119-hr5444

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5444 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 5444

 To amend the Public Health Service Act to address the shortage of 
 medical laboratory personnel, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 September 17, 2025

 Ms. Ross (for herself and Mrs. Kiggans of Virginia) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and 
 Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To amend the Public Health Service Act to address the shortage of 
 medical laboratory personnel, 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 ``Medical Laboratory Personnel 
Shortage Relief Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. INCLUDING MEDICAL LABORATORY PERSONNEL AND SERVICES IN NATIONAL 
 HEALTH SERVICE CORPS PROGRAMS.

    (a) 

=== Definition. ===
-

Section 331

    (a) of the Public Health Service Act 
(42 U.S.C. 254d

    (a) ) is amended--

    (1) in paragraph

    (3)
            (D) , by striking ``or mental health'' 
 and inserting ``mental health, or medical laboratory 
 services''; and

    (2) by adding at the end the following:
 ``
        (F) The term `medical laboratory personnel'--
 ``
            (i) means individuals--
 ``
            (I) seeking or receiving training in an 
 accredited medical laboratory science program; 
 or
 ``
            (II) employed in a position in which the 
 individual examines materials derived from the 
 human body for the purpose of providing 
 information for the diagnosis, prevention, or 
 treatment of a disease or impairment of human 
 beings; and
 ``
            (ii) includes phlebotomists, medical laboratory 
 assistants, histotechnologists, laboratory scientists, 
 laboratory technicians, and genetic counselors.''.

    (b) Medical Laboratory 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) Medical Laboratory Health Professional Target Areas.--
 ``

    (1) In general.--The Secretary shall carry out a program 
 of--
 ``
        (A) identifying medical laboratory health 
 professional target areas; and
 ``
        (B) assigning members of the Corps who are 
 medical laboratory personnel to such areas.
 ``

    (2) Applicable provisions.--The provisions of paragraphs

    (1) ,

    (2) ,

    (3) ,

    (4) , and

    (6) of subsection

    (k) shall apply to 
 the identification of medical laboratory health professional 
 target areas and the assignment of medical laboratory personnel 
 under this subsection except that--
 ``
        (A) references to maternity care health 
 professional target areas shall be treated as 
 references to medical laboratory health professional 
 target areas; and
 ``
        (B) references to maternity care health 
 professionals and maternity care shall be treated as 
 references to medical laboratory personnel and medical 
 laboratory services, respectively.''.
            (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 ``medical laboratory 
 personnel,'' after ``dentists,''; and

    (2) in subsection

    (b) --
        (A) by striking ``an individual must--'' and all 
 that follows through ``or physician assistant;'' and 
 inserting the following: ``an individual must--
 ``

    (1)
        (A)
            (i) have a degree in medicine, osteopathic 
 medicine, dentistry, or another health profession, or an 
 appropriate degree from a graduate program of behavioral and 
 mental health;
 ``
            (ii) be certified as a nurse midwife, nurse practitioner, 
 or physician assistant; or
 ``
            (iii) have a degree in medical laboratory science;'';
        (B) in paragraph

    (1)
        (B) , by inserting ``medical 
 laboratory science,'' after ``mental health,''; and
            (C) in paragraph

    (1)
            (C) 
            (ii) , by inserting ``medical 
 laboratory science,'' after ``dentistry,''.

SEC. 3. MEDICAL LABORATORY PERSONNEL EDUCATION PROGRAM.

 The Public Health Service Act is amended by inserting after 

section 778 (42 U.S.C. 295f-3) the following:

``

SEC. 779. MEDICAL LABORATORY PERSONNEL EDUCATION PROGRAM.

 ``

    (a) In General.--The Secretary may make grants to, or enter into 
contracts with, eligible entities that the Secretary has determined are 
capable of carrying out such grant or contract--
 ``

    (1) to plan, develop, operate, or participate in an 
 accredited medical laboratory professional education program 
 that awards an associate's, bachelor's, or graduate degree or 
 certificate; and
 ``

    (2) to recruit, train, and develop faculty for such 
 program.
 ``

    (b) Priorities in Making Awards.--In awarding grants and 
contracts under paragraph

    (1) , the Secretary shall give priority to 
eligible entities that--
 ``

    (1) utilize innovative approaches to clinical teaching;
 ``

    (2) are committed to training individuals from rural, 
 underrepresented, or disadvantaged backgrounds;
 ``

    (3) teach collaboration among health professionals; or
 ``

    (4) provide training in cultural competency and health 
 literacy.
 ``
            (c) Duration of Awards.--A grant or contract awarded under this 
subsection shall be for a period of 3 years.
 ``
            (d) Eligible Entity Defined.--In this section, the term `eligible 
entity' means an accredited nonprofit hospital, school of allied 
health, or nonprofit entity that sponsors accredited internship 
programs required for professional certification.
 ``

    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section--
 ``

    (1) $25,000,000 for the first full fiscal year beginning 
 after the date of enactment of this Act; and
 ``

    (2) such sums as may be necessary for subsequent fiscal 
 years.''.
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