U.S. Rep. Dave Joyce introduced a bipartisan bill to address nursing workforce demands such as education, recruitment and retention.

The Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act of 2025 will improve and support essential programs that assist nursing schools in their capacity to educate students and ensure well-trained nurses are entering a steady workforce pipeline, said Joyce, R-Bainbridge, whose district includes all of Trumbull County.

Title VIII is the primary source of federal funding — administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services — in the country. The programs under Title VIII provide targeted support for institutions that educate nurses for practice in rural and medically underserved communities.

Joyce, co-chair of the Congressional Nursing Caucus, said: “Nurses are on the frontlines of America’s healthcare system. As the husband of a nurse, their dedication continues to inspire me every day.”

Joyce said the nation is facing a “growing nursing shortage and increasing demand for quality healthcare.”

The bill’s other lead sponsors in the U.S. House are: Suzanne Bonamici, an Oregon Democrat; Jen Kiggans, a Virginia Republican; and Lauren Underwood, an Illinois Democrat.

A companion bill in the Senate was introduced by Jeff Merkley, an Oregon Democrat; Susan Collins, a Maine Republican; Tammy Baldwin, a Wisconsin Democrat; and Marsha Blackburn, a Tennessee Republican.

“Now is the time to invest in education, training and retention programs to strengthen our nursing workforce, especially in rural and underserved communities,” Joyce said. “This bipartisan, bicameral bill is vital to ensuring a healthier future for all Americans at a time when the nation’s healthcare needs are more complex than ever.”

Joyce introduced similar legislation in 2019 to reauthorize Title VIII. It passed the House and was then included as part of the $2.2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, signed into law on March 27, 2020, by President Donald Trump. The CARES Act was the largest economic stimulus package in U.S. history.

The funding from that bill for the Title VIII program is about to run out. That bill provided about $300 million annually for the Title VIII program.

Jean Giddens, chair of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s board of directors, said: “Federal support for nursing education and research is critical to sustaining the nation’s schools of nursing, ensuring an adequate supply of faculty and strengthening student pathways into the profession.”