Sponsors (21)
Creates a grant program to fund community-based allied health training in underserved and rural areas, authorizes funding for FY2026–FY2028, with awards up to $2.5M.
The bill expands funded training pipelines to place more allied health workers in underserved areas, improving access and career opportunities, but requires additional federal spending and may exclude small programs or construction needs due to program rules.
Students and trainees from underserved and low-income backgrounds gain funded pathways and partnerships into allied health careers, improving their employment opportunities.
Residents in rural and other underserved communities gain improved access to allied, medical, behavioral, and oral health services because more locally trained personnel will be available.
Health centers, rural clinics, and vocational programs receive grant funding (up to $2.5M) to develop scalable training models and build partnerships with schools and employers, strengthening the local workforce pipeline.
Taxpayers may face increased federal spending for FY2026–FY2028 because the program is authorized at 'such sums as necessary' with funds available until expended.
Grant rules prohibit using these funds to supplant existing workforce funding, which limits recipients from replacing current support with this program and may constrain how organizations allocate resources.
Smaller or short-term programs and pilot projects may struggle to qualify because of the three-year minimum and reporting requirements, reducing access to grants for some potential training providers.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Creates the Health Care Workforce Innovation Program to fund community-driven education and training models that increase the number of allied health professionals serving underserved and rural areas. Eligible applicants (FQHCs, rural health clinics, certain accredited nonprofit postsecondary allied‑health programs, and related consortia) may receive grants or contracts of up to $2.5 million per award to run multi-year training models that include apprenticeships, internships, partnerships with secondary/postsecondary institutions, career ladder programs, equipment, and limited renovations. The program defines key terms, requires applications to describe program design, trainee recruitment (with priority for underserved/disadvantaged individuals), geographic shortage areas, workforce wellbeing, non‑supplanting, scalability, and infrastructure, and requires periodic reporting. Funding is authorized at "such sums as necessary" for FY2026–FY2028 and remains available until expended; awards must support program models of at least three years and cannot be used for construction or to replace existing workforce funding.
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