

Sponsor

Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR]

Cosponsors (14)

Sen. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA], Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT], Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ], Sen. Duckworth, Tammy [D-IL], Sen. Fetterman, John [D-PA], Sen. Heinrich, Martin [D-NM], Sen. Hirono, Mazie K. [D-HI], Sen. King, Angus S., Jr. [I-ME], Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN], Sen. Padilla, Alex [D-CA], Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT], Sen. Smith, Tina [D-MN], Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD], Sen. Welch, Peter [D-VT]

Recent Actions

• 2025-12-11: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
• 2025-12-11: Introduced in Senate

Bill Versions

• Future Advancement of Academic Nursing Act — issued 2025-12-11 — PDF (7 pages)