Sponsors (17)
Official title: To amend the Public Health Service Act to expand and improve health care services by health centers and the National Health Service Corps for individuals with a developmental disability, and for other purposes.
Introduced May 14, 2025 by Seth Moulton · Last progress May 14, 2025
The bill targets better access and tailored primary/dental care for people with developmental disabilities by creating designated health center support and workforce incentives, but constrained funding and added costs/eligibility rules may substantially limit how much new capacity is actually created.
People with developmental disabilities will gain improved access to primary and dental services through designated health center programs and NHSC support, expanding clinically appropriate care options.
Hospitals and community health centers can receive grants to open new delivery sites focused on this population, increasing local service capacity where there are gaps.
People with developmental disabilities will receive higher-quality care because grantees are required to provide specialized treatments and specially trained dental services tailored to their needs.
People with developmental disabilities and health centers face limited expansion because federal funding is capped at $15 million per year (FY2026–2030), which is likely insufficient for nationwide demand.
Hospitals and health centers may be deterred from applying because the requirement to provide specialized training and dental services increases operational costs for grantees.
Hospitals and clinics with tight budgets could be excluded from using grant funds because awards must supplement, not supplant, existing expenditures, limiting eligibility for some providers.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Adds individuals with developmental disabilities to Health Center Program underserved populations and authorizes grants ($15M/year FY2026–2030) for centers to provide tailored primary and dental care.
Adds people with developmental disabilities to the federal definition of special medically underserved populations eligible for Health Center Program designation and National Health Service Corps services, and creates a new grant authority to fund health centers that open or operate delivery sites providing comprehensive primary care (including dental) tailored to this population. Authorizes $15 million per year for FY2026–2030 to support those grants and requires specialized training and services (including dental) while ensuring grant funds supplement, not supplant, existing center resources.