Senate Bill 998 would create the Nurse Education Capacity Expansion Grant Program to grow nursing faculty and boost the nursing workforce pipeline in Pennsylvania.
Harrisburg, Pa. − October 29, 2025 − On Tuesday, the Pennsylvania Senate Institutional Sustainability & Innovation Committee unanimously passed Senate Bill 998, Senator Maria Collett’s (D-12 Montgomery) bipartisan legislation with Senator Rosemary Brown (R-40 Lackawanna) tackling Pennsylvania’s nursing workforce shortage by increasing nurse education capacity at accredited nursing schools in the Commonwealth.
“Every year, our nursing schools are forced to turn away thousands of qualified, passionate, and capable applicants. Not because they lack the drive or the grades, but because we don’t have enough faculty to teach them, or enough preceptors to train them in the field,”explained Collett, a registered nurse. “If we can’t train more nurses, we can’t care for more patients. SB 998 directly addresses these workforce barriers by giving schools the tools to say ‘yes’ to the next generation of nurses.”
SB 988 establishes the Nurse Education Capacity Expansion Grant Program, a competitive grant program administered by the Department of Community and Economic Development. Qualifying accredited nursing schools will be eligible for up to $500,000 in funding to hire more faculty, train more preceptors and strengthen clinical partnerships.
“Senate Bill 998 and the Nurse Education Capacity Expansion Grant Program will enable Montgomery County Community College to expand our flagship nursing program and help address the urgent need for more nurses across Pennsylvania,” said Dr. Vicki Bastecki-Perez, President of Montgomery County Community College. “This grant program will open doors for more students to pursue rewarding careers in the high-demand health care industry—fields that offer family-sustaining wages, advancement opportunities, and the deep personal fulfillment that comes from caring for others.”
The legislation now advances to the senate floor for consideration.
As a nurse, healthcare workforce development is a top priority for Senator Collett. Collett spearheaded the Nursing Workforce Initiative and $55 million Student Loan Relief for Nurses Program in 2021. She is also the prime sponsor of the Patient Safety Act, establishing safe nurse-to-patient ratios in PA hospitals. Learn more about Sen. Collett’s efforts to strengthen the healthcare workforce pipeline and protect patient care here.
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