[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 10337 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 10337
To amend the Public Health Service Act to establish a demonstration
project to make grants to eligible hospitals for the purpose of
promoting work-based learning in health care, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
December 10, 2024
Ms. Brown (for herself, Mrs. Lee Carter, Ms. Kelly of Illinois, Ms.
McClellan, Mrs. Dingell, Ms. Barragan, Mrs. Hayes, Mr. Lieu, Mr.
Krishnamoorthi, Ms. Clarke of New York, Mr. Carbajal, Mr. Carter of
Louisiana, Mr. Meeks, Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick, Ms. Williams of
Georgia, Ms. Salinas, Mrs. Watson Coleman, Mrs. McIver, Mr. Landsman,
and Ms. Meng) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Energy and Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Public Health Service Act to establish a demonstration
project to make grants to eligible hospitals for the purpose of
promoting work-based learning in health care, 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 ``Expanding the Health Care Workforce
Act''.
SEC. 2. DEMONSTRATION PROJECT GRANTS TO PREPARE THE NEXT GENERATION OF
THE HEALTH CARE WORKFORCE.
The Public Health Service Act is amended by inserting after
section 778 (42 U.S.C. 295f-3) the following:
``SEC. 779. DEMONSTRATION PROJECT GRANTS TO PREPARE THE NEXT GENERATION
OF THE HEALTH CARE WORKFORCE.
``(a) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish a demonstration
project (in this section referred to as the `Demonstration Project') to
make grants to eligible entities to--
``(1) create, develop, expand, or scale a curriculum in a
secondary school that implements a work-based learning program;
``(2) develop or expand an educational curriculum that
promotes the matriculation of students enrolled in secondary
school to--
``(A) employment in the health care workforce; or
``(B) an educational program in a health care-
related field;
``(3) promote an educational curriculum that encourages
student attendance and community engagement; and
``(4) ensure the health and well-being of the community of
the eligible entity by strengthening the health care workforce.
``(b) Use of Funds.--An eligible entity shall use a grant under
this section to develop or expand a program that--
``(1) provides students with work-based learning
opportunities in an eligible hospital--
``(A) during a student's first year enrolled in the
program, for at least 20 hours;
``(B) during a student's second year enrolled in
the program, for at least 20 hours;
``(C) during a student's third year enrolled in the
program, for at least 30 hours;
``(D) during a student's fourth year enrolled in
the program, for at least 100 hours; and
``(E) during a student's fifth year (or any
subsequent year) enrolled in the program, an
appropriate amount of work-based learning as determined
by the eligible entity;
``(2) has a written partnership agreement with a secondary
school to provide work-based learning;
``(3) provides a comprehensive high school education that
leads to the conferral of a high school diploma, as defined by
State law;
``(4) provides college planning services and career
planning services; and
``(5) provides education on appropriate health care topics
that would facilitate entry to the health care workforce or an
educational program in a health care-related field, including
age-appropriate clinical interactions and coursework in
preparation to take a licensing or certification examination
required to enter the health care workforce.
``(c) Grant Specifications.--
``(1) Period.--A grant under this section shall be for a
period of not less than 4 and not more than 6 years.
``(2) Disbursement schedule.--A grant under this section
shall be disbursed during such period on the schedule and in
the increments described in the budget and budget narrative
submitted by the eligible entity receiving the grant under
subsection (e)(2).
``(3) Number; geographic diversity.--
``(A) In general.--The Secretary shall award grants
under this section to at least 20 eligible entities,
divided equally among the 10 regions of the United
States described in subparagraph (B).
``(B) Regions described.--The regions described in
this subparagraph are the following:
``(i) Region 1: Connecticut, Maine,
Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and
Vermont.
``(ii) Region 2: New Jersey, New York,
Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
``(iii) Region 3: Delaware, the District of
Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and
West Virginia.
``(iv) Region 4: Alabama, Florida, Georgia,
Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South
Carolina, and Tennessee.
``(v) Region 5: Illinois, Indiana,
Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin.
``(vi) Region 6: Arkansas, Louisiana, New
Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.
``(vii) Region 7: Iowa, Kansas, Missouri,
and Nebraska.
``(viii) Region 8: Colorado, Montana, North
Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming.
``(ix) Region 9: Arizona, California,
Hawaii, Nevada, American Samoa, Commonwealth of
the Northern Mariana Islands, Federated States
of Micronesia, Guam, Marshall Islands, and
Republic of Palau.
``(x) Region 10: Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and
Washington.
``(4) Quota for expanding existing programs.--Of the grants
made by the Secretary under this section, at least 25 percent
of the total number of such grants shall be to expand programs
established before the date of enactment of this section.
``(d) Priority.--In making grants under this section, the Secretary
shall give priority to any eligible entity that--
``(1) serves a medically underserved population;
``(2) is located in a medically underserved community; or
``(3) is a multi-mission hospital, a vulnerable community
hospital, or an endangered small rural hospital, as determined
by the Secretary.
``(e) Applications.--To be eligible to receive a grant under this
section, an eligible entity shall submit to the Secretary an
application at such time and in such manner as the Secretary may
reasonably require. The application shall include--
``(1) a description of the curriculum to be used in the
program to be funded by the grant;
``(2) a budget and budget narrative for such program;
``(3) an explanation of how the curriculum of such program
will promote the matriculation of secondary students in
employment in the health care workforce or an educational
program in a health care-related field;
``(4) an explanation of how such program to be funded by
the grant will promote student attendance, community
engagement, and successful completion of the requirements of
such program;
``(5) a letter of support from the lead State health or
human services agency for the State in which the eligible
entity is located that certifies that there exists a need for a
such a program in the community of the eligible entity; and
``(6) an explanation of how such program intends to improve
the educational outcomes of the students of the eligible entity
compared to other students in the county of the eligible
entity.
``(f) Reports.--
``(1) To secretary.--Not less than annually, an eligible
entity receiving a grant under this section shall submit to the
Secretary, in such form and manner as the Secretary may
reasonably require, a report that includes the following
information with respect to the preceding school year:
``(A) The number of students enrolled in the
program funded by the grant.
``(B) The number of students who graduated from
such program.
``(C) The number of students who are truant, as
defined by the secondary school's accrediting body or
the State.
``(D) The four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate
and extended-year adjusted cohort graduation rate of
such program.
``(E) The average daily attendance of such program.
``(F) The number and percentage of students
entering post-secondary education, separated by those
who enter into an educational program in a health care-
related field and those who do not.
``(G) The number and percentage of students
entering the workforce, separated by those who enter
the health care workforce and those who do not.
``(H) Any other information the Secretary
determines necessary to ensure the adequate evaluation
of the Demonstration Project.
``(2) To congress.--Not later than 5 years after the date
on which a grant is first made to an eligible entity under this
section, the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of
Education, shall submit to Congress a report on the results of
the Demonstration Project. Such report shall include--
``(A) a list of eligible entities that have
received a grant under this section, including the
primary geographic location of each such eligible
entity;
``(B) the total number and demographic profile of
students who are enrolled in a program funded by a
grant under this section;
``(C) the total number of students who participated
in such a program and who matriculated into an
educational program in a health care-related field or
gained employment in the health care workforce;
``(D) the four-year adjusted cohort graduation rate
and extended-year adjusted cohort graduation rate of
each such program, compared to other secondary schools
in each county of such programs;
``(E) the effects of the Demonstration Project on
the health care workforce;
``(F) recommendations for improving the
Demonstration Project; and
``(G) other information or metrics that the
Secretary determines necessary for Congress to evaluate
the success of the Demonstration Project.
``(g) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Educational program in a health care-related field.--
The term `educational program in a health care-related field'
means any accredited or certified educational program that
permits an individual to gain employment in the health care
workforce.
``(2) Eligible entity.--The term `eligible entity' means an
eligible hospital that has a formal written partnership with a
secondary school.
``(3) Eligible hospital.--The term `eligible hospital'
means--
``(A) a hospital (as defined in section 1861(e) of
the Social Security Act); and
``(B) a hospital that provides complex,
comprehensive, high-acuity care, as determined by the
Secretary.
``(4) ESEA terms.--The terms `average daily attendance',
`extended-year adjusted cohort graduation rate', `four-year
adjusted cohort graduation rate', and `secondary school' have
the meanings given to such terms in section 8101 of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
``(5) Health care workforce.--The term `health care
workforce' has the meaning given to the term in section 5101(i)
of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
``(6) Medically underserved community.--The term `medically
underserved community' has the meaning given to the term in
section 799B(6) of the Public Health Service Act.
``(7) Medically underserved population.--The term
`medically underserved population' has the meaning given to the
term in section 330(b)(3) of the Public Health Service Act.
``(8) Work-based learning.--The term `work-based learning'
has the meaning given to the term in section 3(55) of the Carl
D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006.
``(h) Termination.--The authority of the Secretary to make grants
under this section shall cease on the date that is 6 years after the
date on which the Secretary establishes the Demonstration Project.
``(i) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section
for fiscal year 2025 and each of the 5 succeeding fiscal years.''.
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