New Act Funds 2-Year Pilot Program to Fix Nursing Shortages, Requires State Centers to Match Federal Grants 1:4

The National Nursing Workforce Center Act of 2025 is tackling the nationwide nursing shortage head-on, not with a quick fix, but with a serious investment in data and strategy. This bill sets up a new, two-year pilot program to fund State-based nursing workforce centers across the country. Think of it as a federal push to get state-level experts the resources they need to figure out exactly why nurses are leaving and how to keep the pipeline full.

The Data Dive: What State Centers Will Actually Do

If your state’s nursing workforce center (or a new one created under this Act) gets one of these grants, they’re going straight into research mode. The money is earmarked for comprehensive analysis that connects directly to real-world problems. They'll be looking at everything from faculty pay and capacity in nursing schools to why nurses are leaving the profession—and the financial impact of relying on expensive contract nurses. For the average person, this means the state will finally have solid data to target shortages. For example, if you live in a rural area, the center can use this funding to pinpoint why nurses won't stay there and develop evidence-based solutions, rather than just guessing.

The Catch: Matching Funds Required

Here’s the business end of the deal: Any organization receiving a grant must put up matching funds. Specifically, they need to provide at least $1 in non-Federal contributions for every $4 they get from the federal government. These contributions can come from the applicant itself or from private donations. This matching requirement (Section 2) ensures that the state centers have buy-in from local stakeholders—like hospitals, private foundations, or state agencies—making the effort a true public-private partnership. For the grant applicant, this means they need to have serious fundraising chops or existing state support to even qualify.

Standardizing the Strategy

Beyond the state centers, the Act also beefs up the existing national centers that analyze health workforce data (Section 3). The goal here is standardization. The bill requires that at least one of these national awardees must be specifically dedicated to the nursing workforce. Their job is to provide technical assistance to all the newly funded state centers, making sure everyone is collecting data the same way. This means that whether you’re in California or Connecticut, the data on nurse supply and demand will be comparable, allowing for better national strategies. These national centers will also develop and share evidence-based strategies—like a playbook—for fixing shortages in different regions and specialties. Expect to see policy briefs, online training, and a public-facing website full of resources to help improve the nursing situation.

Who Benefits, and What’s the Cost?

This bill is a win for anyone concerned about healthcare access, especially in underserved areas, because the entire focus is on improving the supply and distribution of nurses. Nursing schools benefit from the data analysis on their capacity, and working nurses benefit from the focus on retention and leadership development. The funding for this two-year pilot is capped at $1.5 million annually (Section 2) and is pulled from existing Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) funds, meaning it’s a relatively small re-prioritization of the federal budget. While the overall concern level is low because this is a constructive, data-driven approach, the success of the program hinges on whether state centers can secure that mandatory 1:4 matching contribution.