{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://cherfilus-mccormick.house.gov/media/press-releases/reps-cherfilus-mccormick-ciscomani-sponsor-new-bipartisan-effort-support", "Reps. Cherfilus-McCormick, Ciscomani, Sponsor New Bipartisan Effort to Support Community College Nursing Programs", "2023-10-26", "2023", "2023-10", "Democrat", "House", "FL", "Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick", "C001127", "cherfilus-mccormick.house.gov", "cherfilus-mccormick", "https://cherfilus-mccormick.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 U.S. Representatives Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL-20) and Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ-06) introduced new bipartisan legislation this week to support additional funding for nursing programs at community colleges. Full text of the legislation is available here.\n\nThe Grants for Resources in Occupational Workforce Training for Healthcare (GROWTH) Act expands eligibility to the Nurse Education, Practice, Quality, and Retention (NEPQR)\u2014Pathway to Registered Nurse Program (PRNP) grants under the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to include community colleges. The bill would also prioritize allocating up to 50 percent of total funds to community colleges or partnerships with community colleges. Currently, a large majority of these grants go to 4-year institutions.\n\n\u201cThe national nursing shortage has hit health facilities hard and compromised access to quality care,\u201d said Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick. \u201cThat is precisely why we must make it easier for community college students to pursue a successful career in nursing, without worrying about financial hurdles. I am proud to introduce the bipartisan GROWTH Act, which will bolster our healthcare system and address this critical workforce shortage.\u201d\n\n\u201cAs a proud graduate of Pima Community College, I know how crucial these institutions are to students, the workforce, and our communities,\u201d said Rep. Ciscomani. \u201cThese students should have the same opportunities and funding as their counterparts at a 4-year university. This bill strengthens our nursing workforce while improving the programs offered by our community colleges.\u201d\n\nReps. Cherfilus-McCormick and Ciscomani are joined on the bill by Reps. John James (R-MI-10), David Trone (D-MD-06), Jen Kiggans (R-VA-02), and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA-03). This legislation is also supported by American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) and Families USA.\n\n\u201cCommunity colleges make an essential contribution to the country\u2019s nursing workforce, conferring 75% of all associate nursing degrees in 2019-20,\u201d said Dr. Walter G. Bumphus, the President and CEO of the AACC. \u201cThe community colleges\u2019 highly qualified graduates work across the nation contributing greatly to local and regional workforce pipelines while earning family sustaining wages. These community college nursing programs play a critical role in the nation\u2019s workforce but receive virtually no funding through the basic federal nursing program. This important legislation would help these colleges secure badly needed resources to support and expand these costly educational programs while helping to broaden the nation\u2019s nursing workforce and enhance patient care.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T00:49:26Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://cherfilus-mccormick.house.gov/media/press-releases/reps-cherfilus-mccormick-ciscomani-sponsor-new-bipartisan-effort-support"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9141173213720322, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}