II 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1206 

To establish and carry out a pediatric specialty loan repayment program. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 8, 2009 

Mr. BROWN (for himself, Mr. DODD, and Mr. CASEY) introduced the following 

bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 

A BILL 

To establish and carry out a pediatric specialty loan 

repayment program. 

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 ‘‘Pediatric Workforce 

5 Investment Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. INVESTMENT IN TOMORROW’S PEDIATRIC SPE7 CIALTY WORKFORCE. 

8 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of Health and 

9 Human Services (referred to in this section as the ‘‘Sec10 retary’’), acting through the Administrator of the Health 


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1 Resources and Services Administration, shall establish and 

2 carry out a pediatric specialty loan repayment program 

3 under which the eligible individual agrees to be employed 

4 full-time for a specified period (which shall not be less 

5 than 2 years) in providing pediatric medical subspecialty, 

6 surgical specialty, or psychiatric subspecialty care. 

7 (b) PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION.—Through the pro8 gram established under this section, the Secretary shall 

9 enter into contracts with qualified health professionals 

10 under which— 

11 (1) such qualified health professionals will agree 

12 to provide pediatric medical subspecialty, surgical 

13 specialty, or psychiatric subspecialty care in an area 

14 with a shortage of the specified pediatric sub15 specialty that has a sufficient pediatric population to 

16 support such pediatric subspecialty, as determined 

17 by the Secretary, and 

18 (2) the Secretary agrees to make payments on 

19 the principal and interest of undergraduate or grad20 uate medical education loans of professionals de21 scribed in paragraph (1) of not more than $35,000 

22 a year for each year of agreed upon service under 

23 such paragraph for a period of not more than 3 

24 years during the qualified health professional’s— 


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1 (A) participation in an accredited pediatric 

2 medical subspecialty, surgical specialty, or psy3 chiatry subspecialty residency or fellowship; or 

4 (B) employment as a pediatric medical 

5 subspecialist, surgical specialist, or psychiatric 

6 subspecialist serving an area or population de7 scribed in such paragraph. 

8 (c) QUALIFIED HEALTH PROFESSIONAL.—For pur9 poses of this section, the term ‘‘qualified health profes10 sional’’ means a licensed physician who— 

11 (1) is entering or receiving training in an ac12 credited pediatric medical subspecialty or pediatric 

13 surgical specialty residency or fellowship, or 

14 (2) has completed (but not prior to the end of 

15 the calendar year in which this Act is enacted) the 

16 training described in paragraph (1). 

17 (d) ADDITIONAL ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENT.—The 

18 Secretary may not enter into a contract under this section 

19 with a qualified health professional unless the individual 

20 is a United States citizen or a permanent legal United 

21 States resident. 

22 (e) DETERMINATION OF SHORTAGE AREAS.—For 

23 purposes of this section, an area shall be determined to 

24 be an area with a shortage of a specified pediatric sub25 specialty based on— 


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1 (1) waiting times for patient care; 

2 (2) recruitment for unfilled positions; or 

3 (3) the ratio of the number of children who re4 side in the area who are in need of such pediatric 

5 subspecialty care to the number of pediatric sub6 specialists furnishing such services within 100 miles 

7 of the area. 

8 (f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

9 authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 

10 $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2010 through 2014. 

Æ 


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