State Lawmakers Introduce Bill to Support Nurse Education

Bill seeks to increase nursing faculty support

September 23, 2025

State lawmakers have introduced legislation that will support Pennsylvania’s accredited nurse education programs through a new grant program.

Senate Bill 998, introduced by Senators Rosemary Brown (R-Monroe) and Maria Collett (D-Montgomery), would create the Nurse Education Capacity Expansion Grant Program. The legislation, supported by HAP, helps accredited nursing programs provide greater support to existing nursing faculty and increase clinical training capacity.  

The details

The competitive grants—capped at $500,000 per award—would support accredited, high-performing nursing education programs for faculty hiring, compensation adjustments, clinical partnership development, and other strategies that expand training capacity, and support workforce pipelines in response to a direct-care nurse shortage.

Permissible uses of grant funding would include:

• Hiring full- or part-time faculty or assistants.
• Enhancing compensation packages to recruit and retain instructors.
• Providing scholarships for faculty development.
• Strengthening clinical partnerships and preceptorship opportunities.

HAP thanks Senators Brown and Collett for their advocacy to grow the health care workforce. See HAP’s bill analysis for additional information and get involved in our advocacy.