AACN Applauds Senate Appropriations Committee for Advancing Spending Bills that Would Sustain Funding for Nursing Education and Research

The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) applauds the Senate Appropriations Committee for advancing the Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (LHHS-ED) spending bill by a vote of 26-2. This bipartisan effort proposes a two million dollar increase in Title VIII Nursing Workforce Development Programs, or $302.472 million, in FY 2024. The Senate Committee Report underscored other areas of focus, including recruitment of nurses from underrepresentated populations (particularly those of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander backgrounds), traineeships to address nursing shortages and faculty needs, and increased support for pallative care, primary care, and maternal health. This report urges further examination of the state of the health workforce, including for nurses, and ways to address workplace violence. AACN was pleased to see that the Nursing Workforce Diversity Program, which was eliminated in the House LHHS-ED proposal, received level funding in the Senate proposal.

Research was championed again in the Senate, with $47.8 billion for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). As one of 27 Institutes and Centers at NIH, the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) was recommended for level funding of $197.693 million in FY 2024. Overall, Title VIII and NINR are part of the broader Department of Health and Human Services budget, which received $117 billion.

As we look at education, AACN was pleased to see $79.6 billion for the Department of Education, including $3.26 billion for higher education programs and a $250 bump in Pell Grants, for a total maximum award of $7,645 for the 2024-2025 school year. The Committee Report also recommended level funding for the Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAANN) program, support for mental health and gun violence research, and efforts to strengthen master’s degree programs, including for nursing, at Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

The advancement of all 12 spending bills out of the Senate Appropriations Committee comes as the House pushed their discussions until after the August recess. As Congress reconvenes in September, legislators will only have a handful of weeks to find common ground and agreement before the end of the fiscal year on September 30. As the conversation continues, AACN is deeply dedicated to working with appropriatiors and the entire Congress to ensure sustained funding for Title VIII and NINR. Now is not the time to go backwards, as investment in nursing pathways, our schools, faculty, students, and nursing workforce remains paramount.

For more information on all of AACN’s advocacy work, visit AACN’s Policy and Advocacy page. For a more details from the Senate LHHS-ED Appropriation bill see AACN’s latest FY 2024 Funding Chart.