WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland (WA-10) and U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Ted Budd (R-NC), introduced new bipartisan, bicameral legislation aimed at addressing the nursing staff shortages in the military health care system as personnel shortages remain a major issue for patients and staff at Department of Defense (DoD) healthcare facilities.
The Retain Educated Workers and Registered Nurses Developing (REWARD) Experience Act would help the military health care system retain experienced nurses by removing unnecessary hiring requirements that incentivize nurses in the system to leave for the private health care sector. Specifically, the legislation would empower hiring officials to promote qualified and skilled nurses already working in the military health care system, allowing them to receive recognition for their service and the expertise gained in their previous position. This bill provides a solution to current laws that force nurses interested in staying in the military health care system to take a pay cut for higher responsibility.
“The bicameral, bipartisan REWARD Experience Act of 2023 will allow skilled and dedicated nurses to stay in the Military Health System while they pursue higher education,” said Rep. Strickland. “This change retains nursing talent that wish to become more skilled and prioritizes patient care for servicemembers, their dependents, and veterans.”
Over 85 percent of DoD facilities reported nursing shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic and in January 2023, 80 percent of civilian vacancies in the Defense Health Agency were health care personnel positions. The Madigan Army Medical Center on Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) in Tacoma had the largest percentage of vacant positions—38 percent, or 1,615 personnel—of all the Military Treatment Facilities sampled. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that more than 275,000 additional nurses will be needed across the U.S. between 2020 to 2030.
“Our new bipartisan legislation would provide a common-sense fix to incentivize nurses to stay in the military health care system, where their skills are so important to getting servicemembers and their families timely access to high-quality care,” said Senator Murray. “Staffing shortages are a challenge for health care facilities across the country, and we must keep working to find ways to retain qualified and experienced nurses in military health care facilities and ensure servicemembers and their families get the care they deserve—I’m proud to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to get that done.
“As our country faces a shortage of qualified nurses, this bipartisan proposal provides a common-sense fix that would cut through bureaucratic requirements to help the military keep dedicated healthcare professionals on the job without taking a pay cut,” said Senator Budd. “I’d like to thank Senator Murray for co-leading this bill with me.”
This legislation is supported by the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) and the National Military Family Association (NMFA)
“MOAA supports the REWARD Act that will help military hospitals and clinics retain experienced civilian nurses as they further their education and achieve higher levels of licensure. MOAA’s spring advocacy campaign last year raised concerns about health care workforce challenges, so we appreciate that the REWARD Act will help DoD retain experienced nurses by addressing a barrier in hiring policy,” said Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) President and CEO Lt Gen Brian Kelly, USAF (Ret).
“Service members and military families need and deserve the very best health care. Nurses are an essential part of that equation,” said Besa Pinchotti, CEO of the National Military Family Association (NMFA). “The REWARD Experience Act is common-sense legislation that incentivizes nurses to remain with the military health system as they progress in their careers.”
The bill text for the REWARD Experience Act can be found here.
U.S. Representative Marilyn Strickland serves on the House Armed Services Committee and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. She is the CBC whip, a member of the New Democrat Coalition, one of the first Korean-American women elected to Congress, and the first African-American elected to represent the Pacific Northwest at the federal level.
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