[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7307 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7307

To amend the Public Health Service Act to establish a grant program to 
    expand the number of allied health professionals in underserved 
          communities and rural areas, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            February 9, 2024

Mr. Molinaro (for himself and Ms. Craig) introduced the following bill; 
       which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Public Health Service Act to establish a grant program to 
    expand the number of allied health professionals in underserved 
          communities and rural areas, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Health Care Workforce Innovation Act 
of 2024''.

SEC. 2. HEALTH CARE WORKFORCE INNOVATION PROGRAM.

    Subpart 3 of part E of title VII of the Public Health Service Act 
(42 U.S.C. 295f et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 779. HEALTH CARE WORKFORCE INNOVATION PROGRAM.

    ``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Allied health professionals.--The term `allied health 
        professionals'--
                    ``(A) has the meaning given the term in section 
                799B; and
                    ``(B) includes--
                            ``(i) an individual who provides clinical 
                        support services, such as a medical assistant, 
                        dental assistant, dental hygienist, pharmacy 
                        technician, physical therapist, or health care 
                        interpreter;
                            ``(ii) an individual who provides 
                        nonclinical support services, such as a billing 
                        and coding professional or a health information 
                        technology professional;
                            ``(iii) a dietician;
                            ``(iv) a medical technologist;
                            ``(v) an emergency medical technician;
                            ``(vi) a community health worker;
                            ``(vii) a public health worker; and
                            ``(viii) a peer support worker.
            ``(2) Program.--The term `Program' means the Health Care 
        Workforce Innovation Program established under subsection (b).
            ``(3) Secretary.--The term `Secretary' means the Secretary, 
        acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and 
        Services Administration.
            ``(4) Underserved community.--The term `underserved 
        community' means--
                    ``(A) a health professional shortage area (as 
                defined in section 332(a));
                    ``(B) a medically underserved community (as defined 
                in section 799B); and
                    ``(C) a medically underserved population (as 
                defined in section 330(b)).
    ``(b) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish a grant 
program, to be known as the `Health Care Workforce Innovation Program', 
under which the Secretary shall award grants to eligible entities to 
support and develop new innovative, community-driven approaches for the 
education and training of allied health professionals, with an emphasis 
on expanding the supply of allied health professionals located in, and 
meeting the needs of, underserved communities and rural areas.
    ``(c) Eligibility.--To be eligible to receive a grant under the 
Program, an entity shall be--
            ``(1) a Federally-qualified health center (as defined in 
        section 1905(l)(2)(B) of the Social Security Act);
            ``(2) an entity that represents, or is comprised of, 
        Federally-qualified health centers; or
            ``(3) a rural health clinic that meets the requirements of 
        an entity to which a Corps member is assigned under section 
        334.
    ``(d) Applications.--An eligible entity seeking a grant under the 
Program shall submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in 
such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may 
require, including--
            ``(1) a description of how allied health professionals will 
        be trained in accredited training programs either directly or 
        through partnerships with public or nonprofit private entities, 
        to the extent applicable;
            ``(2) a description of the community-driven health care 
        workforce innovation model to be carried out under the grant, 
        including the specific allied health professions to be funded;
            ``(3) the geographic service area that will be served, 
        including quantitative data, if available, showing that such 
        area faces a shortage of allied health professionals and lacks 
        access to health care;
            ``(4) a description of the benefits provided to each allied 
        health professional trained under the proposed model during the 
        education and training phase;
            ``(5) a description of the experience that the eligible 
        entity has in the recruitment, retention, and promotion of the 
        well-being of workers and patients;
            ``(6) a description of how the funding awarded under the 
        Program will supplement, and not supplant, existing funding 
        that supports the health care workforce of the eligible entity;
            ``(7) a description of the scalability and replicability of 
        the community-driven approach to be funded under the grant; and
            ``(8) a description of the infrastructure, outreach, and 
        communication plan and other program support costs required to 
        operationalize the proposed model.
    ``(e) Use of Funds.--
            ``(1) In general.--A grantee shall use amounts received 
        under a grant awarded under the Program to carry out the 
        community-driven health care workforce innovation model 
        described in the application of the grantee under subsection 
        (d)(2), which shall be carried out for a period of not less 
        than 3 years.
            ``(2) Specific uses.--In carrying out the community-driven 
        health care workforce innovation model under paragraph (1), a 
        grantee may use grant amounts for the following specific uses:
                    ``(A) Launching new or expanding existing 
                innovative health care professional partnerships.
                    ``(B) Establishing or expanding a partnership 
                between an eligible entity and 1 or more high schools 
                (as defined in section 8101 of the Elementary and 
                Secondary Education Act of 1965), accredited public or 
                nonprofit private vocational-technical schools, 
                accredited public or nonprofit private 2-year colleges, 
                area health education centers, and entities with 
                clinical settings for the provision of education and 
                training opportunities not available at the facilities 
                of such grantee.
                    ``(C) Providing education and training programs to 
                improve the readiness of allied health professionals in 
                settings that serve underserved communities and rural 
                areas.
                    ``(D) Encouraging students from underserved 
                communities and disadvantaged backgrounds and former 
                patients to consider careers in health care, better 
                reflecting and meeting community needs.
                    ``(E) Providing education and training programs for 
                individuals to work in patient-centered, team-based, 
                community-driven health care models that include 
                integration with other clinical practitioners and 
                training in cultural and linguistic competence.
                    ``(F) Providing pre-apprenticeship and 
                apprenticeship programs for health care technical, 
                support, and entry-level occupations, particularly for 
                individuals enrolled in dual or concurrent enrollment 
                programs.
                    ``(G) Building a preceptorship training-to-practice 
                model for medical, behavioral health, oral health care, 
                and public health disciplines in an integrated, 
                community-driven setting.
                    ``(H) Providing and expanding internships, career 
                ladders, and development opportunities for health care 
                professionals, including new and existing staff.
                    ``(I) Investing in training equipment, supplies, 
                and limited renovations or retrofitting of training 
                space needed for grantees to carry out the community-
                driven health care workforce innovation model under 
                paragraph (1).
            ``(3) Limitations.--Amounts received under a grant awarded 
        under the Program may not be used--
                    ``(A) to support construction costs (other than the 
                limited renovations and retrofits described in 
                paragraph (1)(I)); or
                    ``(B) to supplant funding from existing programs 
                that support the health care workforce of the grantee.
    ``(f) Priorities.--In awarding grants under the Program, the 
Secretary shall give priority to applicants that will use grant funds--
            ``(1) to support a community-driven health care workforce 
        innovation model that increases the number of individuals from 
        underserved communities and disadvantaged backgrounds working 
        in allied health professions;
            ``(2) to improve access to health care, including medical 
        care, behavioral health care, and oral health care, in 
        underserved communities; or
            ``(3) to demonstrate that the community-driven health care 
        workforce innovation model to be carried out using such grant 
        funds can be replicated in other underserved communities in a 
        cost-efficient and effective manner.
    ``(g) Grant Amount and Period.--A grant awarded under the Program--
            ``(1) shall not exceed $2,500,000; and
            ``(2) shall be for a period of not less than 3 years.
    ``(h) Reports.--Each entity that receives a grant under the Program 
shall submit to the Secretary periodic reports at such time, in such 
manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require, 
including a detailed description of the findings and outcomes of the 
community-driven health care workforce innovation model carried out 
under the grant.
    ``(i) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $100,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2025 through 2029, to remain available until expended.''.
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