Collins’ Bipartisan Bill to Address Nursing Shortage Passes the Senate
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), and Mike Braun (R-IN) announced that their Train More Nurses Act has passed the Senate unanimously. This bipartisan legislation aims to address the nation-wide nursing shortage by directing the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Secretary of Labor to conduct a review of all nursing grant programs to find ways to increase faculty at nursing schools, particularly in underserved areas. It also increases pathways for Licensed Practical Nurses to become Registered Nurses.
“In the midst of a growing demand for medical treatments and services, health care providers across Maine continue to face a significant shortage of nurses. One challenge in growing the nursing workforce to meet this demand is the limited supply of nursing faculty available to increase student enrollment and train the next generation of nurses,” said Senator Collins. “I am pleased that the Senate passed this bipartisan legislation that will identify strategies to close the faculty gap and other potential solutions to strengthen our nursing workforce, ultimately improving access to care, particularly in underserved communities in Maine and across the country.”
Senator Collins is working to address Maine’s health care professional shortage and improve medical care access in the state. The Maximizing Outcomes Through Better Investments in Lifesaving Equipment for (MOBILE) Health Care Act that she introduced with Senator Rosen was signed into law in 2022, and allows community health centers to use federal funds to establish new mobile health care units to increase access to health care services in rural and underserved communities.
Last July, Senator Collins announced that she advanced $3,057,000 in Congressionally Directed Spending for the University of Maine to develop a doctoral nursing program in the Fiscal Year 2024 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education appropriations bill. The bill now awaits consideration by the full Senate and House.
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