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[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9849 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 9849

   To amend the Public Health Service Act to address the shortage of 
         medical laboratory personnel, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 25, 2024

   Ms. Ross introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                    Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
   To amend the Public Health Service Act to address the shortage of 
         medical laboratory personnel, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Medical Laboratory Personnel 
Shortage Relief Act of 2024''.

SEC. 2. INCLUDING MEDICAL LABORATORY PERSONNEL AND SERVICES IN NATIONAL 
              HEALTH SERVICE CORPS PROGRAMS.

    (a) Definition.--Section 331(a) of the Public Health Service Act 
(42 U.S.C. 254d(a)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (3)(D), by striking ``or mental health'' 
        and inserting ``mental health, or medical laboratory 
        services''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(F) The term `medical laboratory personnel'--
                    ``(i) means individuals--
                            ``(I) seeking or receiving training in an 
                        accredited medical laboratory science program; 
                        or
                            ``(II) employed in a position in which the 
                        individual examines materials derived from the 
                        human body for the purpose of providing 
                        information for the diagnosis, prevention, or 
                        treatment of a disease or impairment of human 
                        beings; and
                    ``(ii) includes phlebotomists, medical laboratory 
                assistants, histotechnologists, laboratory scientists, 
                laboratory technicians, and genetic counselors.''.
    (b) Medical Laboratory Health Professional Target Areas.--Section 
332 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254e) is amended by 
adding at the end the following:
    ``(l) Medical Laboratory Health Professional Target Areas.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall carry out a program 
        of--
                    ``(A) identifying medical laboratory health 
                professional target areas; and
                    ``(B) assigning members of the Corps who are 
                medical laboratory personnel to such areas.
            ``(2) Applicable provisions.--The provisions of paragraphs 
        (1), (2), (3), (4), and (6) of subsection (k) shall apply to 
        the identification of medical laboratory health professional 
        target areas and the assignment of medical laboratory personnel 
        under this subsection except that--
                    ``(A) references to maternity care health 
                professional target areas shall be treated as 
                references to medical laboratory health professional 
                target areas; and
                    ``(B) references to maternity care health 
                professionals and maternity care shall be treated as 
                references to medical laboratory personnel and medical 
                laboratory services, respectively.''.
    (c) Loan Repayment Program.--Section 338B of the Public Health 
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254l-1) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)(1), by inserting ``medical laboratory 
        personnel,'' after ``dentists,''; and
            (2) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) by striking ``an individual must--'' and all 
                that follows through ``or physician assistant;'' and 
                inserting the following: ``an individual must--
            ``(1)(A)(i) have a degree in medicine, osteopathic 
        medicine, dentistry, or another health profession, or an 
        appropriate degree from a graduate program of behavioral and 
        mental health;
            ``(ii) be certified as a nurse midwife, nurse practitioner, 
        or physician assistant; or
            ``(iii) have a degree in medical laboratory science;'';
                    (B) in paragraph (1)(B), by inserting ``medical 
                laboratory science,'' after ``mental health,''; and
                    (C) in paragraph (1)(C)(ii), by inserting ``medical 
                laboratory science,'' after ``dentistry,''.

SEC. 3. MEDICAL LABORATORY PERSONNEL EDUCATION PROGRAM.

    The Public Health Service Act is amended by inserting after section 
778 (42 U.S.C. 295f-3) the following:

``SEC. 779. MEDICAL LABORATORY PERSONNEL EDUCATION PROGRAM.

    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary may make grants to, or enter into 
contracts with, eligible entities that the Secretary has determined are 
capable of carrying out such grant or contract--
            ``(1) to plan, develop, operate, or participate in an 
        accredited medical laboratory professional education program 
        that awards an associate's, bachelor's, or graduate degree or 
        certificate; and
            ``(2) to recruit, train, and develop faculty for such 
        program.
    ``(b) Priorities in Making Awards.--In awarding grants and 
contracts under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall give priority to 
eligible entities that--
            ``(1) utilize innovative approaches to clinical teaching;
            ``(2) are committed to training individuals from rural, 
        underrepresented, or disadvantaged backgrounds;
            ``(3) teach collaboration among health professionals; or
            ``(4) provide training in cultural competency and health 
        literacy.
    ``(c) Duration of Awards.--A grant or contract awarded under this 
subsection shall be for a period of 3 years.
    ``(d) Eligible Entity Defined.--In this section, the term `eligible 
entity' means an accredited nonprofit hospital, school of allied 
health, or nonprofit entity that sponsors accredited internship 
programs required for professional certification.
    ``(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section--
            ``(1) $25,000,000 for the first full fiscal year beginning 
        after the date of enactment of this Act; and
            ``(2) such sums as may be necessary for subsequent fiscal 
        years.''.
                                 <all>
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