GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS

July 2026

Kimberly Wallace RN, CAPA

I have just recently joined the ASPAN SWT. In this role, I’ll be sharing quarterly updates and reaching out at times if there are more urgent advocacy opportunities or legislative updates. I’ll also keep an eye out for anything happening in your state that may need your attention. My goal is to be a helpful resource—keeping you informed, supporting your efforts, and helping connect you with what’s happening nationally.

I also wanted to pass along a few quick advocacy updates:

One ongoing priority is recognizing nursing as a professional degree. Without this designation, graduate nursing students face lower federal loan limits. There is active work being done to move this forward, and if you’re interested in supporting the Nursing is a Professional Degree Act, you can take action here (ANA's RN Action page). Current updated guidance as of June 25th is that all MSN and DNP degrees are deemed "professional" through the duration of the court order. Both these degrees are now listed on the Department of Education's website as professional degrees for the purposes of federal graduate student loan borrowing.

Another major focus right now is preventing workplace violence. This includes support for the Save Healthcare Workers Act (AONL's information sheet) as well as the Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act (H.R.2531 / S.1232), which focuses on prevention plans, incident tracking, education/training, and prevention of retaliation for reporting. You can show support for this issue through the ANA action page.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or if there’s anything I can support you with. I’m really looking forward to partnering with your team.

Warm regards,
Kimberly Wallace
ASPAN Government Affairs Strategic Work Team

Download Grant Application