Update on Title VIII Funding – Nursing Workforce Development Programs
The House approved on September 25 a Continuing Resolution (CR) to keep the federal government operating at FY2009 funding levels through the end of October. The Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations bill has been passed by the House but is awaiting floor action in the Senate.
Before Congress broke for the August recess, both the House and Senate were working on their respective Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (Labor, HHS) funding bills. The House passed their bill, H.R. 3293, on July 24 by a vote of 264-153. The bill would appropriate $730.5 billion, a $58.9 billion increase than was allocated in fiscal year 2009. In terms of nursing, the bill calls for $263.4 million for the Title VIII Nursing Workforce Development Programs which are administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).
This includes:
• $64.4 million for Advanced Education Nursing;
• $37.3 million for Nurse Education, Practice and Retention;
• $16 million for Workforce Diversity;
• $125 million (237% increase) for Loan Repayments and Scholarships;
• $16 million (39% increase) for Nursing Faculty Loans, and;
• $4.6 million for Comprehensive Geriatric Education.
On the Senate side, the Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations subcommittee approved their bill, 29-1, on July 30. The bill calls for $216.7 million for Title VIII programs.
This includes:
• $64.4 million for Advanced Education Nursing;
• $43 million (14% increase) for Nurse Education, Practice and Retention;
• $16 million for Workforce Diversity;
• $64 million for Loan Repayments and Scholarships;
• $25 million (117% increase) for Nursing Faculty Loans, and;
• $4.6 million for Comprehensive Geriatric Education.
ANA is working to maintain the full $263 million amount contained in the House Labor, HHS FY 2010 bill. In his proposed budget that was released earlier this year, President Barack Obama requested $263.4 million for the Title VIII Nursing Workforce Development Programs.
Rachel Conant
Tags: Appropriations, Nursing workforce, October 2009, Title VIII
