[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4088 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 4088

To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants 
for career support for a skilled, internationally educated health care 
                               workforce.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 9, 2024

   Mr. Kaine introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
  referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants 
for career support for a skilled, internationally educated health care 
                               workforce.

    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 ``Welcome Back to the Health Care 
Workforce Act''.

SEC. 2. SUPPORT FOR SKILLED INTERNATIONALLY EDUCATED HEALTH CARE 
              WORKFORCE.

    (a) In General.--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. SUPPORT FOR SKILLED INTERNATIONALLY EDUCATED HEALTH CARE 
              WORKFORCE.

    ``(a) Grants Authorized.--
            ``(1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
        enactment of the Welcome Back to the Health Care Workforce Act, 
        the Secretary shall award grants to eligible entities to 
        provide career support for internationally educated health care 
        professionals to integrate into, and expand, the health care 
        workforce.
            ``(2) Consultation.--Before awarding any grants under this 
        section, the Secretary shall consult with the Secretary of 
        Labor and the Secretary of Education.
    ``(b) Application.--
            ``(1) In general.--An eligible entity desiring a grant 
        under this section shall submit to the Secretary an application 
        at such time, in such manner, and containing such information 
        as the Secretary may require.
            ``(2) Contents.--An application submitted under paragraph 
        (1) shall include--
                    ``(A) a description of each project described in 
                subsection (d) that the eligible entity proposes to 
                develop or continue under the grant;
                    ``(B) information demonstrating that the eligible 
                entity has the capacity to fully carry out and 
                administer such projects;
                    ``(C) a plan for the proposed projects that 
                includes, at a minimum--
                            ``(i) demographic information regarding the 
                        population to be served by the grant and how 
                        the current health care workforce, as of the 
                        date of application, is not meeting the health 
                        needs of the community to be served, including 
                        information on the health care workforce 
                        shortages in the area to be served by the 
                        grant; and
                            ``(ii) a description of how the eligible 
                        entity will make use of grant funds to support 
                        the identification and advancement of 
                        internationally educated health care 
                        professionals in the geographic area to be 
                        served by the grant;
                    ``(D) a description of the eligible entity's 
                experience in working with internationally educated 
                health care professionals;
                    ``(E) a description of the partnership the eligible 
                entity has formed with various entities, including 
                institutions of higher education and health care 
                employers; and
                    ``(F) any additional information determined 
                relevant by the Secretary.
    ``(c) Priority.--In awarding grants under this section, the 
Secretary shall give priority to eligible entities whose projects 
support the recruitment and retention of--
            ``(1) internationally educated health care professionals in 
        professions in communities experiencing gaps between their 
        existing health care workforce, as of the date of the 
        application for the grant, and the needs of the community; or
            ``(2) internationally educated health care professionals in 
        rural communities.
    ``(d) Use of Funds.--
            ``(1) Supported projects.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Subject to paragraphs (2) and 
                (3), an eligible entity receiving a grant under this 
                section shall use grant funds to carry out--
                            ``(i) 1 or more system-level improvement 
                        projects described in subparagraph (B); and
                            ``(ii) 1 or more individual-level 
                        improvement projects described in subparagraph 
                        (C).
                    ``(B) System-level improvements.--A project 
                described in this subparagraph expands culturally and 
                linguistically competent supports for internationally 
                educated health care professionals, which may include--
                            ``(i) establishing a network of partners 
                        that offer prerequisite educational 
                        opportunities and continuing education 
                        opportunities;
                            ``(ii) developing peer support and 
                        mentoring opportunities;
                            ``(iii) educating employers regarding the 
                        abilities and capacities of internationally 
                        educated health care professionals;
                            ``(iv) developing career ladder 
                        opportunities for internationally educated 
                        health care professionals, such as--
                                    ``(I) developing a system to 
                                provide ongoing supportive services 
                                once employment is obtained;
                                    ``(II) funding leadership 
                                development, continuing education, 
                                preparatory classes, examinations, and 
                                licensing and certification costs, in 
                                order to support health care workforce 
                                advancement; or
                                    ``(III) education and support on 
                                how to serve as an educator in a 
                                clinical or academic setting; or
                            ``(v) creating and carrying out projects 
                        for the purposes of increasing the retention of 
                        internationally educated health care 
                        professionals in the health care workforce.
                    ``(C) Individual-level improvements.--A project 
                described in this subparagraph tailors individual 
                support for internationally educated health care 
                professionals, which may include--
                            ``(i) support for the licensing process;
                            ``(ii) funding and facilitating access to 
                        accelerated and contextualized courses on 
                        English as a second language and board or 
                        licensure examination preparation;
                            ``(iii) culturally competent individualized 
                        career counseling and coaching;
                            ``(iv) individualized guidance and support 
                        for the credentialing evaluation process;
                            ``(v) providing individualized work-
                        readiness supports and clinical experience and 
                        training for internationally educated health 
                        care professionals who need such supports, 
                        experience, or training;
                            ``(vi) educating internationally educated 
                        health care professionals employed by the 
                        eligible entity on their rights as employees;
                            ``(vii) providing individualized supportive 
                        services to internationally educated health 
                        care professionals in order to support their 
                        employment, retention, or career advancement, 
                        which may include support for living expenses, 
                        health care, or transportation; or
                            ``(viii) assisting internationally educated 
                        health care professionals in obtaining overseas 
                        academic or training records.
            ``(2) Use for administrative costs.--Each eligible entity 
        receiving a grant under this section may use not more than 10 
        percent of the grant funds for costs associated with the 
        administration of the projects under this subsection.
            ``(3) Minimum requirement to provide direct support.--Each 
        eligible entity receiving a grant under this section shall use 
        not less than 20 percent of the grant funds to carry out 
        projects described in paragraph (1)(B).
    ``(e) Supplement, Not Supplant.--An eligible entity receiving a 
grant under this section shall use such grant only to supplement, and 
not supplant, the amount of funds that otherwise would be available to 
address the recruitment, training and education, retention, and 
advancement of internationally educated health care professionals in 
the health care workforce of the State or region served by the eligible 
entity.
    ``(f) Evaluations and Reports.--
            ``(1) Reporting requirements by grant recipients.--
                    ``(A) In general.--An eligible entity receiving a 
                grant under this section shall annually provide a 
                report on the grant to the Secretary, at such time and 
                containing such data and information as requested by 
                the Secretary.
                    ``(B) Contents.--The report submitted under 
                subparagraph (A) shall include--
                            ``(i) the number of internationally 
                        educated health care professionals who 
                        participated in the projects supported under 
                        the grant; and
                            ``(ii) for each project carried out under 
                        the grant, in the aggregate and disaggregated 
                        by the demographic categories as required by 
                        the Secretary--
                                    ``(I) the number of internationally 
                                educated health care professionals who 
                                accessed services, benefits, or 
                                supports through the project;
                                    ``(II) the number of 
                                internationally educated health care 
                                professionals who through the project 
                                attained employment in the health care 
                                workforce, in the aggregate and 
                                disaggregated by occupation and 
                                industry;
                                    ``(III) the number of 
                                internationally educated health care 
                                professionals who participated in the 
                                project and withdrew, unsuccessfully 
                                attempted to obtain board 
                                certification, or were terminated from 
                                the project without completing training 
                                or attaining employment in the health 
                                care workforce; and
                                    ``(IV) data on the country of 
                                education of the participating 
                                internationally educated health care 
                                professionals.
            ``(2) Annual reports to congress by secretary.--Not later 
        than 2 years after the date of enactment of the Welcome Back to 
        the Health Care Workforce Act, and each year thereafter until 
        all projects supported under this section are completed, the 
        Secretary shall prepare and submit to Congress a report on the 
        progress of each project supported under a grant under this 
        section.
    ``(g) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Eligible entity.--The term `eligible entity' means a 
        consortium of 2 or more of the following:
                    ``(A) A hospital, health system, or other entity 
                that provides health care.
                    ``(B) A community-based or other nonprofit entity 
                with experience in clinical health or public health 
                services.
                    ``(C) An institution of higher education.
                    ``(D) An area health education center.
                    ``(E) A State government, local government, or 
                Indian Tribe.
                    ``(F) A Federally qualified health center.
                    ``(G) Any other type of entity determined 
                appropriate by the Secretary.
            ``(2) Employ; employer.--The terms `employ' and `employer' 
        have the meanings given the terms in section 3 of the Fair 
        Labor Standards Act of 1938.
            ``(3) Health care workforce.--The term `health care 
        workforce' means the workforce comprised of health care 
        providers with direct patient care and support responsibilities 
        and public health workers.
            ``(4) Indian tribe.--The term `Indian Tribe' means the 
        recognized governing body of any Indian or Alaska Native Tribe, 
        band, nation, pueblo, village, community band, or component 
        reservation individually identified (including parenthetically) 
        in the list published most recently as of the date of enactment 
        of the Welcome Back to the Health Care Workforce Act, pursuant 
        to section 104 of the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List 
        Act of 1994 (25 U.S.C. 5131).
            ``(5) Institution of higher education.--The term 
        `institution of higher education' has the meaning given the 
        term in section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965.
            ``(6) Internationally educated health care professional.--
        The term `internationally educated health care professional' 
        means an individual who--
                    ``(A) completed the education requirements for a 
                health care workforce profession in another country; 
                and
                    ``(B) is--
                            ``(i) lawfully admitted for permanent 
                        residence;
                            ``(ii) admitted as a refugee under section 
                        207 of the Immigration and Nationality Act;
                            ``(iii) granted asylum under section 208 of 
                        such Act; or
                            ``(iv) an alien otherwise authorized to be 
                        employed in the United States.
    ``(h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section such sums as may be necessary 
for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2029.''.
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