This afternoon FAH President and CEO Chip Kahn sent a letter to leaders of the Senate HELP Committee expressing “strong support” for S. 1399, Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act of 2019.

The legislation will extend critical nursing workforce development programs that invest in the education and training of our nation’s nurses.

It also includes the text of S. 1045, the Nursing Where it is Needed Act – bipartisan legislation introduced by Sens. Doug Jones (D-AL) and Todd Young (R-IN).

FAH says in the letter that the legislation as a whole will benefit nurses and the patients they care for.

“This legislation will play a vital role in ensuring that nurses continue to provide high-quality care to patients across the nation, including in rural and underserved communities, by supporting nursing education, practice, recruitment, and retention. The legislation will also ensure that all nurses in critical shortage facilities are eligible for the loan repayment program. We thank you for your leadership in advancing this legislation. We look forward to working with you to secure the legislation’s passage through the Senate,” Kahn wrote.

The letter, which can be found here, was sent to Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) – Chair of the HELP Committee – and Patty Murray (D-WA) – Ranking Member.