Nurses from across the country will gather in Washington, D.C. for the American Nurses Association’s (ANA) 2026 Capitol Hill Day this month to advocate for federal nursing priorities. After a policy briefing, they will meet with lawmakers to highlight the below issues affecting nurses and patient care.
Fight for Fair Graduate Student Aid
In May, the U.S. Department of Education finalized a rule classifying post-baccalaureate nursing programs as “graduate programs”, reducing borrowing limits for nursing students to $20,500 annually and $100,000 lifetime, compared with $50,000 and $250,000 for “professional degree” students. This is especially harmful for nursing students in accelerated programs who may hit borrowing caps before finishing their degrees.
Nurse advocates will urge lawmakers to support the Nursing Is a Professional Degree Act (H.R. 8691/S. 4568) to ensure that nursing students qualify for the higher graduate loan limits and support a Congressional Review Act resolution (H. J. Res. 189/S.J.Res.196) to repeal the rule. The adoption of these policies would ensure equitable access to federal financial aid and strengthen our nursing workforce.
Protect Nurses from Workplace Violence
Workplace violence is a major threat, with 75% of the nearly 25,000 workplace assaults reported each year occurring in health care and social service settings. One in four nurses reports being assaulted in their workplace. In fact, nurses are more likely to be victims of workplace violence than police officers or prison guards. The cost to the U.S. healthcare system exceeds $151 billion per year, not including the hidden costs of trauma, burnout, and attrition that drive nurses out of the profession.
The Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act (H.R. 2531/S. 1232) would require the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to issue standards that healthcare employers would use to develop workplace violence prevention plans to protect their clinicians and patients. It would ensure that nurses and other direct-care workers help develop and implement those plans. The bill also protects nurses who report workplace violence. Nurse advocates will urge lawmakers to co-sponsor this critical legislation and take a concrete step toward ensuring nurses can care for their patients without fearing for their own safety.
Break Down Barriers Facing APRNs
Advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) now provide more than half of all primary care for Medicare patients, and decades of research demonstrate that they provide safe, high-quality care. Yet, federal law still requires unnecessary physician oversight and limits APRN practice.
The bipartisan Improving Care and Access to Nurses (ICAN) Act (H.R. 1317/S. 575) would remove outdated Medicare and Medicaid barriers that prevent APRNs from practicing to the full extent of their education and training. The measure notably does not supersede any state laws or alter APRNs’ scope of practice and has support from over 260 organizations.
ANA advocates will urge lawmakers to support the ICAN Act to expand access to quality care for patients — particularly those in rural and underserved communities — while empowering APRNs who are already proving every day that they are more than capable of meeting that need.
Invest in Nursing Education and Training
The Title VIII Nursing Workforce Development Programs are the only dedicated federal investment in nursing education, practice, and retention — yet they receive just $305.472 million compared to the $17.8 billion in mandatory federal spending directed toward graduate medical education. Last reauthorized in 2020, Title VIII programs supported more than 24,000 nurses, nursing students, and grantees in FY 2025 alone, helping to chip away at our nation’s nursing workforce shortage.
Nurse advocates will ask their lawmakers to fund the Title VIII programs at a minimum of $610 million in FY 2027, and to pass the Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act (H.R. 3593/S. 1874) to reauthorize the programs through FY 2030 — ensuring the pipeline of qualified nurses remains strong and that patients across the country continue to have access to high-quality care.
Call to Action
While registration for ANA’s 2026 Hill Day has closed, you can still make your voice heard. ANA is organizing a virtual day of action to coincide with Hill Day on 6/25 to amplify the message being shared by nurses on Capitol Hill.
Mark your calendars and be on the lookout for an RN Action Alert on June 25!
