Sponsors
The bill expands pathways and supports to help low-income people with arrest or conviction records enter high‑demand allied and behavioral health jobs—strengthening the workforce and providing social supports—but limited funding, state legal barriers, and grant preferences may substantially restrict who benefits and how broadly the program can scale.
Low-income individuals with arrest or conviction records gain access to multi-year training and career pathways into in-demand allied and behavioral health professions, improving employment prospects and upward mobility.
Participants receive legal assistance and emergency cash supports to address conviction-related employment barriers and short-term financial crises, increasing the likelihood they can complete training and secure jobs.
Hospitals, health systems, and communities benefit from expanded training that helps build the allied and behavioral health workforce, improving staffing for shortage, high-demand roles and supporting care access.
The program is funded at only $10 million for FY2026, which is small relative to nationwide need and will limit the number of projects and participants the program can serve.
Individuals in states without legal permission pathways for credentialing people with records may be excluded because applicants must demonstrate state-level legal authority, leaving promising programs and participants out.
Preference for prior grantees with positive evaluations could disadvantage new or smaller community-based providers, reducing opportunities for innovative or locally tailored models to receive funding.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Authorizes HHS grants for 3-year demonstrations training people with arrest/conviction records for allied and behavioral health careers, requiring state credentialing policies, recruitment, and post-employment supports.
Introduced September 16, 2025 by Danny K. Davis · Last progress September 16, 2025
Authorizes the HHS Secretary, working with Labor, Education, and the Attorney General, to award grants for three-year demonstration projects that train people with arrest or conviction records for in-demand allied health and behavioral health careers. Applicants must show state policies that permit credentialing or licensure for people with certain records (including appeals or rehabilitation pathways), describe recruitment and post-employment supports, and demonstrate experience serving low-income populations or partner with organizations that do. Grants must focus on career pathways leading to credentials, licensure, and employment in health occupations with shortages or high demand, and the Secretary must give preference to prior demonstration projects with positive evaluations; the amendment takes effect October 1, 2025.