[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 187 (Tuesday, December 17, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7097-S7098]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
IHS WORKFORCE PARITY ACT OF 2024
Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate
proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 553, S. 3022.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
A bill (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.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill,
which had been reported from the Committee on Indian Affairs, with an
amendment to strike all after the enacting clause and insert in lieu
thereof the following:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``IHS Workforce Parity Act
of 2024''.
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 if the individual were satisfying
the period of obligated service through full-time (as so
defined) practice; and
``(II) that if the individual fails to begin or complete
the period of obligated service described in subclause (I),
the procedures described in section 108(l)(2) for determining
damages for breach of contract will be used after converting
that period of obligated service or service performed into
its full-time equivalent.''.
(b) Indian Health Service Loan Repayment Program.--
Section 108 of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (25
U.S.C. 1616a) is amended--
(1) in subsection (f)(1)(B), 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;
``(II) 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, subject to the
condition that if the individual has agreed to serve for a
period longer than 2 years of full-time (as so defined)
service, as described in subclause (I), the half-time (as so
defined) service obligation shall be the amount of time
required for the individual to complete an equivalent amount
of service on a half-time (as so defined) basis; or
``(III) 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 for that same period of obligated
service; and
``(iv) in the case of an individual completing a period
of obligated service through half-time (as so defined)
clinical practice, that if the individual fails to begin or
complete that period of obligated service, the procedures
described in subsection (l)(2) for determining damages for
breach of contract under this section will be used after
converting the period of obligated service or service
performed into its full-time (as so defined) equivalent;'';
and
(2) in subsection (l)(2), in the undesignated matter
following subparagraph (D), by inserting the following before
``Amounts'': ``Periods of obligated service completed in
half-time (as defined in section 331(j) of the Public Health
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254d(j))) clinical practice shall be
converted to their full-time (as defined in that section)
equivalents for purposes of determining damages for breach of
contract under this paragraph.''.
Mr. SCHUMER. I ask unanimous consent that the committee-reported
substitute amendment be agreed to and that the bill, as amended, be
considered read a third time.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The committee-reported amendment in the nature of a substitute was
agreed to.
The bill was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading and was read
the third time.
Mr. SCHUMER. I know of no further debate on the bill, as amended.
[[Page S7098]]
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there further debate?
If not, the bill having been read the third time, the question is,
Shall the bill pass?
The bill (S. 3022), as amended, was passed.
Mr. SCHUMER. I ask that the motion to reconsider be considered made
and laid upon the table.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
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