NCC informs Congress of policy priorities for COVID-19 bills

In a March 19 letter, the Nursing Community Coalition (NCC) urged Congress to incorporate the coalition’s priorities in COVID-19 legislative packages under consideration. Ensuring the safety of nurses and patients by distributing protective gear from the Strategic National Stockpile topped the list. Additional requests included the reauthorization of Title VIII Nursing Workforce Programs; funding for the National Institutes of Nursing Research; incorporation of the Home Health Care Planning Improvement Act (H.R. 2150/S. 296) and the United States Public Health Service Modernization Act of 2019 (S. 2629/H.R. 4870) in COVID-19 legislation; removing practice barriers; and funding child care for health care workers. The letter explained how each of these measures would strengthen the nation’s ability to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The NCC, which includes AONL, reiterated some of these points in March 23 testimony prepared for a House Appropriations subcommittee and agencies within the Department of Health and Human Services. (NCC letter, 3/19/20)