I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2274 
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to improve education 
opportunities for physician assistants, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 29, 2021 
Ms. BASS (for herself and Mr. TRONE) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor 
A BILL 
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to improve 
education opportunities for physician assistants, and for 
other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Physician Assistant 
Higher Education Modernization Act of 2021’’. 
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SEC. 2. REINSTATEMENT OF AUTHORITY TO MAKE FED-
ERAL DIRECT SUBSIDIZED STAFFORD LOANS 
TO 
PHYSICIAN 
ASSISTANTS 
AND 
OTHER 
GRADUATE 
HEALTH 
PROFESSIONS 
STU-
DENTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 455(a)(3) of the Higher 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087e(a)(3)) is amend-
ed by striking subparagraph (B) and inserting the fol-
lowing new subparagraph: 
‘‘(B) 
EXCEPTIONS.—Subparagraph 
(A) 
shall not apply to— 
‘‘(i) an individual enrolled in course 
work specified in paragraph (3)(B) or 
(4)(B) of 484(b); or 
‘‘(ii) a graduate student in a— 
‘‘(I) physician assistant education 
program (as defined in section 799B 
of the Public Health Service Act (42 
U.S.C. 295p)); or 
‘‘(II) any other health professions 
program, as determined by the Sec-
retary.’’. 
(b) INAPPLICABILITY
OF TITLE IV NEGOTIATED 
RULEMAKING
AND MASTER CALENDAR EXCEPTION.— 
Sections 482(c) and 492 of the Higher Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1089(c), 1098a) shall not apply to the 
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amendments made by this section, or to any regulations 
promulgated under those amendments. 
SEC. 3. MAKING PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS ELIGIBLE FOR IN-
CENTIVES WHEN SERVING AS PRIMARY CARE 
PROVIDERS OR FACULTY MEMBERS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 428K of the Higher Edu-
cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1078–11) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (b), by adding at the end the 
following: 
‘‘(19) PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS.—The individual 
is a physician assistant employed full-time— 
‘‘(A) as a physician assistant in a clinical 
setting providing primary care services; or 
‘‘(B) as a member of the physician assist-
ant faculty at a physician assistant education 
program (as defined in section 799B of the 
Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 295p)).’’; 
(2) in subsection (g), by adding at the end the 
following: 
‘‘(11) PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT.—The term ‘phy-
sician assistant’ means an individual who— 
‘‘(A) graduated from a physician assistant 
education program (as defined in section 799B 
of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
295p)); 
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‘‘(B) is certified as a physician assistant by 
the National Commission on the Certification of 
Physician Assistants or any successor organiza-
tion; and 
‘‘(C) either— 
‘‘(i) holds a valid and unrestricted li-
cense to practice medicine as a physician 
assistant in the State in which the physi-
cian assistant practices in a clinical set-
ting; or 
‘‘(ii) is qualified for licensure in the 
State where the individual is employed as 
a full-time physician assistant faculty 
member of a physician assistant education 
program (as defined in section 799B of the 
Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
295p)).’’; and 
(3) in subsection (h), by striking ‘‘fiscal year 
2009’’ and inserting ‘‘fiscal year 2022’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
this section shall apply with respect to employment occur-
ring on or after the date of the enactment of this Act. 
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SEC. 4. GRANT ELIGIBILITY FOR PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT 
PROGRAMS AT HISTORICALLY BLACK COL-
LEGES AND UNIVERSITIES AND PREDOMI-
NANTLY BLACK INSTITUTIONS. 
(a) HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVER-
SITIES.—Section 723 of the Higher Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1136a) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)(1), by inserting ‘‘physician 
assistant studies,’’ after ‘‘allied health,’’; 
(2) in subsection (b)(2)(A), by inserting ‘‘physi-
cian assistant studies,’’ after ‘‘allied health,’’; and 
(3) in subsection (d)— 
(A) in paragraph (4), by inserting ‘‘physi-
cian assistant studies,’’ after ‘‘allied health,’’; 
(B) in paragraph (11), by striking ‘‘and’’ 
at the end; 
(C) by redesignating paragraph (12) as 
paragraph (13); and 
(D) by inserting after paragraph (11) the 
following: 
‘‘(12) in the case of a grant for a physician as-
sistant education program (as defined in section 
799B of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
295p))— 
‘‘(A) creating or improving facilities for 
internet or other distance education tech-
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nologies, including purchase or rental of tele-
communications technology equipment or serv-
ices; and 
‘‘(B) collaborating with other institutions 
of higher education to expand postbaccalaureate 
degree offerings; and’’. 
(b) PREDOMINANTLY BLACK INSTITUTIONS.—Sec-
tion 724 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1136b) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)(1), by inserting ‘‘physician 
assistant studies,’’ after ‘‘allied health,’’; 
(2) in subsection (b)(2)(A), by inserting ‘‘physi-
cian assistant studies,’’ after ‘‘allied health,’’; and 
(3) in subsection (d)— 
(A) in paragraph (4), by inserting ‘‘physi-
cian assistant studies,’’ after ‘‘allied health,’’; 
(B) by redesignating paragraph (12) as 
paragraph (13); and 
(C) by inserting after paragraph (11) the 
following: 
‘‘(12) in the case of a grant for a physician as-
sistant education program (as defined in section 
799B of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
295p))— 
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‘‘(A) creating or improving facilities for 
internet or other distance education tech-
nologies, including purchase or rental of tele-
communications technology equipment or serv-
ices; and 
‘‘(B) collaborating with other institutions 
of higher education to expand postbaccalaureate 
degree offerings; and’’. 
(c) EXTENSION OF AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIA-
TIONS.—Subsections (a) and (b) of section 725 of the 
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1136c) are each 
amended by striking ‘‘fiscal year 2009’’ and inserting ‘‘fis-
cal year 2022’’. 
SEC. 5. PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT POSTBACCALAUREATE OP-
PORTUNITIES FOR HISPANIC AMERICANS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 514 of the Higher Edu-
cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1102c) is amended by add-
ing at the end the following: 
‘‘(d) PRIORITY
FOR PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT EDU-
CATION PROGRAMS.—The Secretary shall give preference 
to an application by an eligible institution for a grant 
under this part that demonstrates that the grant funds 
awarded under this part will be used to support physician 
assistant education programs (as defined in section 799B 
of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 295p)).’’. 
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(b) EXTENSION OF AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIA-
TIONS.—Section 528(a)(2) of the Higher Education Act 
of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1103g(a)(2)) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘$100,000,000 for fiscal year 
2009 and’’; and 
(2) by inserting ‘‘fiscal year 2022 and’’ after 
‘‘such sums as may be necessary for’’. 
SEC. 6. SUPPORTING STUDENT MATRICULATION AND PHY-
SICIAN ASSISTANT EDUCATION PROGRAMS 
AT RURAL SERVING INSTITUTIONS OF HIGH-
ER EDUCATION. 
Section 861 of part Q of title VIII of the Higher Edu-
cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1161q) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (f)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘three of the following 
four’’ and inserting ‘‘four of the following five’’; 
and 
(B) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(5) To improve health workforce distribution 
in rural areas by supporting health professions stu-
dent matriculation or the development of new health 
professions programs, including physician assistant 
education programs (as defined in section 799B of 
the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 295p)).’’; 
and 
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(2) in subsection (g), by striking ‘‘fiscal year 
2009’’ and inserting ‘‘fiscal year 2022’’. 
Æ 
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