The Nursing Community Coalition
WOCN is a member of the Nursing Community Coalition which consists of fifty-eight national nursing organizations committed to improving the health and health care of our nation by collaborating to support Registered Nurses (RNs) and Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs). Collectively, the NC represents over one million RNs, APRNs, nurse researchers, nurse faculty, and nursing students. In the past quarter, the Nursing Community has provided comments and updates on the following issues:
NCC Thanks Senator Merkley and Congresswoman Underwood for introducing the Future Advancement of Academic Nursing (FAAN) Act
Read Letter Here
Fifty-eight members of the Nursing Community Coalition (NCC) sent a letter thanking Senate Nursing Caucus Co-Chair, Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and House Nursing Caucus Vice Co-Chair and nurse, Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (D-IL-14), for reintroducing the Future Advancement of Academic Nursing (FAAN) Act (H.R.6607/S.3435). This bill would help enhance enrollment and recruitment of nursing students, hire and retain faculty, and support the modernization of nursing education infrastructure.
NCC Thanks Senator Durbin and Congresswoman Bonamici for Introducing the Nurse Faculty Shortage Reduction Act
Read Letter Here
Fifty-five members of the Nursing Community Coalition (NCC) sent a letter thanking Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR-01), along with other supporters, for introducing the Nurse Faculty Shortage Reduction Act (S.3707/H.R.7279) and urging its inclusion in any health care or workforce package. This bipartisan, bicameral legislation would provide much needed grant funding to close the pay gap between faculty and clinical nurses.
NCC Sends Comments to the Department of Education Supporting Nursing as a Professional Degree
Read Comments Here
All sixty-five members of the Nursing Community Coalition (NCC) signed onto written comments to the Department of Education (ED). The comments strongly requested that ED explicitly include post-baccalaureate nursing programs (MSN, DNP, Ph.D.) in its definition of “professional degree” programs as it implements the Public Law 119-21 – One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R.1).
Nursing and Friends Send Comments in Response to the Department of Education’s Proposed Rule
Read Comments Here
Two hundred and seventy-seven national and state-level organizations signed onto written comments to the Department of Education urging them to amend their proposed rule and include post-baccalaureate nursing degrees (MSN, DNP, Ph.D.) explicitly in the list of “professional” degrees.
NCC Sends Letter Urging Congress to Pass the Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act of 2025
Read Letter Here
All sixty-five members of the Nursing Community Coalition (NCC) signed onto a letter to the leadership of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee and the House Energy and Commerce Committee, urging them to consider and pass the Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act of 2025 (S.1874/H.R.3593) this Congress.
NCC Statement on the FY 2026 Bipartisan Spending Bill
Read Statement Here
The Nursing Community Coalition (NCC) commends Congress for passing the bipartisan fiscal year (FY) 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education bill, which restored funding to critical federal nursing programs. The NCC looks forward to working with Congress and the Administration as we continue to support our current and future nursing workforce.
ANA Public Policy and Advocacy
WOCN participates in quarterly calls with the ANA as an organizational affiliate.