42 USC 295 - Public Health Workforce Loan Repayment Program

Collapse to view only § 295f-1. Public Health Workforce Loan Repayment Program

§ 295f. Investment in tomorrow’s pediatric health care workforce
§ 295f-1. Public Health Workforce Loan Repayment Program
§ 295f-2. Training for mid-career public and allied health professionals
§ 295f-3. Fellowship training in applied public health epidemiology, public health laboratory science, public health informatics, and expansion of the Epidemic Intelligence Service

§ 295f. Investment in tomorrow’s pediatric health care workforce

(a) Establishment

(b) Program administrationThrough the program established under this section, the Secretary shall enter into contracts with qualified health professionals under which—

(1) such qualified health professionals will agree to provide pediatric medical subspecialty, pediatric surgical specialty, or child and adolescent mental and behavioral health care in an area with a shortage of the specified pediatric subspecialty that has a sufficient pediatric population to support such pediatric subspecialty, as determined by the Secretary; and

(2) the Secretary agrees to make payments on the principal and interest of undergraduate, graduate, or graduate medical education loans of professionals described in paragraph (1) of not more than $35,000 a year for each year of agreed upon service under such paragraph for a period of not more than 3 years during the qualified health professional’s—

(A) participation in an accredited pediatric medical subspecialty, pediatric surgical specialty, or child and adolescent mental health subspecialty residency or fellowship; or

(B) employment as a pediatric medical subspecialist, pediatric surgical specialist, or child and adolescent mental health professional serving an area or population described in such paragraph.

(1) Eligible individuals

(A) Pediatric medical specialists and pediatric surgical specialistsFor purposes of contracts with respect to pediatric medical specialists and pediatric surgical specialists, the term “qualified health professional” means a licensed physician who—

(i) is entering or receiving training in an accredited pediatric medical subspecialty or pediatric surgical specialty residency or fellowship; or

(ii) has completed (but not prior to the end of the calendar year in which this section is enacted) the training described in subparagraph (B).

(B) Child and adolescent mental and behavioral healthFor purposes of contracts with respect to child and adolescent mental and behavioral health care, the term “qualified health professional” means a health care professional who—

(i) has received specialized training or clinical experience in child and adolescent mental health in psychiatry, psychology, school psychology, behavioral pediatrics, psychiatric nursing, social work, school social work, substance abuse disorder prevention and treatment, marriage and family therapy, school counseling, or professional counseling;

(ii) has a license or certification in a State to practice allopathic medicine, osteopathic medicine, psychology, school psychology, psychiatric nursing, social work, school social work, marriage and family therapy, school counseling, or professional counseling; or

(iii) is a mental health service professional who completed (but not before the end of the calendar year in which this section is enacted) specialized training or clinical experience in child and adolescent mental health described in clause (i).

(2) Additional eligibility requirementsThe Secretary may not enter into a contract under this subsection with an eligible individual unless—

(A) the individual agrees to work in, or for a provider serving, a health professional shortage area or medically underserved area, or to serve a medically underserved population;

(B) the individual is a United States citizen or a permanent legal United States resident; and

(C) if the individual is enrolled in a graduate program, the program is accredited, and the individual has an acceptable level of academic standing (as determined by the Secretary).

(d) PriorityIn entering into contracts under this subsection, the Secretary shall give priority to applicants who—

(1) are or will be working in a school or other pre-kindergarten, elementary, or secondary education setting;

(2) have familiarity with evidence-based methods and cultural and linguistic competence health care services; and

(3) demonstrate financial need.

(e) Authorization of appropriations

(July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title VII, § 775, as added Pub. L. 111–148, title V, § 5203, Mar. 23, 2010, 124 Stat. 607; amended Pub. L. 116–136, div. A, title III, § 3401(13), Mar. 27, 2020, 134 Stat. 387.)

§ 295f–1. Public Health Workforce Loan Repayment Program

(a) Establishment

(b) EligibilityTo be eligible to participate in the Program, an individual shall—

(1)

(A)

(i) be accepted for enrollment, or be enrolled, as a student in an accredited institution of higher education or school of public health in the final semester (or equivalent) of a program leading to a certificate or degree, including a master’s or doctoral degree, in public health, epidemiology, laboratory sciences, data systems, data science, data analytics, informatics, statistics, or another subject matter related to public health; and

(ii) be employed by, or have accepted employment with, a State, local, or Tribal public health agency, or a related training fellowship at such State, local, or Tribal public health agency, as recognized by the Secretary, to commence upon graduation; or

(B)

(i) have graduated, during the preceding 10-year period, from an accredited institution of higher education or school of public health and received a certificate or degree, including a master’s or doctoral degree, in public health, epidemiology, laboratory sciences, data systems, data science, data analytics, informatics, statistics, or another subject matter related to public health; and

(ii) be employed by, or have accepted employment with, a State, local, or Tribal public health agency or a related training fellowship at such State, local, or Tribal public health agency, as recognized by the Secretary;

(2) be a United States citizen; and

(3)

(A) submit an application to the Secretary to participate in the Program;

(B) execute a written contract as required in subsection (c); and

(4) not have received, for the same service, a reduction of loan obligations under section 1087e(m), 1078–10, 1078–11, 1078–12, or 1087j of title 20.

(c) ContractThe written contract (referred to in this section as the “written contract”) between the Secretary and an individual shall contain—

(1) an agreement on the part of the Secretary that the Secretary will repay on behalf of the individual loans incurred by the individual in the pursuit of the relevant degree or certificate in accordance with the terms of the contract;

(2) an agreement on the part of the individual that the individual will serve in the full-time employment of a State, local, or Tribal public health agency or a related fellowship program in a position related to the course of study or program for which the contract was awarded for a period of time (referred to in this section as the “period of obligated service”) of at least 3 consecutive years;

(3) an agreement, as appropriate, on the part of the individual to relocate to a priority service area (as determined by the Secretary) in exchange for an additional loan repayment incentive amount to be determined by the Secretary;

(4) a provision that any financial obligation of the United States arising out of a contract entered into under this section and any obligation of the individual that is conditioned thereon, is contingent on funds being appropriated for loan repayments under this section;

(5) a statement of the damages to which the United States is entitled,1

1 So in original. The comma probably should not appear.

under this section for the individual’s breach of the contract; and

(6) such other statements of the rights and liabilities of the Secretary and of the individual, not inconsistent with this section.

(d) Payments

(1) In general

(2) Payments for years served

(A) In general

(B) ConsiderationsThe Secretary may take action in making awards under this section to ensure that—

(i) an appropriate proportion of contracts are awarded to individuals who are eligible to participate in the program pursuant to subsection (b)(1)(A); and

(ii) contracts awarded under this section are equitably distributed among—(I) the geographical regions of the United States;(II) local, State, and Tribal public health departments; and(III) such public health departments under subclause (II) serving rural and urban areas.

(3) Tax liability

(e) Postponing obligated service

(f) Breach of contract

(g) Eligible loansThe loans eligible for repayment under this section are each of the following:

(1) Any loan for education or training for employment by a health department.

(2) Any loan under part E of subchapter VI (relating to nursing student loans).

(3) Any Federal Direct Stafford Loan, Federal Direct PLUS Loan, Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan, or Federal Direct Consolidation Loan (as such terms are used in section 455 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 [20 U.S.C. 1087e]).

(4) Any Federal Perkins Loan under part E of title I 2

2 So in original. Probably should be “part E of title IV”.

of the Higher Education Act of 1965.

(5) Any other Federal loan, as the Secretary determines appropriate.

(h) Pilot program

(1) In generalThe Secretary shall, as appropriate, establish a pilot program, to be known as the Bio-Preparedness Workforce Pilot Program, to provide for loan repayment for health professionals with expertise in infectious diseases and emergency preparedness and response activities to ensure an adequate supply of such professionals. Such program shall be administered consistent with the requirements of this section, except that, to be eligible to participate in the pilot program, an individual shall—

(A)

(i) be accepted for enrollment, or be enrolled, as a student in an accredited institution of higher education in the final semester (or equivalent) of a program leading to a health professions degree or certificate program relevant to such program; or

(ii) have graduated, during the preceding 10-year period, from an accredited institution of higher education with a health professions degree or certificate program relevant to such program; and

(B) be employed by, or have accepted employment with—

(i) a Federal health care facility;

(ii) a nonprofit health care facility that is located in a health professional shortage area (as defined in section 254e of this title), a frontier health professional shortage area (as defined in section 295p of this title), or a medically underserved community (as defined in section 295p of this title);

(iii) an entity receiving assistance under subchapter XXIV for the provision of clinical services;

(iv) a health program, or a facility, operated by an Indian Tribe or Tribal organization (as those terms are defined in section 5304 of title 25) or by an urban Indian organization (as defined in section 1603 of title 25); or

(v) another relevant entity determined appropriate by the Secretary, as a health professional with expertise in infectious diseases or emergency preparedness and response.

(2) Non-duplication of effort

(3) Evaluation and report to Congress

(A) In general

(B) Report

(i) In general

(ii) Recommendation

(i) Authorization of appropriations

(July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title VII, § 776, as added Pub. L. 111–148, title V, § 5204, Mar. 23, 2010, 124 Stat. 609; amended Pub. L. 117–328, div. FF, title II, § 2221(a), Dec. 29, 2022, 136 Stat. 5741.)

§ 295f–2. Training for mid-career public and allied health professionals

(a) In general

(b) Eligibility

(1) Eligible entity

(2) Eligible individuals

(July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title VII, § 777, as added Pub. L. 111–148, title V, § 5206(b), Mar. 23, 2010, 124 Stat. 612.)

§ 295f–3. Fellowship training in applied public health epidemiology, public health laboratory science, public health informatics, and expansion of the Epidemic Intelligence Service

(a) In general

(b) Specific uses

(d) Work obligation

(e) General support

(f) Authorization of appropriations

There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $39,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2010 through 2013, of which—

(1) $5,000,000 shall be made available in each such fiscal year for epidemiology fellowship training program activities under subsections (b) and (c);

(2) $5,000,000 shall be made available in each such fiscal year for laboratory fellowship training programs under subsection (b);

(3) $5,000,000 shall be made available in each such fiscal year for the Public Health Informatics Fellowship Program under subsection (e); and

(4) $24,500,000 shall be made available for expanding the Epidemic Intelligence Service under subsection (a).

(July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title VII, § 778, as added Pub. L. 111–148, title V, § 5314, Mar. 23, 2010, 124 Stat. 636.)