Bills Addressing Health Care Priorities Advance in General Assembly

October 28, 2025

Today, the state Senate Institutional Sustainability & Innovation Committee advanced HAP-supported proposals to support nurse education, rural health, and collaborative care models.

• Senate Bill 998, sponsored by Senators Rosemary Brown (R-Monroe) and Maria Collett (D-Montgomery), creates a competitive grant program for accredited nurse education programs to expand capacity.
• House Bill 157, sponsored by House Health Committee Chairs Kathy Rapp (R-Warren) and Dan Frankel (D-Allegheny), establishes a grant program for hospitals, Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC), and birthing centers in rural counties and designated medically underserved areas to pay the educational debt owed by licensed physicians, registered nurses, and licensed practical nurses.
• Senate Bill 522, sponsored by Representative Frank Farry (R-Bucks), would create a grant program for small and solo practices to cover their start-up costs for Collaborative Care Models.

“Across the state, accredited nursing programs are turning away qualified applicants due to the lack of faculty, clinical placements, and resources to train them,” HAP wrote in a letter to committee members. “Nurses often earn higher pay at the bedside than in teaching roles, making it difficult to recruit and retain qualified instructors. SB 998 will serve to attract and retain nurse educators and increase the number of qualified nurses graduating from academic institutions within the Commonwealth.”

Also today, the Senate Health and Human Services Committee advanced Senate Bill 614, sponsored by committee Chair Michele Brooks (R-Crawford), which would establish the Primary Care Preceptorship Program providing funding for FQHCs to offer preceptorship opportunities for students preparing for careers as primary care clinicians, dental providers, and behavioral health professionals. See HAP’s letter of support.

And the House Professional Licensure Committee advanced Senate Bill 507, also sponsored by Senator Brown, establishing a pathway to licensure for Certified Midwives in Pennsylvania, as a key step toward expanding access to high-quality care, maternal health care, and improving maternal health outcomes. The committee also advanced several other HAP-supported bills, including:

• House Bill 1251 (Curry, D-Delaware) allows nurse-midwives to make referrals for physical therapy.
• House Bill 1961 (Merski, D-Erie) authorizes Pennsylvania to join the Physician Assistant Licensure Compact.
• House Bill 1980 (Takac, D-Centre) requires physicians to take one hour of continuing medical education in nutrition during each two-year licensing period.

See HAP’s letter of support.