I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 9870 

To improve the provision of benefits and services to members of the Ready 

Reserve Corps of the Public Health Service, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 27, 2024 

Mr. LANDSMAN (for himself and Ms. BLUNT ROCHESTER) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services, and 

in addition to the Committees on Oversight and Accountability, Veterans’ 

Affairs, and Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 

as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To improve the provision of benefits and services to members 

of the Ready Reserve Corps of the Public Health Service, 

and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Parity for Public 

5 Health Service Ready Reserve Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE READY RESERVE CORPS 

2 (PHS RRC). 

3 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Section 10141 of title 10, 

4 United States Code, is amended— 

5 (1) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘in each 

6 armed force’’ and inserting ‘‘in each uniformed serv7 ice’’; and 

8 (2) in subsection (c), striking ‘‘the same for all 

9 armed forces’’ and inserting ‘‘the same for all re10 serve components of the uniformed services’’. 

11 (b) ORGANIZATION AND UNIT STRUCTURE.—Section 

12 10143(b) of title 10, United States Code, is amended— 

13 (1) in paragraph (1)— 

14 (A) by inserting ‘‘and the Public Health 

15 Service Ready Reserve Corps’’ after ‘‘other than 

16 the Coast Guard’’; and 

17 (B) by striking ‘‘war plans; and’’ and in18 serting ‘‘war plans;’’; 

19 (2) in paragraph (2), by striking the period at 

20 the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

21 (3) by adding at the end the following new 

22 paragraph: 

23 ‘‘(3) in the case of the Public Health Service 

24 Ready Reserve Corps, by the Secretary of Health 

25 and Human Services upon the recommendation of 

26 the Assistant Secretary for Health.’’. 


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1 (c) PLACEMENT IN READY RESERVES.—Section 

2 10145(a) of title 10, United States Code, is amended by 

3 striking ‘‘Ready Reserve of his armed force for his pre4 scribed term of service, unless he is transferred’’ and in5 serting ‘‘Ready Reserve of the reserve component of the 

6 member’s uniformed service for his or her prescribed term 

7 of service, unless such member is transferred’’. 

8 (d) STANDBY RESERVES.— 

9 (1) TRANSFERS TO.—Section 10146 of title 10, 

10 United States Code, is amended— 

11 (A) in subsection (a), by inserting ‘‘and 

12 the Secretary of Health and Human Services 

13 with respect to Public Health Service Ready 

14 Reserve Corps’’ after ‘‘operating as a service in 

15 the Navy’’; and 

16 (B) in subsection (b), by inserting ‘‘or the 

17 Secretary of Health and Human Services, as 

18 the case may be,’’ after ‘‘prescribed by the Sec19 retary concerned’’. 

20 (2) TRANSFERS FROM.—Section 10150 of title 

21 10, United States Code, is amended by inserting 

22 ‘‘and the Secretary of Health and Human Services 

23 with respect to Public Health Service Ready Reserve 

24 Corps’’ after ‘‘operating as a service in the Navy’’. 


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1 (3) TRAINING REQUIREMENTS.—Section 

2 10147(a) of title 10, United States Code, is amend3 ed— 

4 (A) by striking ‘‘in an armed force’’ and 

5 inserting ‘‘in a uniformed service’’; and 

6 (B) by inserting ‘‘and the Secretary of 

7 Health and Human Services with respect to 

8 Public Health Service Ready Reserve Corps’’ 

9 after ‘‘operating as a service in the Navy’’. 

10 (4) FAILURE TO SATISFACTORILY PERFORM

11 PRESCRIBED TRAINING.—Section 10148(a) of title 

12 10, United States Code, is amended by inserting ‘‘or 

13 the Secretary of Health and Human Services with 

14 respect to Public Health Service Ready Reserve 

15 Corps’’ after ‘‘Secretary of Defense’’. 

16 (e) INACTIVE STATUS LIST.—Section 10152 of title 

17 10, United States Code, is amended by striking ‘‘armed 

18 force’’ and inserting ‘‘uniformed service’’. 

19 (f) TECHNICAL AND CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 

20 (1) AUTHORIZED END STRENGTH OF THE

21 READY RESERVES OF THE ARMED FORCES.—Section 

22 10142 of title 10, United States Code, is amended 

23 by inserting ‘‘of the armed forces’’ after ‘‘Ready Re24 serve’’ both places it appears. 


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1 (2) CONTINUOUS SCREENING PROVISIONS AP2 PLICABLE TO ARMED FORCES.—Section 10149 of 

3 title 10, United States Code, is amended— 

4 (A) in subsection (a), by inserting ‘‘or, in 

5 the case of the Public Health Service Ready Re6 serve Corps, the Secretary of Health and 

7 Human Services,’’ after ‘‘Secretary concerned’’; 

8 and 

9 (B) in subsection (b)(2)(A), by inserting 

10 ‘‘or, in the case of a Member of Congress who 

11 also is a member of the Public Health Service 

12 Ready Reserve Corps, the Secretary of Health 

13 and Human Services’’ after ‘‘operating as a 

14 service in the Navy’’. 

15 (3) COMPOSITION OF STANDBY RESERVES OF

16 ARMED FORCES.—Section 10151 of title 10, United 

17 States Code, is amended by inserting ‘‘of the armed 

18 forces’’ after ‘‘The Standby Reserve’’. 

19 SEC. 3. DUAL COMPENSATION PARITY FOR READY RE20 SERVE CORPS OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH SERV21 ICE. 

22 (a) DUAL EMPLOYMENT.—Section 5534 of title 5, 

23 United States Code, is amended— 


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1 (1) by inserting ‘‘, a member of the Ready Re2 serve Corps of the Public Health Service,’’ after 

3 ‘‘armed forces’’; and 

4 (2) by inserting ‘‘, member of the Ready Re5 serve Corps,’’ after ‘‘allowances as a Reserve’’. 

6 (b) UNIFORMED SERVICE LEAVE.— 

7 (1) IN GENERAL.—Section 6323 of title 5, 

8 United States Code, is amended— 

9 (A) in the section heading, by striking 

10 ‘‘Military leave; Reserves and Na11 tional Guardsmen’’ and inserting ‘‘Uni12 formed services leave’’; 

13 (B) in subsection (b)— 

14 (i) in paragraph (1)— 

15 (I) by striking ‘‘or the National 

16 Guard’’ and inserting the following: 

17 ‘‘the National Guard’’; and 

18 (II) by inserting ‘‘, or the Ready 

19 Reserve Corps of the Public Health 

20 Service’’ after ‘‘of title 32’’; and 

21 (ii) in paragraph (2)— 

22 (I) in subparagraph (A)(ii), by 

23 striking ‘‘or’’ at the end; 


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1 (II) in subparagraph (B), by in2 serting ‘‘or’’ after the semicolon at the 

3 end; and 

4 (III) by inserting after subpara5 graph (B) the following: 

6 ‘‘(C) in the case of a member of the Ready Re7 serve Corps of the Public Health Service, performs 

8 services as a result of a deployment to respond to an 

9 urgent or emergency public health need, as defined 

10 in section 203A(a) of the Public Health Service Act 

11 (42 U.S.C. 204a(a));’’; and 

12 (C) by adding at the end the following: 

13 ‘‘(e)(1) Subject to paragraph (2) of this subsection, 

14 an employee as defined by section 2105 of this title or 

15 an individual employed by the Government of the District 

16 of Columbia is entitled to leave without loss in pay, time, 

17 or performance or efficiency rating for active duty or inac18 tive-duty training (as defined in section 101 of title 37) 

19 as a member of the Ready Reserve Corps of the Public 

20 Health Service. Leave under this subsection accrues for 

21 an employee or individual at the rate of 15 days per fiscal 

22 year and, to the extent that it is not used in a fiscal year, 

23 accumulates for use in the succeeding fiscal year until it 

24 totals 15 days at the beginning of a fiscal year. 


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1 ‘‘(2) In the case of an employee or individual em2 ployed on a part-time career employment basis (as defined 

3 in section 3401(2) of this title), the rate at which leave 

4 accrues under this subsection shall be a percentage of the 

5 rate prescribed under paragraph (1) which is determined 

6 by dividing 40 into the number of hours in the regularly 

7 scheduled workweek of that employee or individual during 

8 that fiscal year. 

9 ‘‘(3) The minimum charge for leave under this sub10 section is one hour, and additional charges are in multiples 

11 thereof.’’. 

12 (2) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The table of 

13 sections for chapter 63 of title 5, United States 

14 Code, is amended by striking the item relating to 

15 section 6323 and inserting the following: 

‘‘6323. Uniformed services leave.’’. 

16 SEC. 4. CLARIFICATION OF ENTITLEMENT TO POST-9/11 

17 EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE FOR SERVICE ON 

18 ACTIVE DUTY IN THE UNIFORMED SERVICES. 

19 (a) CLARIFICATION.—Section 3301(1) of title 38, 

20 United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 

21 following new subparagraphs: 

22 ‘‘(D) In the case of members of the regular 

23 components of the Commissioned Corps of the 

24 Public Health Service, the meaning given such 

25 term in section 101(21)(B). 


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1 ‘‘(E) In the case of members of the reserve 

2 component of the Commissioned Corps of the 

3 Public Health Service, service on active duty 

4 under a call or order to active duty under sub5 paragraph (B), (C), or (D) of section 203(c)(2) 

6 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 

7 204(c)(2)) or section 216 of such Act (42 

8 U.S.C. 217).’’. 

9 (b) ADDITIONAL CLARIFICATION.—Section 3311 of 

10 such title is amended— 

11 (1) in the section heading by striking ‘‘in the 

12 Armed Forces’’ and inserting ‘‘in the uni13 formed services’’; 

14 (2) in subsection (b), in paragraphs (1) through 

15 (11), by striking ‘‘Armed Forces’’ each place it ap16 pears and inserting ‘‘uniformed services’’; 

17 (3) in subsection (c), by striking ‘‘Armed 

18 Forces’’ each place it appears and inserting ‘‘uni19 formed services’’; 

20 (4) in subsection (d)(3)(A), by striking ‘‘Armed 

21 Forces’’ and inserting ‘‘uniformed services’’; and 

22 (5) in subsection (f)(4)(B)(ii), by striking 

23 ‘‘Armed Forces’’ and inserting ‘‘uniformed services’’. 


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1 (c) APPLICABILITY.—The amendments made by sub2 sections (a) and (b) shall apply with respect to service oc3 curring on or after March 27, 2020. 

4 (d) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 

5 at the beginning of chapter 33 of such title is amended 

6 by striking the item relating to section 3311 and inserting 

7 the following new item: 

‘‘3311. Educational assistance for service in the uniformed services commencing 

on or after September 11, 2001: entitlement.’’. 

8 (e) TECHNICAL CORRECTION.—Section 101 of such 

9 title is amended, in paragraphs (21) through (23), by 

10 striking ‘‘Reserve Corps of the Public Health Service’’ 

11 each place it appears and inserting ‘‘Ready Reserve Corps 

12 of the Public Health Service’’. 

13 SEC. 5. EXTENSION OF CERTAIN EDUCATIONAL BENEFITS 

14 TO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH SERV15 ICE READY RESERVE CORPS. 

16 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 16131 of title 10, United 

17 States Code, is amended— 

18 (1) in subsection (a)— 

19 (A) by striking ‘‘each military department’’ 

20 and inserting ‘‘the reserve component of that 

21 Secretary’s uniformed service’’; 

22 (B) by striking ‘‘and’’ after ‘‘Secretary of 

23 Defense,’’; 


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1 (C) by inserting ‘‘, and the Secretary of 

2 Health and Human Services with respect to the 

3 Public Health Service Ready Reserve Corps,’’ 

4 after ‘‘Navy’’; and 

5 (D) by striking ‘‘of the armed forces under 

6 the jurisdiction of the Secretary concerned’’ and 

7 inserting ‘‘of the uniformed services under the 

8 jurisdiction of such Secretary’’; 

9 (2) in subsection (b)(1), by inserting ‘‘or the 

10 Secretary of Health and Human Services, as the 

11 case may be’’ after ‘‘Secretary concerned’’; 

12 (3) in subsection (c)(3)(B)(i), by inserting ‘‘or 

13 section 203 of the Public Health Service Act (42 

14 U.S.C. 204(a)(4))’’ after ‘‘of this title’’; 

15 (4) in subsection (g)(2)(A), by inserting ‘‘or the 

16 Secretary of Health and Human Services, as the 

17 case may be’’ after ‘‘Secretary concerned’’; and 

18 (5) in subsection (i)— 

19 (A) by inserting ‘‘or the Secretary of 

20 Health and Human Services, as the case may 

21 be,’’ after ‘‘Secretary of Defense’’ each place it 

22 appears; and 

23 (B) by inserting ‘‘or the Secretary of 

24 Health and Human Services, as the case may 


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1 be,’’ after ‘‘Secretary concerned’’ each place it 

2 appears. 

3 (b) ELIGIBILITY.—Section 16132(c) of title 10, 

4 United States Code, is amended by inserting ‘‘or the Sec5 retary of Health and Human Services, as the case may 

6 be,’’ after ‘‘Secretary of Defense’’. 

7 (c) AUTHORITY TO TRANSFER UNUSED EDUCATION

8 BENEFITS TO FAMILY MEMBERS.—Section 16132a of 

9 title 10, United States Code, is amended— 

10 (1) in subsection (a), by inserting ‘‘or the Sec11 retary of Health and Human Services, as the case 

12 may be,’’ after ‘‘Secretary concerned’’; 

13 (2) in subsection (b)(1), by striking ‘‘member of 

14 the armed forces’’ and inserting ‘‘member of the re15 serve component of such member’s uniformed serv16 ice’’; 

17 (3) in subsection (d), by inserting ‘‘and the Sec18 retary of Health and Human Services’’ after ‘‘Sec19 retary of Defense’’; 

20 (4) in subsection (f)(2), by inserting ‘‘or the 

21 Secretary of Health and Human Services, as the 

22 case may be,’’ after ‘‘Secretary concerned’’; 

23 (5) in subsection (g), by striking ‘‘armed 

24 forces’’ and inserting ‘‘uniformed services’’ both 

25 places it appears; 


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1 (6) in subsection (h)(5)(B)— 

2 (A) by inserting ‘‘or the Secretary of 

3 Health and Human Services, as the case may 

4 be,’’ after ‘‘Secretary concerned’’; and 

5 (B) by inserting ‘‘or a member of the Pub6 lic Health Service Commissioned Corps, as the 

7 case may be’’ after ‘‘enlisted member’’; and 

8 (7) in subsection (j), by inserting ‘‘and the Sec9 retary of Health and Human Services’’ after ‘‘Sec10 retary of Defense’’. 

11 (d) FAILURE TO PARTICIPATE SATISFACTORILY; 

12 PENALTIES.—Section 16135(a) of title 10, United States 

13 Code, is amended— 

14 (1) by inserting ‘‘or the Secretary of Health 

15 and Human Services, as the case may be’’ after 

16 ‘‘Secretary concerned’’; and 

17 (2) by striking ‘‘of an armed force’’ and insert18 ing ‘‘of a uniformed service’’. 

19 (e) ADMINISTRATION OF THE PROGRAM.—Section 

20 16136(a) of title 10, United States Code, is amended— 

21 (1) by striking ‘‘and by the Secretary of Home22 land Security’’ and inserting ‘‘by the Secretary of 

23 Homeland Security, and by the Secretary of Health 

24 and Human Services’’; and 


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1 (2) by inserting ‘‘or the Secretary of Health 

2 and Human Services, as the case may be,’’ after 

3 ‘‘Secretary concerned’’. 

4 (f) APPLICABILITY.—The amendments made by sub5 sections (a) through (e) shall apply with respect to service 

6 occurring on or after March 27, 2020. 

7 SEC. 6. ADDITIONAL RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES. 

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 221(a) of the Public 

9 Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 213a(a)) is amended by 

10 adding at the end the following: 

11 ‘‘(22) Chapter 40, Leave, except that section 

12 701(b) shall be applied and administered by sub13 stituting ‘120 days’ leave’ for ‘60 days’ leave’. 

14 ‘‘(23) Section 982, Members: service on State 

15 and local juries. 

16 ‘‘(24) Section 1145, Health benefits. 

17 ‘‘(25) Section 1076a, TRICARE dental pro18 gram. 

19 ‘‘(26) Section 1076d, TRICARE program: 

20 TRICARE Reserve Select coverage for members of 

21 the Selected Reserve. 

22 ‘‘(27) Section 1076e, TRICARE program: 

23 TRICARE Retired Reserve coverage for certain 

24 members of the Retired Reserve who are qualified 

25 for a non-regular retirement but are not yet age 60. 


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1 ‘‘(28) Section 1057, Use of armed forces insig2 nia on State license plates. 

3 ‘‘(29) Section 1094, Licensure requirement for 

4 health-care professionals. 

5 ‘‘(30) Section 987, Terms of consumer credit 

6 extended to members and dependents: limitations. 

7 ‘‘(31) Section 1074, Medical and dental care for 

8 members and certain former members. 

9 ‘‘(32) Section 1074a, Medical and dental care: 

10 members on duty other than active duty for a period 

11 of more than 30 days.’’. 

12 (b) REPEAL.—Section 219 of the Public Health Serv13 ice Act (42 U.S.C. 210–1) is repealed. 

14 SEC. 7. EXPANSION OF RESERVE FORCES POLICY BOARD 

15 TO INCLUDE REPRESENTATION OF PUBLIC 

16 HEALTH SERVICE. 

17 Section 10301(c) of title 10, United States Code, is 

18 amended— 

19 (1) in the matter before paragraph (1), by 

20 striking ‘‘20 members’’ and inserting ‘‘21 mem21 bers’’; and 

22 (2) by adding at the end the following new 

23 paragraph: 

24 ‘‘(9) One active or retired officer of the Ready 

25 Reserve Corps of the Public Health Service CommisVerDate Sep 11 2014 04:46 Oct 17, 2024 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00015 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H9870.IH H9870

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1 sioned Corps or one civilian, appointed by the Sec2 retary of Health and Human Services.’’. 

3 SEC. 8. FUNDING OF READY RESERVE CORPS. 

4 Section 203(d) of the Public Health Service Act (42 

5 U.S.C. 204(d)) is amended by striking ‘‘$12,500,000 for 

6 each of fiscal years 2010 through 2014’’ and inserting 

7 ‘‘$13,600,000 for each of fiscal years 2024 and 2025’’. 

Æ 


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