‘Nurse Faculty Shortage Reduction Act’ Aims to Address Major Nursing Education Bottleneck

A new bipartisan bill in Congress is trying to tackle one of the biggest barriers to expanding the U.S. nursing workforce: a shortage of nurse educators.

The Nurse Faculty Shortage Reduction Act of 2026 (S. 3707) would establish a federal program to help nursing schools recruit and retain faculty by supplementing educator salaries. Lawmakers say the measure could help expand nursing school capacity by addressing the pay gap that often discourages experienced nurses from becoming educators.

A companion bill, H.R. 7279, was introduced in the House of Representatives with bipartisan support.

Below is what nurses should know about the proposed legislation, why it was introduced, and what could happen next.

What Is the Nurse Faculty Shortage Reduction Act?

The Nurse Faculty Shortage Reduction Act would create a federal demonstration grant program designed to help schools of nursing increase faculty pay.

Under the legislation, schools could apply for federal funding to provide temporary salary supplements for nurse educators. The goal is to close the wage gap between academic faculty roles and higher-paying clinical positions.

According to the House bill text, the program would:

• Provide three-year grants to schools of nursing
• Help supplement faculty salaries to make academic roles more competitive
• Require participating schools to develop plans to sustain the salaries after federal funding ends
• Prioritize schools serving vulnerable populations and areas with the greatest workforce shortages

The legislation would authorize $15 million per year from 2027 through 2031 to fund the program.

Supporters say the legislation is designed to increase nursing school capacity by ensuring schools have enough qualified instructors to teach incoming students.

Why the Nurse Faculty Shortage Matters

The nurse educator shortage has been a growing issue for more than a decade, and many experts say it is one of the main reasons nursing schools cannot admit more students.

According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN):

• 80,162 qualified nursing school applicants were turned away in 2024
• Nursing schools reported 1,588 full-time faculty vacancies
• More than one third of nurse faculty are expected to retire within the next few years

AACN states that faculty shortages are largely driven by the salary gap between academic and clinical roles, which can discourage experienced nurses from pursuing careers in teaching.

Who Introduced the Bill?

The Senate version of the bill was introduced by:

• Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL)
• Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)

The House companion bill was introduced by:

• Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR)
• Rep. Dave Joyce (R-OH)
• Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-IL)
• Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-VA)

As of March 2026, the Senate bill has been referred to the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, while the House bill has been referred to the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

 

Support From Nursing Organizations

Several major nursing organizations have supported earlier versions of the legislation and similar efforts to address the nurse faculty shortage.

The Nursing Community Coalition, which represents more than 50 national nursing organizations, urged lawmakers to support the bill. In a statement supporting the legislation, AACN Board Chair Dr. Jean Giddens said: “The Nurse Faculty Shortage Reduction Act is an innovative approach to supporting our nursing schools with recruiting and retaining faculty to meet a critical national need.”

Other organizations that have supported the measure or similar legislation include:

• American Nurses Association
• American Association of Colleges of Nursing
• American Organization for Nursing Leadership

Supporters argue that solving the educator shortage is key to solving the broader nursing shortage. Rep. Dave Joyce said: “The nursing shortage our country is facing is affecting the price, quality, and timeliness of care for our patients… This bipartisan, bicameral legislation will help increase faculty at nursing schools, providing students with a more hands-on, higher-quality education.”

Previous Versions of the Bill

The Nurse Faculty Shortage Reduction Act has been introduced in previous sessions of Congress. Earlier versions include:

• Nurse Faculty Shortage Reduction Act of 2023 (S. 2815)
• Nurse Faculty Shortage Reduction Act of 2024 (H.R. 7002)

While these earlier proposals did not ultimately become law, the issue gained attention during discussions of the Bipartisan Primary Care and Health Workforce Act, which included provisions related to strengthening the healthcare workforce pipeline.

Lawmakers say the continued introduction of the bill reflects growing concern about the educator shortage and its impact on healthcare staffing nationwide.

What This Could Mean for Nurses and Nursing Students

If passed, the legislation could have several potential impacts:

1. More Nursing School Seats: Increasing the number of faculty could allow schools to admit more students.
2. Stronger Nursing Workforce Pipeline: Expanding nursing school capacity could help address long-term nurse shortages.
3. Improved Faculty Recruitment: Salary supplements could make teaching roles more competitive with clinical positions.
4. Greater Workforce Diversity: The bill prioritizes programs that recruit faculty from underrepresented backgrounds.

What Happens Next?

The legislation is still in the early stages of the congressional process. Next steps could include:

• Committee review and hearings
• Possible amendments or markup
• A vote in the House and Senate
• Final approval by Congress and signature by the President

If enacted, the Department of Health and Human Services would be responsible for implementing the grant program and evaluating whether it improves faculty recruitment and retention.

For now, nurses, educators, and students will be watching closely to see whether Congress moves the bill forward.

🤔Nurses, what do you think about this bill? Share your thoughts below.