“Our nation’s nursing shortage is driving up health care costs and diminishing patient care. My legislation provides short-term and long-term solutions to this critical problem,” said Congressman Wexler. “This bill includes funding for nursing schools so they can accept -- rather than turn down -- more applicants here at home, and creates a separate immigration category for nurses for three years.  I am pleased that my legislation took this critical step forward today, and it is my hope that after August recess the Judiciary Committee will take up this bill so that Congress can better respond to the nationwide nursing shortage.”

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, more than 1.2 million new and replacement nurses will be needed by 2014 to address the country’s severe nursing shortage.  By 2020, the nursing shortage is expected to grow to over 1 million nurses, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, impacting all 50 states.  In 2005 and 2006, 15% of the nation’s newly licensed nurses have been foreign-trained, but due to a lack of visas, the immigration of nurses into the United States has essentially halted.

H.R. 5924 includes nursing school funding and in-service training, along with a separate immigration category for 20,000 nurses and physical therapists annually for a three-year period.  The legislation would require employers applying for these nurse visas to pay a $1,500 fee for each nurse into a Domestic Nurse Enhancement Fund to provide grants to U.S. nursing schools to expand their capacities. H.R. 5924 would also provide for a retention grant pilot program to fund career enhancement training for health care workers.