2023 Legislation

Several bills that include the keyword “nurse” were introduced into the House and the Senate in March and beginning of April. S 1113 Nurse Staffing Standards for Hospital Safety and Quality Care Act of 2023 was introduced in the Senate on 3/30/23 by Sherrod Brown (Dem of Ohio). This bill amends an act to establish direct care registered nurse-to-patient staffing ratio requirements in hospitals. It was referred to the Senate HELP Committee on the same day.

HR 2530 To amend the Public Health Service Act to establish direct care registered nurse-to-patient staffing ratio requirements in hospitals. This bill was introduced in the House on 4/6/21 by Janice Schakowsky (Rep of Illinois). This is similar to the Senate bill, it just amends the current law to establish ratios nationwide. It was sent to two House Committees, The Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Committee on Ways and Means.

S 1150 A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to support and stabilize the existing nursing workforce, establish programs to increase the numbers of nurses, and for other purposes. This bill was introduced to the Senate by Jeff Merkley (Dem of Oregon) on 3/30/23. This bill aims to increase the number of nurses in the workforce, but really doesn’t say how. It was referred to the Senate HELP Committee on 3/30/23.

HR 2411 National Nursing Workforce Center Act of 2023. This bill aims to stabilize the existing nursing workforce, and establish programs to increase the numbers of nurses. This bill was introduced in the House on 3/30/23 by Lisa Blunt Rochester (Dem of Delaware). It was referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on the same day.

You likely have noticed a trend here. Anything that relates to nursing or nurses is immediately referred to a committee. The bright side to this is that it is very early in the 118th Congressional session and we have plenty of time to press our representatives for action. Many political insiders expect that 2023 will be the best time to get bills passed because of the 2024 election cycle. Politicians love to show constituents that they have done something to earn their votes during the next election. We need to let our representatives that these are the bills that will benefit every single American in this country. Below are the members of the House and Senate Committees where these bills currently sit. If any of these members are your state representatives, reach out to them and encourage them to act on these bills immediately. Let me know if you want a template, I am happy to type one up.

Senate HELP Committee: Bernie Sanders (Chairman, Vermont), Patty Murray (Washington), Robert Casey Jr (Pennsylvania), Tammy Baldwin (Wisconsin), Christopher Murphy (Connecticut), Tim Kaine (Virginia), Maggie Hassan (New Hampshire), Tina Smith (Minnesota), Ben Ray Lujan (New Mexico), John Hickenlooper (Colorado), Ed Markey (Maine), Bill Cassidy (Louisiana), Rand Paul (Kentucky), Susan Collins (Maine), Lisa Murkowski (Arkansas), Mike Braun (Indiana), Roger Marshall (Kansas), Mitt Romney (Utah), Tommy Tuberville (Alabama), Markwayne Mullin (Oklahoma), Ted Budd (North Carolina).

House Committee on Energy and Commerce: Cathy McMorris Rodgers (Chair, Washington), Michael Burgess (Texas), Bob Latta (Ohio), Brett Guthrie (Kentucky), Morgan Griffith (Virginia), Gus Bilirakis (Florida), Bill Johnson (Ohio), Larry Bucshon (Indiana), Richard Hudson (North Carolina), Tim Walberg (Michigan), Buddy Carter (Georgia), Jeff Duncan ( South Carolina), Gary Palmer (Alabama) Neal Dunn (Florida), John Curtis (Utah), Debbie Lesko (Arizona), Greg Pence (Indiana), Dan Crenshaw (Texas), John Joyce (Pennsylvania), Kelly Armstrong (North Dakota), Randy Weber (Texas), Rick Allen (Georgia), Troy Balderson (Ohio), Russ Fulcher (Idaho), August Pfluger (Texas), Diana Harshbarger (Tennessee), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (Iowa), Kat Cammack (Florida), Jay Obernolte (California), Frank Pallone (New Jersey), Anna Eshoo (California), Diana Dagette (Colorado), Jan Schankowsky (Illinois), Doris Matsui (California), Kathy Castor (Florida), John Sarbanes (Maryland), Paul Tonlo (New York), Yvette Clarke (New York), Tony Cardenas (California), Raul Ruiz (California), Scott Peters (California), Michigan (Debbie Dingell (Michigan), Marc Veasey (Texas), Ann Kuster (New Hampshire), Robin Kelly (Illinois), Nanette Barragan (California), Lisa Blunt Rochester (Delaware), Darren Soto (Florida), Angie Craig (Minnesota), Kim Schrier (Washington), Lori Trahan (Massachusetts), and Lizzie Fletcher (Texas).

House Committee on Ways and Means: Jason Smith (Missouri), Vern Buchanan (Florida), Adrian Smith (Nebraska), Mike Kelly (Pennsylvania), David Schweikert (Arizona), Darin LaHood (Illinois), Brad Wenstrup (Ohio), Jodey Arrington (Texas), Drew Ferguson (Georgia), Ron Estes (Kansas), Lloyd Smucker (Pennsylvania), Kevin Hern (Oklahoma), Carol Miller (West Virginia), Greg Murphy (North Carolina), David Kustoff (Tennessee), Brian Fitzpatrick (Pennsylvania), Greg Steube (Florida), Claudia Tenney (New York), Michelle Fischback (Minnesota), Blake Moore (Utah), Michelle Steel Steel (California), Beth Van Duyne (Texas), Randy Feenstra (Iowa), Nicole Malliotakis (New York), Mike Carey (Ohio), Richard Neal (Massachusetts), Lloyd Doggett (Texas), Mike Thompson (California), John Larson (Connecticut), Earl Blumenauer (Oregon), Bill Pascrell (New Jersey), Danny Davis (Illinois), Linda Sanchez (California), Brian Higgins (New York), Terri Sewell (Alabama), Susan DelBene (Washington), Judy Chu (California), Gwen Moore (Wisconsin), Dan Kildee (Michigan), Don Beyer (Virginia), Dwight Evans (Pennsylvania), Brad Schneider (Illinois), and Jimmy Panetta (California).