The FAAN Act is designed to address the nursing shortage in America by giving federal grants to nursing schools. The government will distribute up to $1 billion to help schools train more nurses and expand their programs. This money can be used to hire more nursing professors, recruit and support more students, build better facilities with modern equipment like simulation labs and telehealth technology, and create partnerships with hospitals and clinics for hands-on training.

The bill prioritizes funding for nursing schools in areas where healthcare workers are needed most—rural communities, medically underserved neighborhoods, and regions with health professional shortages. It also emphasizes recruiting and supporting students from disadvantaged backgrounds, including racial and ethnic minorities underrepresented in nursing, low-income students, first-generation college students, and people from rural areas. Similarly, schools are encouraged to hire nursing professors from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups.

Beyond just increasing the number of nurses, the bill aims to prepare the country better for public health emergencies and pandemics by having more trained nursing professionals available. Schools that receive grants must report annually on their progress, and the federal government will publish a comprehensive report within five years showing how many students graduated, how many came from underrepresented groups, and whether the program successfully increased the nursing workforce and improved emergency preparedness.