I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3197 
To make demonstration grants to eligible local educational agencies or con-
sortia of eligible local educational agencies for the purpose of increasing 
the numbers of school nurses in public elementary schools and secondary 
schools. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 10, 2023 
Ms. TITUS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Education and the 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 make demonstration grants to eligible local educational 
agencies or consortia of eligible local educational agencies 
for the purpose of increasing the numbers of school 
nurses in public elementary schools and secondary 
schools. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Nurses for Under- 
Resourced Schools Everywhere Act’’ or the ‘‘NURSE 
Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) The National Association of School Nurses 
identifies schools as primary locations to address 
student health issues, since a school nurse is the 
health care provider that many students see on the 
most regular basis. 
(2) The American Academy of Pediatrics has 
recognized the crucial role that school nurses play in 
children’s health and has called for having a full- 
time school nurse every day and in every school 
building. 
(3) The school nurse functions as the leader 
and coordinator of the school health services team, 
including by carrying out chronic disease manage-
ment and health promotion as well as facilitating ac-
cess to a medical home for each child and supporting 
academic achievement. 
(4) School nurses promote wellness and disease 
prevention to improve health outcomes for our Na-
tion’s children. In addition, school nurses perform 
early intervention services such as periodic assess-
ments for vision, hearing, and dental problems, in an 
effort to remove barriers to learning. 
(5) The American Federation of Teachers has 
called for a nurse in every school, as nurses are 
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front-line workers that address an array of health 
needs and their presence in a school can help to im-
prove student learning. 
(6) According to 2017 data from the National 
Association of School Nurses, only 39.3 percent of 
schools employ a full-time school nurse, while 35.5 
percent of schools employ a school nurse only part- 
time, and 25.2 percent do not have a school nurse 
at all. 
(7) The National Association of School Nurses 
has reported that medication administration to stu-
dents is one of the most common health-related ac-
tivities performed in school. As more chronically ill 
and medically unstable children enter the school sys-
tem each year, the medical factors that promote and 
support their academic success increase, including 
the need for medications that enhance overall health 
or stabilize chronic conditions. 
(8) National data indicate that between 15 and 
20 percent of children who spend their day in school 
have a chronic health condition. 
(9) According to the American Academy of Pe-
diatrics, students today face increased social and 
emotional issues, which enhance the need for preven-
tive services and interventions for acute and chronic 
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health issues. School nurses are actively engaged 
members of school-based mental health teams and 
spend nearly 32 percent of their time providing men-
tal health services, including universal and targeted 
interventions, screenings to identify early warning 
signs and provide referrals to medical providers, and 
crisis planning. 
(10) According to the Department of Edu-
cation, during the 2013–2014 school year, 1,360,747 
children enrolled in public schools experienced home-
lessness. Homeless children develop increased rates 
of acute and chronic health conditions, and the 
stress of their living situation can negatively affect 
their development and ability to learn. As a result, 
schools have become the primary access to health 
care for many children and adolescents. School 
nurses serve on the front lines as a safety net for 
the Nation’s most vulnerable children. 
(11) Communicable and infectious diseases ac-
count for millions of school days lost each year. 
Data illustrate that when students have access to a 
registered nurse in school, immunization rates in-
crease. 
(12) Throughout the COVID–19 pandemic, 
school nurses have played an important role helping 
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