I 
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 Com-
mittee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently deter-
mined 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 Representa-
tives 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’’. 
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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 rec-
ommended 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 Pe-
diatrics, every elementary and secondary school 
should have at least one full-time registered nurse 
on staff. 
(2) According to the National Center for Edu-
cation 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 re-
duced-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 un-
insured. 
(4) For children who lack health care coverage, 
a school nurse is often a critical source of health 
services. 
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(5) Studies suggest that schools with a full-time 
registered nurse experience far-reaching benefits in-
cluding fewer student absences, students spending 
more time in class, more accurate medical records, 
higher immunization rates, fewer student preg-
nancies, 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 Sec-
retary at such time, in such manner, and containing such 
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information as the Secretary may require. Such applica-
tion shall include— 
(1) a needs assessment of the eligible entity 
that demonstrates the existence of persistent short-
ages 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 pe-
riod; and 
(4) a description of how the eligible entity will 
prioritize recruiting individuals from the commu-
nities served by the eligible entity and from under-
represented 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. 
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