Back to News Policy Watch: Updates on CDC Staffing and the BBB Wednesday, September 3, 2025 | Policy & Advocacy AACN Needs You to Take Action: Congress has returned to Washington, DC after a month-long "recess" back in their home states, and federal policymakers only have a handful of legislative days left before the end of the fiscal year (FY) on September 30. As Congress moves to pass key legislation like Title VIII reauthorization, it is imperative that your Representative and Senators hear directly from you! Click here to contact your members of Congress and urge them to support academic nursing by: Funding all Title VIII Nursing Workforce Development Programs and the National Institute of Nursing Research in FY 2026 at the bipartisan Senate Appropriations Committee-approved levels. Reauthorizing the Title VIII Programs by cosponsoring and passing the bipartisan Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act of 2025. Cosponsoring and passing The Providing Real-World Education and Clinical Experience by Precepting Tomorrow’s (PRECEPT) Nurses Act, The Nurse Corps Tax Parity Act, and The POST GRAD Act. Federal Policy Updates On August 28, AACN signed onto a letter led by the American Council on Education (ACE) urging the Department of Education to implement the One Big Beautiful Bill "in a way that fully considers the impact on all stakeholders, including students, families, institutions of higher education, and current and future student loan borrowers." Among ACE's recommendations was the creation of a comprehensive list of "professional degree programs" that includes nursing. U.S. Secretary of Education Confirms On Time Launch of the 2026–27 FAFSA Form. CDC director Susan Monarez is fired, and other agency leaders resign. View all updates from Policy Watch