Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez Introduces Legislation to Bring More Nurses to Public Schools

WASHINGTON, DC — This week, Reps. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez and Jen Kiggans (R-VA) introduced the bipartisan More Nurses in Rural Schools Act to address the shortage of nurses in the American public school system and ensure students have access to comprehensive, on-site care during the school day. The bill would provide access to student loan repayment for eligible nurses working in schools in health care deserts by opening up the existing National Health Services Corps Loan Repayment Program (NHSLRP) to part- and full-time registered nurses committed to serving schools in health professional shortage areas (HPSA). 

While existing student loan repayment programs exist to bring qualified nurses to communities in need, these opportunities typically do not extend to school nurses, who often cannot meet full-time, year-round requirements and do not work in the 2% of public schools designated as School-Based Health Clinic (SBHC) facilities. As a result, registered nurses must choose between working in their communities and taking on the brunt of their student loans, or move to more established clinics. This leaves students without comprehensive services on-site in communities already combatting health care access challenges inflamed by H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which cut health coverage for 31,000 people across Southwest Washington. 

The following report, by the NASN, elaborates on the challenges facing school nurses:

Specifically, the More Nurses in Rural Schools Act would eliminate these barriers for school nurses by:

• Allowing the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to permit an individual who agrees to serve for a time period equal to 2 years or longer as a school nurse in an elementary or secondary school located within a health professional shortage area to participate in the NHSC LRP.
  • For part-time employees, the Secretary is directed to increase the time period of service to the same number of hours as an individual serving in such a position on a full-year, full-time basis.
    
• Directing the Secretary to establish annual certification requirements for the purpose of verifying the number of hours worked by such individuals.
  • This follows the application process framework in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, which allows states to track these hours as they see fit.
    
• Defining a “school nurse” as “a registered nurse who is employed by a school or local educational agency or State or State educational agency and is qualified under State law to provide assessment, diagnosis, counseling, educational, therapeutic, and other health services to meet student needs.”

In implementation, this bill would help bring comprehensive health care services to elementary and secondary schools across the country in HPSAs – the majority of which are located in rural and partially rural areas.

“Sending your kid off to their first day of school, it’s like your heart came out of your body and it’s walking around in front of you. You want to know your school has every single option they can to take care of kids when they need it.” said Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez. “Letting schools become healthcare deserts isn’t in anyone’s best interest. My bill extends existing loan forgiveness programs to nurses who make the noble choice to serve their community and take care of our children. Especially in rural communities, they’re a priceless lifeline.”

“Every student deserves access to quality health care, regardless of where they live. As a nurse practitioner, I know firsthand how important it is to have a qualified nursing workforce available to care for patients and support their families.” said Rep. Kiggans, “I am proud to join Congresswoman Gluesenkamp Perez in introducing the More Nurses in Rural Schools Act to remove outdated barriers for nurses who want to serve their communities and bring more healthcare professionals to rural and underserved schools.”

“Every student, regardless of where they live, deserves access to a school nurse. The More Nurses in Rural Schools Act is an important step toward addressing persistent workforce shortages and ensuring that students in underserved communities are able to receive the timely, skilled care they need to stay healthy, safe, and ready to learn.” said Lynn Nelson, President of the National Association of School Nurses, “On behalf of the National Association of School Nurses, I thank Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez and Representative Jen Kiggans for their bipartisan leadership and shared commitment to strengthening school health services and advancing health equity for rural children and families. Their collaboration demonstrates that supporting the health and success of students is a priority that transcends party lines.”

Supporting schools, especially in rural areas, has been a priority for Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez. In 2025, she passed a bipartisan bill to reauthorize the Secure Rural Schools (SRS), recovering $8.9 million in 2024 and 2025 payments for local counties and schools, after it lapsed earlier that year. She has also done extensive work funding and supporting trades education in schools. Recently, she attended the ribbon cutting for a new CTE center at Fort Vancouver High school.

In addition, Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez voted against H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which was signed into law on July 4, 2025. This law eliminated Medicaid eligibility for roughly 17 million Americans–including 31,000 in Southwest Washington. The bill also failed to extend the Affordable Care Act (ACA) enhanced premium tax credits, which helped cover health care coverage costs for lower-income households. Rep. Gluesenkamp Perez co-led the Bipartisan Premium Tax Credit Extension Act to extend these tax credits for one year, giving families more time to make these important health care decisions.

This legislation is supported by the National Association of School Nurses (NASN)

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