Public Health Nursing Act

[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 hea