Bill · S. 4568· Senate(119-S-4568)
Nursing is a Professional Degree Act
- Introduced
- 5/19/2026
- Last activity
- 5/19/2026 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- Sponsored by
- Jeff Merkley
- Cosponsors
- - 2 - 5
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill, titled the "Nursing is a Professional Degree Act," aims to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965. It seeks to change the definition of a "professional student" by establishing a new definition for a "professional degree." This new definition includes degrees that signify the completion of academic requirements to begin practice in a profession that often requires licensure and involves skills beyond a bachelor's degree. The bill specifically lists several professions such as pharmacy, dentistry, law, and medicine. Additionally, it explicitly includes nursing degrees like MSN, DNP, DNAP, or Ph.D. within this definition.
Yes· 3 of 4
Would students be better off under this?+3
The bill provides clarity for students pursuing advanced degrees in nursing and other listed professions under the Higher Education Act.
Does this make college cost less?+2
By clarifying the definition of professional degrees for nursing and other fields within the Higher Education Act, the bill helps streamline federal student aid processes for these advanced degree programs.
Does this make health care easier to get in general?+2
The bill explicitly categorizes advanced nursing degrees as professional degrees, which supports the professionalization and training of advanced nursing practitioners.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Clarification of Professional Degrees: The bill provides a specific list of degrees that qualify as professional degrees, such as Pharmacy (Pharm.D.), Law (J.D.), and Medicine (M.D.), which helps define the requirements for beginning practice in a profession (Section 2).
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Inclusion of Nursing: The bill explicitly includes Nursing degrees, specifically mentioning MSN, DNP, DNAP, or Ph.D., as professional degrees (Section 2).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No negative impacts are explicitly mentioned in the provided text.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Students+3Good For Low Income Households+1
- Education And Technology
- Improves College Affordability+2
- Healthcare
- Improves Healthcare Access+2
- 7/15/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 6/23/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 6/1/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 5/19/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- 4 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in Senate
2 bills Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Susan CollinsRepublican · Maine
Kevin CramerRepublican · North Dakota
John FettermanDemocrat · Pennsylvania
Cynthia LummisRepublican · Wyoming
Lisa MurkowskiRepublican · Alaska
Roger WickerRepublican · Mississippi
Sheldon WhitehouseDemocrat · Rhode Island