II 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 3022 

To amend the Indian Health Care Improvement Act to allow Indian Health 

Service scholarship and loan recipients to fulfill service obligations 

through half-time clinical practice, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

OCTOBER 4, 2023 

Ms. CORTEZ MASTO (for herself and Mr. MULLIN) introduced the following 

bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs 

A BILL 

To amend the Indian Health Care Improvement Act to allow 

Indian Health Service scholarship and loan recipients 

to fulfill service obligations through half-time clinical 

practice, 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 ‘‘IHS Workforce Parity 

5 Act of 2023’’. 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
2 

•S 3022 IS

1 SEC. 2. INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE SCHOLARSHIP AND LOAN 

2 RECIPIENTS. 

3 (a) INDIAN HEALTH PROFESSIONS SCHOLAR4 SHIPS.—Section 104(b)(3) of the Indian Health Care Im5 provement Act (25 U.S.C. 1613a(b)(3)) is amended by 

6 striking the paragraph designation and all that follows 

7 through the end of subparagraph (A) and inserting the 

8 following: 

9 ‘‘(3)(A) The active duty service obligation under a 

10 written contract with the Secretary under section 338A 

11 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254l) that 

12 an individual has entered into under that section shall, 

13 if that individual is a recipient of an Indian Health Schol14 arship— 

15 ‘‘(i) be met by full-time (as defined in section 

16 331(j) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 

17 254d(j))) practice— 

18 ‘‘(I) in the Service; 

19 ‘‘(II) in a program conducted under a con20 tract entered into under the Indian Self-Deter21 mination and Education Assistance Act (25 

22 U.S.C. 5301 et seq.); 

23 ‘‘(III) in a program assisted under title V; 

24 or 

25 ‘‘(IV) in the private practice of the applica26 ble profession if, as determined by the SecVerDate Sep 11 2014 03:24 Oct 07, 2023 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3022.IS S3022

kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
3 

•S 3022 IS

1 retary, in accordance with guidelines issued by 

2 the Secretary, the practice— 

3 ‘‘(aa) is situated in a physician or 

4 other health professional shortage area; 

5 and 

6 ‘‘(bb) addresses the health care needs 

7 of a substantial number of Indians; or 

8 ‘‘(ii) be met by half-time (as defined in section 

9 331(j) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 

10 254d(j))) practice in a program described in any of 

11 subclauses (I) through (IV) of clause (i) if the indi12 vidual agrees, in writing— 

13 ‘‘(I) to double the period of obligated serv14 ice that would otherwise be required; or 

15 ‘‘(II) accept a minimum service obligation 

16 of 2 years with an award amount equal to 50 

17 percent of the amount that would otherwise be 

18 payable for full-time (as so defined) service.’’. 

19 (b) INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE LOAN REPAYMENT

20 PROGRAM.—Section 108(f)(1)(B) of the Indian Health 

21 Care Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 1616a(f)(1)(B)) is 

22 amended by striking clause (iii) and inserting the fol23 lowing: 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
4 

•S 3022 IS

1 ‘‘(iii) to serve for a period of time (re2 ferred to in this section as the ‘period of 

3 obligated service’) equal to— 

4 ‘‘(I) 2 years, or a longer period 

5 of time as the individual may agree to 

6 serve, in the full-time (as defined in 

7 section 331(j) of the Public Health 

8 Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254d(j))) clin9 ical practice of the profession of the 

10 individual in an Indian health pro11 gram to which the individual may be 

12 assigned by the Secretary; or 

13 ‘‘(II)(aa) 4 years, or a longer pe14 riod of time as the individual may 

15 agree to serve, in the half-time (as de16 fined in that section) clinical practice 

17 of the profession of the individual in 

18 an Indian health program to which 

19 the individual may be assigned by the 

20 Secretary; or 

21 ‘‘(bb) not less than 2 years in the 

22 half-time (as so defined) clinical prac23 tice of the profession of the individual 

24 in an Indian health program to which 

25 the individual may be assigned by the 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
5 

•S 3022 IS

1 Secretary with a loan payment 

2 amount equal to 50 percent of the 

3 amount that would otherwise be pay4 able for full-time (as so defined) serv5 ice;’’. 

Æ 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB