119-hr3262

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3262 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 3262

To make demonstration grants to eligible local educational agencies or 
 consortia of eligible local educational agencies for the purpose of 
 increasing the numbers of school nurses in public elementary schools 
 and secondary schools.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 May 7, 2025

 Ms. Titus (for herself and Mrs. Kiggans of Virginia) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and 
Workforce, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for 
a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
 committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

To make demonstration grants to eligible local educational agencies or 
 consortia of eligible local educational agencies for the purpose of 
 increasing the numbers of school nurses in public elementary schools 
 and secondary schools.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``Nurses for Under-Resourced Schools 
Everywhere Act'' or the ``NURSE Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

 Congress finds the following:

    (1) The National Association of School Nurses identifies 
 schools as primary locations to address student health issues. 
 Since a school nurse is the health care provider that many 
 students see on the most regular basis, it is the position of 
 National Association of School Nurses that a professional 
 registered school nurse be present in every school all day, 
 every day.

    (2) The American Academy of Pediatrics has recognized the 
 crucial role that school nurses play in children's health and 
 has called for having a full-time school nurse every day and in 
 every school building.

    (3) The school nurse functions as the leader and 
 coordinator of the school health services team, including by 
 carrying out chronic disease management and health promotion as 
 well as facilitating access to a medical home for each child 
 and supporting academic achievement.

    (4) With over 25 percent of students managing chronic 
 conditions such as asthma, diabetes, and epilepsy, the presence 
 of a school nurse ensures these children can thrive in a safe 
 and supportive environment.

    (5) A 2024 Morning Consult public-opinion poll conducted to 
 understand the public perception of school nursing found that 
 87 percent of adults in the United States have a favorable view 
 of school nurses.

    (6) According to data from the National Association of 
 School Nurses, one-third of schools do not have a school nurse.

    (7) The American Federation of Teachers has called for a 
 nurse in every school, as nurses are frontline workers that 
 address an array of health needs and their presence in a school 
 can help to improve student learning.

    (8) School nurses promote wellness and disease prevention 
 to improve health outcomes for our Nation's children. In 
 addition, school nurses perform early intervention services 
 such as periodic assessments for vision, hearing, and dental 
 problems, in an effort to remove barriers to learning.

    (9) The National Association of School Nurses has reported 
 that medication administration to students is one of the most 
 common health-related activities performed in school. As more 
 chronically ill and medically unstable children enter the 
 school system each year, the medical factors that promote and 
 support their academic success increase, including the need for 
 medications that enhance overall health or stabilize chronic 
 conditions.

    (10) According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, 
 students today face increased social and emotional issues, 
 which enhance the need for preventive services and 
 interventions for acute and chronic health issues. School 
 nurses are actively engaged members of school-based mental 
 health teams and spend nearly 32 percent of their time 
 providing mental health services, including universal and 
 targeted interventions, screenings to identify early warning 
 signs and provide referrals to medical providers, and crisis 
 planning.

    (11) Communicable and infectious diseases account for 
 millions of school days lost each year. Data illustrates that 
 when students have access to a registered nurse in school, 
 immunization rates increase.

SEC. 3. INCREASING THE NUMBER OF SCHOOL NURSES.

    (a) 

=== Definitions. ===
-In this section:

    (1) ESEA terms.--The terms ``elementary school'', ``local 
 educational agency'', ``secondary school'', and ``State 
 educational agency'' have the meanings given to the terms in 
 

section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).

    (2) Acuity.--The term ``acuity'', when used with respect to 
 a level, means the level of a patient's sickness, such as a 
 chronic condition, which influences the need for nursing care.

    (3) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means--
        (A) a local educational agency in which not less 
 than 20 percent of the children are eligible to 
 participate in the school lunch program established 
 under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act 
 (42 U.S.C. 1751 et seq.);
        (B) a consortium of local educational agencies 
 described in subparagraph
        (A) ; or
            (C) a State educational agency in consortium with 
 local educational agencies described in subparagraph
        (A) .

    (4) High-need local educational agency.--The term ``high-
 need local educational agency'' means a local educational 
 agency described in paragraph

    (3)
        (A) --
        (A) that serves not fewer than 15,000 children who 
 are eligible to participate in the program described in 
 such paragraph; or
        (B) for which not less than 40 percent of the 
 children served by the agency are eligible to 
 participate in the program described in such paragraph.

    (5) Nurse.--The term ``nurse'' means a registered nurse, as 
 defined under State law.

    (6) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
 of Education.

    (7) Workload.--The term ``workload'', when used with 
 respect to a nurse, means the amount of time the nurse takes to 
 provide care and complete the other tasks for which the nurse 
 is responsible.

    (b) Demonstration Grant Program Authorized.--

    (1) In general.--From amounts appropriated to carry out 
 this section, the Secretary of Education shall award 
 demonstration grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible 
 entities to pay the Federal share of the costs of increasing 
 the number of school nurses in the public elementary schools 
 and secondary schools served by the eligible entity, which may 
 include hiring a school nurse to serve schools in multiple 
 school districts.

    (2) SEAs.--In the case of an eligible entity described in 
 subsection

    (a)

    (3)
            (C) that receives a grant under paragraph

    (1) , 
 such entity shall use amounts received under the grant to award 
 subgrants to the local educational agencies that are members of 
 the entity, and reserve not more than 10 percent of such grant 
 funds to support statewide activities to meet a variety of 
 health needs, which may include hiring a nurse to provide 
 training and technical assistance to schools statewide that 
 meet the criteria established in subsection
            (d) (2)
        (A) .
            (c) Applications.--

    (1) In general.--An eligible entity desiring a grant under 
 this section shall submit to the Secretary an application at 
 such time, in such manner, and containing such information as 
 the Secretary may require.

    (2) Contents.--Each application submitted under paragraph

    (1) shall include information with respect to the current (as 
 of the date of application) number of school nurses, student 
 health acuity levels, and workload of school nurses in each of 
 the public elementary schools and secondary schools served by 
 the eligible entity.
            (d) Priority.--In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary 
shall give priority to each application submitted by an eligible entity 
that--

    (1) is a high-need local educational agency, a consortium 
 composed of high-need local education agencies, or a State 
 educational agency in consortium with high-need local education 
 agencies; and

    (2) demonstrates--
        (A) the greatest need for new or additional nursing 
 services among students in the public elementary 
 schools and secondary schools served by the agency or 
 consortium; or
        (B) that the eligible entity does not have a school 
 nurse in any of the public elementary schools and 
 secondary schools served by the local educational 
 agency or the consortium-member local educational 
 agencies.

    (e) Federal Share; Non-Federal Share.--

    (1) Federal share.--The Federal share of a grant under this 
 section--
        (A) shall not exceed 75 percent for each year of 
 the grant; and
        (B) in the case of a multiyear grant, shall 
 decrease for each succeeding year of the grant, in 
 order to ensure the continuity of the increased hiring 
 level of school nurses using State or local sources of 
 funding following the conclusion of the grant.

    (2) Non-federal share.--The non-Federal share of a grant 
 under this section may be in cash or in-kind, and may be 
 provided from State resources, local resources, contributions 
 from private organizations, or a combination thereof.

    (3) Waiver.--The Secretary may waive or reduce the non-
 Federal share of an eligible entity receiving a grant under 
 this section if the eligible entity demonstrates an economic 
 hardship.

    (f) Report.--Not later than 2 years after the date on which a grant 
is first made to a local educational agency under this section, the 
Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on the results of the 
demonstration grant program carried out under this section, including 
an evaluation of--

    (1) the effectiveness of the program in increasing the 
 number of school nurses; and

    (2) the impact of any resulting enhanced health of students 
 on learning, such as academic achievement, attendance, and 
 classroom time.

    (g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section such sums as may be necessary 
for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030.
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