AMSN Urges Congress to Support Building the Nurse Pipeline, but Action has Slowed
AMSN has been consistent in urging Congress to support nurse workforce development initiatives that build the pipeline advancing the supply of nurses needed now and in the future. Even working together with the Nursing Community Coalition to advance this important goal, congressional action has slowed this fall on the major legislation carrying these AMSN priorities.
The $3.5TN American Families Plan Act at press time awaits a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives later October, according to majority party leadership. To help expand and improve patient access to health care, the bill provides $1 billion for Title 8 nurse workforce development especially for under-served communities, and $300 million to support the Nurse Corps, both for FY 2022.
AMSN Acts to Protect Nurses and Other Health Care Professionals from New Liability Risk Posed by Recently Enacted Texas Law
The new law “places nurses and other health care professionals at new and additional risk by exposing them to civil litigation from people they have not met or treated,” according to the AMSN statement.
Though a federal district court judge ruling Oct. 6 blocks its enforcement for now, Texas SB 8 is still the law and still poses real risk for nurses. AMSN recommends “SB 8 be overturned and implore(s) other states not to take a similar approach.”