[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 632 Reported in Senate (RS)]
<DOC>
Calendar No. 74
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 632
[Report No. 119-21]
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.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
February 19, 2025
Ms. Cortez Masto (for herself and Mr. Mullin) introduced the following
bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian
Affairs
May 12, 2025
Reported by Ms. Murkowski without amendment
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
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.
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 ``IHS Workforce Parity Act of 2025''.
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.''.
Calendar No. 74
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 632
[Report No. 119-21]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
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.
_______________________________________________________________________
May 12, 2025
Reported without amendment