EMPOWER for Health Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4110 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 4110

 To revise and extend health workforce programs under title VII of the
                       Public Health Service Act.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 17, 2026

Mr. Reed (for himself and Ms. Murkowski) introduced the following bill;
     which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health,
                     Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 To revise and extend health workforce programs under title VII of the
                       Public Health Service Act.

    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 ``Educating Medical Professionals and
Optimizing Workforce Efficiency and Readiness for Health Act'' or the
``EMPOWER for Health Act''.

SEC. 2. REAUTHORIZATION OF HEALTH PROFESSIONS WORKFORCE PROGRAMS.

    Title VII of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 292 et seq.)
is amended--
            (1) in section 736(i) (42 U.S.C. 293(i)), by striking
        ``$23,711,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2025'' and
        inserting ``$28,422,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through
        2030'';
            (2) in section 740 (42 U.S.C. 293d)--
                    (A) in subsection (a), by striking ``$51,470,000
                for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2025'' and
                inserting ``$55,014,000 for each of fiscal years 2026
                through 2030'';
                    (B) in subsection (b), by striking ``appropriated,
                $1,190,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2025''
                and inserting ``appropriated $2,310,000 for each of
                fiscal years 2026 through 2030'';
                    (C) in subsection (c), by striking ``$15,000,000
                for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2025'' and
                inserting ``$16,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026
                through 2030''; and
                    (D) in subsection (d), by striking ``September 30,
                2025'' and inserting ``September 30, 2030'';
            (3) in section 747(c)(1) (42 U.S.C. 293k(c)(1)), by
        striking ``$48,924,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 through
        2025'' and inserting ``$49,924,000 for each of fiscal years
        2026 through 2030'';
            (4) in section 748(f) (42 U.S.C. 293k-2(f)), by striking
        ``$28,531,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2025'' and
        inserting ``$42,673,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through
        2030'';
            (5) in section 751(j)(1) (42 U.S.C. 294a(j)(1)), by
        striking ``$41,250,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 through
        2025'' and inserting ``$47,000,000 for each of fiscal years
        2026 through 2030'';
            (6) in section 753(d) (42 U.S.C. 294c(d)), by striking
        ``$40,737,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2025'' and
        inserting ``$48,245,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through
        2030'';
            (7) in section 761(e)(1)(A) (42 U.S.C. 294n(e)(1)(A)), by
        striking ``2021 through 2025'' and inserting ``2026 through
        2030'';
            (8) in section 762(i) (42 U.S.C. 294o(i)), by striking
        ``September 30, 2023'' and inserting ``September 30, 2030'';
            (9) in section 770(a) (42 U.S.C. 295e(a)), by striking
        ``$17,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2025'' and
        inserting ``$18,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through
        2030'';
            (10) in section 775(e) (42 U.S.C. 295f(e)), by striking
        ``is authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be
        necessary for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2025.'' and
        inserting the following: ``are authorized to be appropriated
        for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030--
            ``(1) to carry out subsection (c)(1)(A), $5,000,000; and
            ``(2) to carry out subsection (c)(1)(B), $5,000,000.''; and
            (11) in section 776(i) (42 U.S.C. 295f-1(i)), by striking
        ``2023 through 2025'' and inserting ``2026 through 2030''.

SEC. 3. INVESTMENT IN TOMORROW'S PEDIATRIC HEALTH CARE WORKFORCE.

    Section 775 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 295f) is
amended--
            (1) in subsection (a), by striking ``be employed full-
        time'' and inserting ``perform full-time service'';
            (2) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``in an area with
                a shortage of the specified pediatric subspecialty that
                has a sufficient pediatric population to support such
                pediatric subspecialty, as determined by the
                Secretary'' and inserting ``to underserved children or
                in an area with a shortage of the specified pediatric
                subspecialty''; and
                    (B) in paragraph (2)(B)--
                            (i) by striking ``employment'' and
                        inserting ``service''; and
                            (ii) by striking ``an area or'' and
                        inserting ``a'';
            (3) in subsection (c)--
                    (A) by striking the subsection designation and
                heading and all that follows through the paragraph
                designation and heading in paragraph (1) and inserting
                the following:
    ``(c) Eligibility.--
            ``(1) Definition of qualified health professional.--In this
        section:'';
                    (B) in paragraph (1)--
                            (i) in subparagraph (A)--
                                    (I) in the matter preceding clause
                                (i), by inserting ``under this
                                section'' after ``contracts''; and
                                    (II) in clause (ii), by striking
                                ``subparagraph (B)'' and inserting
                                ``clause (i)''; and
                            (ii) in subparagraph (B), in the matter
                        preceding clause (i), by inserting ``under this
                        section'' after ``contracts''; and
                    (C) in paragraph (2)--
                            (i) in the matter preceding subparagraph
                        (A), by striking ``this subsection with an
                        eligible individual'' and inserting ``this
                        section with a qualified health professional'';
                            (ii) in subparagraph (A)--
                                    (I) by striking ``individual'' and
                                inserting ``qualified health
                                professional''; and
                                    (II) by striking ``medically
                                underserved population'' and inserting
                                ``medically underserved pediatric
                                population (including children enrolled
                                in the Medicaid program under title XIX
                                of the Social Security Act)''; and
                            (iii) in each of subparagraphs (B) and (C),
                        by striking ``individual'' and inserting
                        ``qualified health professional'';
            (4) by redesignating subsection (e) (as amended by section
        2(10)) as subsection (f); and
            (5) by inserting after subsection (d) the following:
    ``(e) Full-Time Service Obligations.--
            ``(1) In general.--With respect to qualified health
        professionals described in subparagraphs (A)(ii) and (B) of
        subsection (c)(1) who enter into contracts under this section,
        the Secretary shall establish requirements for full-time
        service that are consistent with the practice standards,
        including research and teaching obligations, of the applicable
        pediatric medical subspecialty, pediatric surgical specialty,
        or child and adolescent mental and behavioral health care field
        in which such qualified health professional practices.
            ``(2) Fellowships or residencies.--With respect to
        qualified health professionals described in subsection
        (c)(1)(A)(i), the Secretary shall establish requirements for
        full-time service that are consistent with the requirements of
        the accrediting body for the applicable residency or fellowship
        for full-time service.''.

SEC. 4. AREA HEALTH EDUCATION CENTERS.

    Section 751 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 294a) is
amended--
            (1) in subsection (c)(1)(G), by striking ``high school''
        and inserting ``pre-collegiate''; and
            (2) in subsection (h)(1)--
                    (A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``12 years''
                and inserting ``2 award cycles''; and
                    (B) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``6 years''
                and inserting ``1 award cycle''.
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