H.R. 4407 — National Nursing Workforce Center Act of 2025

This section establishes a two-year pilot program under new part G of Title VII of the Public Health Service Act to create or enhance state-based nursing workforce centers that analyze nursing workforce data and gaps; conduct strategic planning and research on shortages, education programs, and retention challenges; and implement programs for faculty support, nurse recruitment and retention, leadership development, addressing health inequities, public health crisis response, and career advancement (with implementation required not later than one year after enactment). Grants are for two years with a matching requirement of $1 non-Federal for every $4 Federal; eligibility includes state agencies, nursing boards, nonprofits, community-based organizations, and schools of nursing (with equitable geographic distribution and priority to statewide entities with relevant expertise and partnerships); and up to $1.5 million is authorized for each of FY2026 and FY2027 from Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) workforce initiative appropriations. (As background, Title VII supports health professions workforce development, including nursing education and supply.) The Secretary must report annually to Congress starting one year after the first grant, including data on initiatives, impacts, public-private partnerships, and recommendations to address nursing shortages by specialty, rural/underserved areas, geography, and employer type.

This section expands the scope of data collection, analysis, and reporting by State and Regional Centers for Health Workforce Analysis to programs under the Public Health Service Act (from Title VII). (As background, these centers provide data on health professions workforce programs to the National Center for Health Care Workforce Analysis and the public.) The section further (1) requires at least one grant or contract to an eligible entity demonstrating expertise in nursing workforce centers (i.e., those funded under section 785 of the PHS Act); (2) authorizes analysis and reporting activities on nursing supply, demand, education and training, shortages, and maldistribution, including reports, peer-reviewed articles, conference presentations, policy briefs, program evaluations, best practices, and rapid research; (3) authorizes technical assistance to nursing workforce centers on data collection and analysis, shortage strategies, staff training, and a public website with educational materials, tools, trainings, webinars, and a resource repository; and (4) defines "nursing workforce center."