[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3022 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 3022

To amend the Indian Health Care Improvement Act to allow Indian Health 
Service scholarship and loan recipients to fulfill service obligations 
      through half-time clinical practice, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            October 4, 2023

Ms. Cortez Masto (for herself and Mr. Mullin) introduced the following 
  bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian 
                                Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Indian Health Care Improvement Act to allow Indian Health 
Service scholarship and loan recipients to fulfill service obligations 
      through half-time clinical practice, 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 ``IHS Workforce Parity Act of 2023''.

SEC. 2. INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE SCHOLARSHIP AND LOAN RECIPIENTS.

    (a) Indian Health Professions Scholarships.--Section 104(b)(3) of 
the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 1613a(b)(3)) is 
amended by striking the paragraph designation and all that follows 
through the end of subparagraph (A) and inserting the following:
    ``(3)(A) The active duty service obligation under a written 
contract with the Secretary under section 338A of the Public Health 
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254l) that an individual has entered into under 
that section shall, if that individual is a recipient of an Indian 
Health Scholarship--
            ``(i) be met by full-time (as defined in section 331(j) of 
        the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254d(j))) practice--
                    ``(I) in the Service;
                    ``(II) in a program conducted under a contract 
                entered into under the Indian Self-Determination and 
                Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5301 et seq.);
                    ``(III) in a program assisted under title V; or
                    ``(IV) in the private practice of the applicable 
                profession if, as determined by the Secretary, in 
                accordance with guidelines issued by the Secretary, the 
                practice--
                            ``(aa) is situated in a physician or other 
                        health professional shortage area; and
                            ``(bb) addresses the health care needs of a 
                        substantial number of Indians; or
            ``(ii) be met by half-time (as defined in section 331(j) of 
        the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254d(j))) practice in 
        a program described in any of subclauses (I) through (IV) of 
        clause (i) if the individual agrees, in writing--
                    ``(I) to double the period of obligated service 
                that would otherwise be required; or
                    ``(II) accept a minimum service obligation of 2 
                years with an award amount equal to 50 percent of the 
                amount that would otherwise be payable for full-time 
                (as so defined) service.''.
    (b) Indian Health Service Loan Repayment Program.--Section 
108(f)(1)(B) of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 
1616a(f)(1)(B)) is amended by striking clause (iii) and inserting the 
following:
                            ``(iii) to serve for a period of time 
                        (referred to in this section as the `period of 
                        obligated service') equal to--
                                    ``(I) 2 years, or a longer period 
                                of time as the individual may agree to 
                                serve, in the full-time (as defined in 
                                section 331(j) of the Public Health 
                                Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254d(j))) 
                                clinical practice of the profession of 
                                the individual in an Indian health 
                                program to which the individual may be 
                                assigned by the Secretary; or
                                    ``(II)(aa) 4 years, or a longer 
                                period of time as the individual may 
                                agree to serve, in the half-time (as 
                                defined in that section) clinical 
                                practice of the profession of the 
                                individual in an Indian health program 
                                to which the individual may be assigned 
                                by the Secretary; or
                                    ``(bb) not less than 2 years in the 
                                half-time (as so defined) clinical 
                                practice of the profession of the 
                                individual in an Indian health program 
                                to which the individual may be assigned 
                                by the Secretary with a loan payment 
                                amount equal to 50 percent of the 
                                amount that would otherwise be payable 
                                for full-time (as so defined) 
                                service;''.
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