HARRISBURG –– The Senate has approved legislation to strengthen the commonwealth’s nursing workforce by expanding access to education and training programs, according to Sen. Rosemary Brown (R-40), who sponsored the measure.
Senate Bill 998 would establish the Nurse Education Capacity Expansion Grant Program, aimed at increasing the number of qualified nursing students by providing targeted support to accredited nursing schools across Pennsylvania.
“Pennsylvania, like much of the nation, is facing a critical shortage of nurses,” said Brown. “This legislation is a meaningful step toward strengthening our health care workforce by ensuring nursing programs have the resources they need to educate and graduate more students.”
Under the bill, the Department of Community and Economic Development would administer grants to eligible nursing education programs that meet key performance benchmarks, including strong graduation rates, high licensure exam pass rates and successful job placement outcomes. The program is designed to help schools expand classroom capacity, hire additional faculty and improve training infrastructure.
“Increasing the number of trained nurses entering the workforce will directly improve patient care, reduce staffing shortages in hospitals and long-term care facilities and strengthen health care access,” said Brown. “By supporting our nursing schools today, we are building a stronger, healthier commonwealth for the future.”
Senate Bill 998 now heads to the House of Representatives for consideration.