[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 305 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 305
To authorize the Secretary of Education to carry out a grant program to
assist local educational agencies with ensuring that each elementary
and secondary school has at least one registered nurse on staff.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 9, 2025
Ms. Wilson of Florida introduced the following bill; which was referred
to the Committee on Education and Workforce, and in addition to the
Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently
determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such
provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To authorize the Secretary of Education to carry out a grant program to
assist local educational agencies with ensuring that each elementary
and secondary school has at least one registered nurse on staff.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``One School, One Nurse Act of 2025''.
SEC. 2. PURPOSE; FINDINGS.
(a) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to assist States and local
educational agencies with ensuring that every elementary and secondary
school has at least one full-time registered nurse on staff, and to
maintain recommended nurse-to-student ratios, including through the
recruitment, hiring, and retention of registered nurses.
(b) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
(1) According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, every
elementary and secondary school should have at least one full-
time registered nurse on staff.
(2) According to the National Center for Education
Statistics, during the 2015-2016 school year, only about half
of all public schools had a full-time registered nurse and
nearly 20 percent did not have any nurse on staff. Schools with
higher free or reduced-price lunch program eligibility rates
had lower rates of school nurses.
(3) According to the Georgetown University Center for
Children and Families, in 2019, roughly 6 percent of children
in the United States were uninsured.
(4) For children who lack health care coverage, a school
nurse is often a critical source of health services.
(5) Studies suggest that schools with a full-time
registered nurse experience far-reaching benefits including
fewer student absences, students spending more time in class,
more accurate medical records, higher immunization rates, fewer
student pregnancies, and better health outcomes for students
with asthma or diabetes.
(6) School nurses play a critical role in helping to manage
the chronic physical, emotional, mental, and social health
needs of students, conduct health screenings, facilitate
vaccinations and immunization compliance efforts, reduce
burdens on educators and other school staff, and support a
positive and healthy school climate.
SEC. 3. ONE SCHOOL, ONE NURSE GRANT PROGRAM.
(a) Grant Program Authorized.--Not later than 12 months after the
date of enactment of this section, the Secretary shall establish a
program to award grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible entities
to carry out the activities under subsection (d). Grants awarded under
this section shall be for a period of 5 years.
(b) Application.--An eligible entity desiring a grant under this
section shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in
such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may
require. Such application shall include--
(1) a needs assessment of the eligible entity that
demonstrates the existence of persistent shortages of school
nurses or persistent shortages of full-time school nurses;
(2) a description of the health and wellness needs of the
student population served by the eligible entity;
(3) a comprehensive plan for the use of grant funds to
address persistent shortages described in the needs assessment
under paragraph (1), including a description of how such
activities shall address the health and wellness needs
described under paragraph (2) and how such funds will be used
to ensure that the eligible entity will continue to employ and
retain school nurses after the completion of the grant period;
and
(4) a description of how the eligible entity will
prioritize recruiting individuals from the communities served
by the eligible entity and from underrepresented populations in
public health professions (as determined by the Secretary by
regulation), and how the eligible entity will track progress in
meeting any specified hiring goals.
(c) Selection and Priority.--In awarding grants under this section,
the Secretary shall give priority to eligible entities that--
(1) are a high-need local educational agency, or are a
partnership between a State educational agency and a consortium
of high-need local educational agencies; and
(2) describe and set specific hiring goals towards
increasing the share of school nurses who are from
underrepresented populations in public health professions.
(d) Activities.--Grant funds awarded under this section shall be
used by an eligible entity to carry out one or more of the following
activities:
(1) Recruit and hire school nurses.
(2) Provide resources necessary to convert part-time school
nurse positions at elementary or secondary schools served by
the eligible entity into full-time school nurse positions.
(3) Support the retention of school nurses, including by
increasing salaries.
(4) Maintain recommended nurse-to-student ratios (as
determined by the Secretary by regulation).
(e) Reporting.--Each eligible entity awarded a grant under this
section shall submit to the Secretary an annual report for each year of
the grant award. Such report shall include--
(1) a summary of the eligible entity's progress in
employing at least one full-time registered nurse at each
elementary and secondary school served by the eligible entity
and maintaining recommended nurse-to-student ratios (as
determined by the Secretary by regulation);
(2) data on the number and percentage of full-time and
part-time school nurses, disaggregated by major racial and
ethnic groups and gender, employed at each elementary and
secondary school served by the eligible entity; and
(3) a summary of any progress made by the eligible entity
in addressing the health and wellness needs identified in the
needs assessment required under subsection (b)(2) as a result
of activities carried out with a grant under this section.
(f) Regulations Required.--Not later than 12 months after the date
of enactment of this section, the Secretary shall--
(1) in consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human
Services--
(A) specify in regulation the recommended nurse-to-
student ratios for elementary and secondary schools;
(B) provide for guidance and other technical
assistance to eligible entities with respect to
achieving and maintaining such ratios; and
(C) specify in regulation the definition of
``underrepresented populations in public health
professions'' for the purposes of this section; and
(2) in consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human
Services and the Secretary of Labor, specify in regulation the
definition of ``full-time'' with respect to school nurses for
the purposes of this section.
(g) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means--
(A) a local educational agency; or
(B) a partnership between a State educational
agency and a consortium of local educational agencies
in the State, entered into for the purposes of a grant
under this section.
(2) High-need local educational agency.--The term ``high-
need local educational agency'' has the meaning given such term
in section 200 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1021).
(3) Local educational agency; state educational agency.--
The terms ``local educational agency'' and ``State educational
agency'' have the meanings given such terms in section 8101 of
the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
7801).
(4) School nurse.--The term ``school nurse'' means a
registered nurse who is employed by a school or local
educational agency or State or State educational agency and is
qualified under State law to provide assessment, diagnosis,
counseling, educational, therapeutic, and other health services
to meet student needs.
(5) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Education.
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