,,ii #aagth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 #dhdd ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,september #ad1 #bjbb,mr4 ,merkley 7for himself and ,mr4 ,tillis7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions ,a ,,bill ,to amend the ,public ,health ,service ,act to support and stabilize the existing nursing workforce1 establish programs to increase the number of nurses1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,national ,nursing ,workforce ,center ,act of #bjbb4 #b4 ,state nursing workforce centers ,title ,,vii of the ,public ,health ,service ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bib et seq47 is amended-- 7#a7 by redesignating part ,g 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bie;j et seq47 as part ,h2 and 7#b7 by inserting after part ,f the following new part3 ,g ,nursing workforce centers #ghe4 ,state and regional nursing workforce center data collection pilot program 7a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary shall carry out a #c-year pilot program to establish new or enhance existing ,state-based nursing workforce centers1 evaluate the impact of ,state-based nursing workforce centers on outcomes1 and assess the feasibility of nursing workforce public-private partnerships4 ,the ,secretary shall begin implementation of such pilot program not later than #a year after the date of enactment of the ,national ,nursing ,workforce ,center ,act of #bjbb4 7b7 ,grant terms 7#a7 ,number of grants awarded ,the ,secretary shall award not fewer than #f grants under the pilot program under subsection 7a74 7#b7 ,term ,the term of a grant awarded under the pilot program under subsection 7a7 shall be #c years4 7#c7 ,matching requirement ,as a condition on receipt of a grant under the pilot program under subsection 7a71 the ,secretary shall require the applicant to agree1 with respect to costs to be incurred by the applicant in carrying out the activities funded through the grant1 to make available non-,federal contributions 7in cash or in kind7 toward such costs in an amount that is equal to not less than #a for each #d of ,federal funds provided through the grant4 ,such contributions may be made directly or through donations from public or private entities4 7c7 ,eligibility ,to be eligible to receive a grant under this section1 an entity shall be-- 7#a7 a ,state agency2 7#b7 a ,state board of nursing2 7#c7 an organization that is exempt from taxation under section #eja7;c77#c7 of the ,internal ,revenue ,act of #aihf2 7#d7 a community-based organization2 7#e7 a school of nursing 7as defined in section #hja72 or 7#f7 a school or program determined by the ,secretary to be an eligible entity for purposes of this section4 7d7 ,equitable distribution ,in awarding grants under this section1 the ,secretary shall ensure1 to the greatest extent possible1 that such grants are equitably distributed among-- 7#a7 the geographical regions of the ,united ,states2 and 7#b7 ,states with an existing nursing workforce center and ,states without any such existing center4 7e7 ,priority ,in selecting the eligible entity to be awarded a grant under this section for a nursing workforce center in a particular ,state1 the ,secretary shall give priority to eligible entities that-- 7#a7 propose to provide statewide services2 7#b7 have expertise in the ,state's nursing workforce issues2 7#c7 have a history of convening entities to address nursing workforce issues2 and 7#d7 have partnerships with entities that traditionally educate and employ the ,state's nurses4 7f7 ,use of funds ,a nursing workforce center supported under this section may use funds provided under this section for the following statewide activities3 7#a7 ,conducting comprehensive analysis of and research on-- 7,a7 existing ,state nursing workforce data and gaps in such data2 7,b7 #b- and #d-year nursing education programs1 including with respect to-- 7i7 faculty capacity and pay2 7ii7 enrollment1 retention1 and graduation2 7iii7 services for nursing students and the outcomes of such services2 7iv7 facility needs2 and 7v7 clinical placement capacity2 7,c7 ,state-specific scholarships1 grants1 and financial aid2 and 7,d7 factors contributing to retention and recruitment challenges and to nurses leaving the workplace or profession4 7#b7 ,conducting strategic nursing workforce planning with employers across all work settings and nursing education4 7#c7 ,conducting focused research on trends in nursing shortages1 including the fiscal and clinical outcomes of contract nursing4 7#d7 ,establishing and implementing programs to-- 7,a7 support and retain faculty to increase enrollment in schools of nursing2 7,b7 recruit and retain nurses in all settings where nurses practice2 7,c7 support leadership development2 7,d7 prepare the nursing workforce to address social determinants of health and health inequities2 7,e7 prepare nurses for public health crisis and pandemic response2 7,f7 assist individuals in obtaining education and training required to enter the nursing profession1 and advance within such profession1 such as by providing career counseling and mentoring2 and 7,g7 diversify the nursing workforce4 7g7 ,reports ,not later than one year after the date on which the first grant is awarded under the pilot program under subsection 7a71 and annually thereafter1 the ,secretary shall submit to ,congress a report on the grants awarded under such pilot program during the year covered by the report4 ,each such report shall include-- 7#a7 a description of initiatives to study the unique characteristics of ,state nursing workforces1 and efforts to increase the number of new nurses1 recruit nurses to the nursing profession1 and retain nurses in the workplace2 7#b7 impact data on nurses served by nursing workforce centers1 including demographic information of the individuals served1 the number of such individuals1 and the types of services provided2 7#c7 the effectiveness of establishing formal public-private relationships at understanding the national nursing workforce through improved data collection and standardization2 7#d7 data on continuous evaluation and quality improvement1 and other relevant data as determined by the ,secretary2 and 7#e7 the ,secretary's recommendations and best practices for-- 7,a7 reducing shortages among different nursing specialties2 7,b7 reducing shortages in rural and underserved areas2 7,c7 improving geographical distribution of the nursing workforce2 and 7,d7 reducing shortages among different types of nursing employers4 7h7 ,authorization of appropriations ,to carry out this section1 out of funds appropriated to the general departmental management account of the ,office of the ,secretary1 there is authorized to be appropriated #a1ejj1jjj for each of fiscal years #bjbc through #bjbe4 4 #c4 ,state and regional centers for health workforce analysis 7a7 ,expansion of covered programs ,section #gfa7;c77#a77;,a7 of the ,public ,health ,service ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bidn7c77#a77;,a77 is amended by striking under this title and inserting under this ,act4 7b7 ,analysis and technical assistance ,section #gfa7;c7 of the ,public ,health ,service ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bidn7c77 is amended by adding at the end the following3 7#c7 ,minimum requirement ,at least one grant or contract awarded under this subsection shall be awarded to an eligible entity that demonstrates-- 7,a7 a mission to advance and support the nursing workforce2 7,b7 experience and expertise in guiding ,state-level nursing workforce centers2 7,c7 experience in working with nursing workforce data2 7,d7 expertise in analytical methods and tools appropriate for nursing workforce research2 and 7,e7 awareness of emerging topics1 issues1 and trends related to the nursing workforce4 7#d7 ,analysis and reporting ,analysis and reporting carried out pursuant to a grant or contract under this subsection may include-- 7,a7 collaborating with nursing workforce centers to produce or deliver1 with respect to the supply of nurses1 the demand for nurses1 and the capacity to educate and train the nursing workforce-- 7i7 regional and national reports2 7ii7 articles in peer-reviewed journals2 7iii7 presentations at national and international conferences and meetings2 and 7iv7 policy briefs1 fact sheets1 articles1 blogs1 and other publications available in the public domain2 7,b7 evaluating the programs and activities of the nursing workforce centers overall2 7,c7 developing evidence-based or evidence-informed strategies and best practices to alleviate nursing workforce shortages across ,states and regions2 and 7,d7 conducting rapid data analysis and short-term1 issue-specific research4 7#e7 ,technical ,assistance ,technical assistance provided pursuant to this subsection may include-- 7,a7 providing technical assistance to nursing workforce centers on the collection1 analysis1 and reporting of standardized supply1 demand1 and education and training data to inform analysis conducted pursuant to paragraph 7#a72 7,b7 collaborating with nursing workforce centers to identify and deliver evidence-based or evidence-informed strategies to alleviate nursing shortages and the maldistribution of nurses2 7,c7 providing online and in-person training opportunities for nurses and other staff at nursing workforce centers2 and 7,d7 developing and maintaining a website that-- 7i7 is accessible to grant and contract recipients under section #ghe and this section2 7ii7 supports resources for the provision of technical assistance under this section1 such as-- 7,i7 evidence-based or evidence-informed educational materials1 tools1 recent findings of interest1 and links to relevant resources2 and 7,,ii7 logistical and administrative information1 such as online trainings1 webinars1 and publications2 and 7iii7 includes a publicly accessible repository of webinars1 tools1 and resources4 7#f7 ,definition ,in this subsection1 the term nursing workforce center means a nursing workforce center funded under section #ghe4 4