[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4420 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 4420
To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for the participation
of physical therapists in the National Health Service Corps Loan
Repayment program, to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to
expand Medicare Rural Health Clinic Services and Federally Qualified
Health Center Services to include physical therapy services, and for
other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
April 28, 2026
Mr. Heinrich (for himself and Mr. Rounds) introduced the following
bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health,
Education, Labor, and Pensions
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for the participation
of physical therapists in the National Health Service Corps Loan
Repayment program, to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to
expand Medicare Rural Health Clinic Services and Federally Qualified
Health Center Services to include physical therapy services, 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 ``Physical Therapist Workforce and
Patient Access Act of 2026''.
SEC. 2. NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE CORPS; PARTICIPATION OF PHYSICAL
THERAPISTS IN LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAM.
(a) Mission of Corps; Definition of Primary Health Services.--
Section 331(a)(3)(D) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C.
254d(a)(3)(D)) is amended by striking ``or mental health,'' and
inserting ``mental health, or physical therapy,''.
(b) Physical Therapy Health Professional Target Areas.--Section 332
of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254e) is amended by adding
at the end the following:
``(l)(1) The Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the
Health Resources and Services Administration, shall identify, based on
the data collected under paragraph (3), physical therapy health
professional target areas that satisfy the criteria described in
paragraph (2) for purposes of, in connection with receipt of assistance
under this title, assigning to such identified areas physical therapy
health professionals who, without application of this subsection, would
otherwise be eligible for such assistance. The Secretary shall
distribute physical therapy health professionals within health
professional shortage areas using the physical therapy health
professional target areas so identified.
``(2) For purposes of paragraph (1), the Secretary shall establish
criteria for physical therapy health professional target areas that
identify geographic areas within health professional shortage areas
that have a shortage of physical therapy health professionals.
``(3) For purposes of this subsection, the Secretary shall collect
and publish in the Federal Register data comparing the availability and
need of physical therapy health services in health professional
shortage areas and in areas within such health professional shortage
areas.
``(4) In carrying out paragraph (1), the Secretary shall seek input
from relevant provider organizations, including medical societies,
organizations representing medical facilities, and other organizations
with expertise in physical therapy health services.
``(5) Nothing in this subsection shall be construed as--
``(A) requiring the identification of a physical therapy
health professional target area in an area not otherwise
already designated as a health professional shortage area; or
``(B) affecting the types of health professionals, without
application of this subsection, otherwise eligible for
assistance, including a loan repayment or scholarship, pursuant
to the application of this section.''.
(c) Loan Repayment Program.--Section 338B of the Public Health
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254l-1) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)(1), by inserting ``physical
therapists,'' after ``dentists,''; and
(2) in subsection (b)--
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``, or be
certified as a nurse midwife, nurse practitioner, or
physician assistant'' and inserting ``; be certified as
a nurse midwife, nurse practitioner, or physician
assistant; or have a doctoral or master's degree in
physical therapy'';
(B) in paragraph (1)(B), by inserting ``physical
therapy,'' after ``mental health,''; and
(C) in paragraph (1)(C)(ii), by inserting
``physical therapy,'' after ``dentistry,''.
SEC. 3. ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR PARTICIPATION OF PHYSICAL THERAPISTS IN
THE NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE CORPS LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAM.
Section 10503(b)(2)(L) of the Patient Protection and Affordable
Care Act (42 U.S.C. 254b-2(b)(2)(L)) is amended by inserting before the
period at the end the following: ``, and an additional $15,000,000 for
such period for loan repayments for physical therapists participating
in the National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program under
section 338B of the Public Health Service Act''.
SEC. 4. EXPANDING MEDICARE RURAL HEALTH CLINIC SERVICES AND FEDERALLY
QUALIFIED HEALTH CENTER SERVICES TO INCLUDE PHYSICAL
THERAPY SERVICES.
(a) In General.--Section 1861(aa) of the Social Security Act (42
U.S.C. 1395x(aa)) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (1)--
(A) in subparagraph (C), by striking at the end
``and'';
(B) in subparagraph (D), by adding ``and'' at the
end; and
(C) by inserting after subparagraph (D) the
following new subparagraph:
``(E) such physical therapy services (as defined in
subsection (p)) furnished by a physical therapist,''; and
(2) in paragraph (3)(A), by striking ``subparagraphs (A)
through (D)'' and inserting ``subparagraphs (A) through (E)''.
(b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsection (a) shall
apply with respect to services furnished on or after January 1, 2027.
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