For Immediate Release
Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Contact: Dino DiSanto
Dino.DiSanto@mail.house.gov


Joyce Nursing Reauthorization Bill Passes House of Representatives

U.S. Rep. Dave Joyce (OH-14), co-chair of the Housing Nursing Caucus, applauded the passage of legislation to help reduce the nursing shortage in the United States and fund other nursing programs.

The House of Representatives in a bipartisan fashion passed H.R. 2713, the Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act today.  The legislation was authored by Mr. Joyce and his fellow Congressional Nursing Caucus Co-Chair, Rep. Lois Capps.

This bipartisan legislation will reauthorize federal funding for nursing workforce programs. These programs provide the largest source of federal financial support for nursing education and make sure our nurses are up-to-date on their training, ensuring patients across the country have access to the best health care possible.

“Being married to a nurse has shown me, firsthand, just how important nurses are in our health care system,” Joyce said. “No matter what type of medical care it is, nurses are at the heart of it. They are the ones there day in and day out making sure patients get the one-on-one care that they need.”

Co-Chair of the Congressional Nursing Caucus and fellow author of the bill, Rep. Lois Capps, said, “For 50 years Title VIII Nursing Workforce programs have made important gains in recruiting the best nursing students, getting them trained, and keeping them in the field. This bipartisan reauthorization effort would ensure that nurses continue to meet our nation’s healthcare system needs now and in the future.”

In September of 1964, the first nursing education bill was signed into law. On that day, President Johnson said, “Nurses today are essential members of our Nation’s health team. The health needs of a growing population cannot be met without their help . . . Yet we are critically short of the nurses that we need.” Fifty-two years later and those sentiments have not changed.

Our health care system depends on nurses, but we do not have enough. Between new technology, more Americans enrolling in health insurance, and more baby boomers aging into Medicare, the demand for nurses is growing. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of Registered Nurses (RNs) is projected to grow 19 percent from 2012 to 2022. At the same time, the Bureau predicts there will be over 1 million job openings for RNs in 2022 due to the increasing demand for nurses.

Title VIII bolsters nursing education at every level. From entry-level programs to graduate-level study, Title VIII makes it easier and more affordable for students to become nurses. According to a survey conducted by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), 66.8 percent of students said Title VIII affected their decision to go to nursing school. 75.9 percent of students are able to attend school full time due to the financial support from Title VIII. The bill also helps institutions that educate nurses for practice in potential shortage areas, such as rural and underserved communities.

“As a nurse myself, I know firsthandthatnurses are the backbone of our healthcare delivery system,” Capps said. “But far too many communities do not have enough trained nurses to meet their healthcare needs. That is why I am proud to author this bill.”

“The Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act invests in the nursing workforce and ensures all communities have access to the best health care possible,” Joyce said. “I am incredibly proud of my wife and of all nurses for the work they do. This bill gives nurses the support they need as they provide care to Americans across the country.”

Rep. Dave Joyce is a Member of the House Appropriations Committee. He spent 25 years as the prosecuting attorney of Geauga County.