I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3320 

To amend title VII of the Public Health Service Act to authorize assistance 

for increasing workforce diversity in the professions of physical therapy, 

occupational therapy, respiratory therapy, audiology, and speech-language 

pathology, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 18, 2021 

Mr. RUSH (for himself and Mr. MULLIN) introduced the following bill; which 

was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

A BILL 

To amend title VII of the Public Health Service Act to 

authorize assistance for increasing workforce diversity 

in the professions of physical therapy, occupational therapy, respiratory therapy, audiology, and speech-language 

pathology, 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 ‘‘Allied Health Work5 force Diversity Act of 2021’’. 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 3320 IH

1 SEC. 2. INCREASING WORKFORCE DIVERSITY IN THE PRO2 FESSIONS OF PHYSICAL THERAPY, OCCUPA3 TIONAL THERAPY, RESPIRATORY THERAPY, 

4 AUDIOLOGY, AND SPEECH-LANGUAGE PA5 THOLOGY. 

6 Title VII of the Public Health Service Act is amend7 ed— 

8 (1) by redesignating part G (42 U.S.C. 295j et 

9 seq.) as part H; and 

10 (2) by inserting after part F (42 U.S.C. 294n 

11 et seq.) the following new part: 

12 ‘‘PART G—INCREASING WORKFORCE DIVERSITY 

13 IN THE PROFESSIONS OF PHYSICAL THER14 APY, OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY, RES15 PIRATORY THERAPY, AUDIOLOGY, AND 

16 SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY 

17 ‘‘SEC. 783. SCHOLARSHIPS AND STIPENDS. 

18 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may award grants 

19 and contracts to eligible entities to increase educational 

20 opportunities in the professions of physical therapy, occu21 pational therapy, respiratory therapy, audiology, and 

22 speech-language pathology for eligible individuals by— 

23 ‘‘(1) providing student scholarships or stipends, 

24 including for— 

25 ‘‘(A) completion of an accelerated degree 

26 program; 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 3320 IH

1 ‘‘(B) completion of an associate’s, bach2 elor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree program; 

3 and 

4 ‘‘(C) entry by a diploma or associate’s de5 gree practitioner into a bridge or degree com6 pletion program; 

7 ‘‘(2) providing assistance for completion of pre8 requisite courses or other preparation necessary for 

9 acceptance for enrollment in the eligible entity; and 

10 ‘‘(3) carrying out activities to increase the re11 tention of students in one or more programs in the 

12 professions of physical therapy, occupational ther13 apy, respiratory therapy, audiology, and speech-lan14 guage pathology. 

15 ‘‘(b) CONSIDERATION OF RECOMMENDATIONS.—In 

16 carrying out subsection (a), the Secretary shall take into 

17 consideration the recommendations of national organiza18 tions representing the professions of physical therapy, oc19 cupational therapy, respiratory therapy, audiology, and 

20 speech-language pathology, including the American Phys21 ical Therapy Association, the American Occupational 

22 Therapy Association, the American Speech-Language23 Hearing Association, the American Association for Res24 piratory Care, the American Academy of Audiology, and 

25 the Academy of Doctors of Audiology. 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 3320 IH

1 ‘‘(c) REQUIRED INFORMATION AND CONDITIONS FOR

2 AWARD RECIPIENTS.— 

3 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may require 

4 recipients of awards under this section to report to 

5 the Secretary concerning the annual admission, re6 tention, and graduation rates for eligible individuals 

7 in programs of the recipient leading to a degree in 

8 any of the professions of physical therapy, occupa9 tional therapy, respiratory therapy, audiology, and 

10 speech-language pathology. 

11 ‘‘(2) FALLING RATES.—If any of the rates re12 ported by a recipient under paragraph (1) fall below 

13 the average for such recipient over the two years 

14 preceding the year covered by the report, the recipi15 ent shall provide the Secretary with plans for imme16 diately improving such rates. 

17 ‘‘(3) INELIGIBILITY.—A recipient described in 

18 paragraph (2) shall be ineligible for continued fund19 ing under this section if the plan of the recipient 

20 fails to improve the rates within the 1-year period 

21 beginning on the date such plan is implemented. 

22 ‘‘(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

23 ‘‘(1) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—The term ‘eligible 

24 entity’ means an education program that— 

25 ‘‘(A) is accredited by— 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
5 

•HR 3320 IH

1 ‘‘(i) the Council on Academic Accredi2 tation in Audiology and Speech-Language 

3 Pathology or the Accreditation Commission 

4 for Audiology Education; 

5 ‘‘(ii) the Commission on Accreditation 

6 in Physical Therapy Education; 

7 ‘‘(iii) the Accreditation Council for 

8 Occupational Therapy Education; or 

9 ‘‘(iv) the Commission on Accreditation 

10 for Respiratory Care; and 

11 ‘‘(B) is carrying out a program for recruit12 ing and retaining students underrepresented in 

13 the professions of physical therapy, occupa14 tional therapy, respiratory therapy, audiology, 

15 and speech-language pathology (including racial 

16 or ethnic minorities, or students from disadvan17 taged backgrounds). 

18 ‘‘(2) ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUAL.—The term ‘eligible 

19 individual’ means an individual who— 

20 ‘‘(A) is a member of a class of persons who 

21 are underrepresented in the professions of phys22 ical therapy, occupational therapy, respiratory 

23 therapy, audiology, and speech-language pathol24 ogy, including individuals who are— 

25 ‘‘(i) racial or ethnic minorities; 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
6 

•HR 3320 IH

1 ‘‘(ii) from disadvantaged backgrounds; 

2 or 

3 ‘‘(iii) individuals with a disability (as 

4 defined in section 3(1) of the Americans 

5 with Disabilities Act of 1990), or who have 

6 an individualized education program (as 

7 defined in section 602 of the Individuals 

8 with Disabilities Education Act), are cov9 ered under section 504 of the Rehabilita10 tion Act of 1973, or have other documenta11 tion establishing the student’s disability 

12 (as such term is defined in section 3(1) of 

13 the Americans with Disabilities Act of 

14 1990); 

15 ‘‘(B) has a financial need for a scholarship 

16 or stipend; and 

17 ‘‘(C) is enrolled (or accepted for enroll18 ment) at an audiology, speech-language pathol19 ogy, respiratory therapy, physical therapy, or 

20 occupational therapy program as a full-time 

21 student at an eligible entity. 

22 ‘‘(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

23 is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 

24 $8,000,000 for the first fiscal year commencing after the 

25 date of enactment of the Allied Health Workforce DiverVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:30 Jun 22, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3320.IH H3320

kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
7 

•HR 3320 IH

1 sity Act of 2021 and each of the 4 succeeding fiscal 

2 years.’’. 

Æ 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS