IB 

Union Calendar No. 155 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3320 

[Report No. 117–214] 

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 

DECEMBER 8, 2021 

Additional sponsors: Mrs. AXNE, Ms. BARRAGA ́N, Mrs. BEATTY, Ms. 

BONAMICI, Mr. FITZPATRICK, Mr. GRIJALVA, Ms. KELLY of Illinois, Mr. 

KRISHNAMOORTHI, Ms. SEWELL, Mr. COHEN, Ms. PINGREE, Mr. 

CLEAVER, Ms. DEAN, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Mr. EVANS, Mr. DOGGETT, Mr. 

TONKO, Mr. SOTO, Mr. CASTRO of Texas, Mr. SUOZZI, Mr. THOMPSON

of Mississippi, Mr. PAPPAS, Mr. YARMUTH, Ms. ROSS, Mr. MALINOWSKI, 

Mr. GOTTHEIMER, Mr. KAHELE, Mr. TRONE, Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York, Mr. COLE, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Ms. UNDERWOOD, Ms. 

WILD, Ms. MANNING, Mr. ALLRED, Ms. HERRERA BEUTLER, Ms. 

BLUNT ROCHESTER, Ms. DEGETTE, Mr. QUIGLEY, Miss GONZA ́LEZCOLO ́N, and Ms. WILLIAMS of Georgia 


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DECEMBER 8, 2021 

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 

House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 

[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on May 18, 2021] 

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. 


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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 Workforce 

5 Diversity Act of 2021’’. 

6 SEC. 2. INCREASING WORKFORCE DIVERSITY IN THE PRO7 FESSIONS OF PHYSICAL THERAPY, OCCUPA8 TIONAL THERAPY, RESPIRATORY THERAPY, 

9 AUDIOLOGY, AND SPEECH-LANGUAGE PA10 THOLOGY. 

11 Title VII of the Public Health Service Act is amend12 ed— 

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

14 seq.) as part H; and 

15 (2) by inserting after part F (42 U.S.C. 295h) 

16 the following new part: 

17 ‘‘PART G—INCREASING WORKFORCE DIVERSITY 

18 IN THE PROFESSIONS OF PHYSICAL THER19 APY, OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY, RES20 PIRATORY THERAPY, AUDIOLOGY, AND 

21 SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY 

22 ‘‘SEC. 783. SCHOLARSHIPS AND STIPENDS. 

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

24 and contracts to eligible entities to increase educational op25 portunities in the professions of physical therapy, occupaVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:10 Dec 09, 2021 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\H3320.RH H3320

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1 tional therapy, respiratory therapy, audiology, and speech2 language pathology for eligible individuals by— 

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

4 including for— 

5 ‘‘(A) completion of an accelerated degree 

6 program; 

7 ‘‘(B) completion of an associate’s, bachelor’s, 

8 master’s, or doctoral degree program; and 

9 ‘‘(C) entry by a diploma or associate’s de10 gree practitioner into a bridge or degree comple11 tion program; 

12 ‘‘(2) providing assistance for completion of pre13 requisite courses or other preparation necessary for 

14 acceptance for enrollment in the eligible entity; and 

15 ‘‘(3) carrying out activities to increase the reten16 tion of students in one or more programs in the pro17 fessions of physical therapy, occupational therapy, 

18 respiratory therapy, audiology, and speech-language 

19 pathology. 

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

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

22 consideration the recommendations of national organiza23 tions representing the professions of physical therapy, occu24 pational therapy, respiratory therapy, audiology, and 

25 speech-language pathology, including the American PhysVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:10 Dec 09, 2021 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\H3320.RH H3320

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1 ical Therapy Association, the American Occupational Ther2 apy Association, the American Speech-Language-Hearing 

3 Association, the American Association for Respiratory 

4 Care, the American Academy of Audiology, and the Acad5 emy of Doctors of Audiology. 

6 ‘‘(c) REQUIRED INFORMATION AND CONDITIONS FOR

7 AWARD RECIPIENTS.— 

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

9 recipients of awards under this section to report to 

10 the Secretary concerning the annual admission, reten11 tion, and graduation rates for eligible individuals in 

12 programs of the recipient leading to a degree in any 

13 of the professions of physical therapy, occupational 

14 therapy, respiratory therapy, audiology, and speech15 language pathology. 

16 ‘‘(2) FALLING RATES.—If any of the rates re17 ported by a recipient under paragraph (1) fall below 

18 the average for such recipient over the two years pre19 ceding the year covered by the report, the recipient 

20 shall provide the Secretary with plans for imme21 diately improving such rates. 

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

23 paragraph (2) shall be ineligible for continued fund24 ing under this section if the plan of the recipient fails 


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1 to improve the rates within the 1-year period begin2 ning on the date such plan is implemented. 

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

4 ‘‘(1) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—The term ‘eligible en5 tity’ means an accredited education program that is 

6 carrying out a program for recruiting and retaining 

7 students underrepresented in the professions of phys8 ical therapy, occupational therapy, respiratory ther9 apy, audiology, and speech-language pathology (in10 cluding racial or ethnic minorities, or students from 

11 disadvantaged backgrounds). 

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

13 individual’ means an individual who— 

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

15 are underrepresented in the professions of phys16 ical therapy, occupational therapy, respiratory 

17 therapy, audiology, and speech-language pathol18 ogy, including individuals who are— 

19 ‘‘(i) racial or ethnic minorities; 

20 ‘‘(ii) from disadvantaged backgrounds; 

21 or 

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

23 defined in section 3(1) of the Americans 

24 with Disabilities Act of 1990), or who have 

25 an individualized education program (as 


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1 defined in section 602 of the Individuals 

2 with Disabilities Education Act), are cov3 ered under section 504 of the Rehabilitation 

4 Act of 1973, or have other documentation 

5 establishing the student’s disability (as such 

6 term is defined in section 3(1) of the Ameri7 cans with Disabilities Act of 1990); 

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

9 or stipend; and 

10 ‘‘(C) is enrolled (or accepted for enrollment) 

11 at an audiology, speech-language pathology, res12 piratory therapy, physical therapy, or occupa13 tional therapy program as a full-time student at 

14 an eligible entity. 

15 ‘‘(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

16 authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 

17 $8,000,000 for the first fiscal year commencing after the 

18 date of enactment of the Allied Health Workforce Diversity 

19 Act of 2021 and each of the 4 succeeding fiscal years.’’. 

20 SEC. 3. ELIGIBILITY CLARIFICATION REGARDING STU21 DENTS SUPPORTED THROUGH MENTAL AND 

22 BEHAVIORAL HEALTH EDUCATION AND 

23 TRAINING GRANTS. 

24 Section 756(a)(1) of the Public Health Service Act (42 

25 U.S.C. 294e–1(a)(1)) is amended by inserting after ‘‘occuVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:10 Dec 09, 2021 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\H3320.RH H3320

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1 pational therapy’’ the following: ‘‘(which may include mas2 ter’s and doctoral level programs)’’. 


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Union Calendar No. 155 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3320 

[Report No. 117–214] 

A BILL 

To amend title VII of the Public Health Service 

for other purposes. audiology, and speech-language pathology, and apy, occupational therapy, respiratory therapy, force diversity in the professions of physical therAct to authorize assistance for increasing workDECEMBER 8, 2021 

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Comand ordered to be printed mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, 


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