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Creates a grant program to fund community-driven allied‑health training models to expand workforce in underserved and rural areas, with awards capped at $2.5M each.
Official title: To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for a health care workforce innovation program.
Introduced February 4, 2025 by Andrew R. Garbarino · Last progress February 4, 2025
The bill invests federal grant funding to expand allied health training and improve care access in underserved areas, while increasing federal costs and imposing time, reporting, and allowable-use constraints that may limit small programs and capital needs.
Students and trainees from underserved, rural, or low-income backgrounds gain funded training pathways, partnerships with schools and employers, and clearer career opportunities in allied health fields.
Residents of rural and underserved communities gain improved access to allied health, medical, behavioral, and oral health services through locally trained personnel produced by these programs.
Health centers, rural clinics, and vocational programs receive grant funding (up to $2.5M awards) to build scalable training models and employer/school partnerships to expand workforce capacity.
Taxpayers face increased federal spending because the program is authorized at 'such sums as necessary' for FY2026–FY2028 with funds available until expended.
Smaller or short-term programs and pilot projects may be excluded or disadvantaged because grants require a three-year minimum and ongoing reporting, limiting flexibility for brief initiatives.
Funds cannot be used for construction, which may prevent rural providers from expanding or creating the physical training space needed to run some workforce programs.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Creates a Health Care Workforce Innovation Program to award grants or contracts for community-driven education and training models that increase allied health professionals serving underserved and rural areas. Eligible applicants include federally qualified health centers, state FQHC associations/consortia, certified rural health clinics, and accredited nonprofit allied-health vocational programs; projects must meet application requirements, run at least three years, and follow allowable uses and reporting rules. Authorizes “such sums as necessary” for fiscal years 2026–2028 with individual grant/contract awards capped at $2.5 million per grant period, and gives the Secretary priority to projects that recruit underserved/disadvantaged individuals, expand access to medical/behavioral/oral health, or demonstrate replicability and cost-effectiveness.