I 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3944 
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to improve education 
opportunities for physician assistants, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 5, 2015 
Ms. BASS (for herself and Mr. HASTINGS) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce 
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 2015’’. 
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SEC. 2. INCREASING LOAN LIMITS FOR PHYSICIAN ASSIST-
ANTS UNDER THE FEDERAL DIRECT LOAN 
PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 455 of the Higher Edu-
cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087e) is amended by add-
ing at the end the following: 
‘‘(r) INCREASING LOAN LIMITS FOR PHYSICIAN AS-
SISTANTS.— 
‘‘(1) MAXIMUM
ANNUAL
LIMITS.—Notwith-
standing section 428H(d)(2)(A), the maximum an-
nual amount of Federal Direct Unsubsidized Staf-
ford Loans that a graduate student in a physician 
assistant education program (as defined in section 
799B of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
295p)) may borrow in any academic year (as defined 
in section 481(a)(2)) or its equivalent shall be— 
‘‘(A) $40,000 in the first academic year of 
such program; 
‘‘(B) $40,000 in the second academic year 
of such program; and 
‘‘(C) $15,000 in the third academic year of 
such program. 
‘‘(2) AGGREGATE LIMITS.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The maximum aggre-
gate amount of Federal Direct Unsubsidized 
Stafford Loans and Federal Direct Stafford 
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Loans that a student described in paragraph 
(1) of this subsection may borrow shall be equal 
to the maximum aggregate amount of such 
loans that any graduate or professional student 
enrolled in a program described in subpara-
graph (B) may borrow. 
‘‘(B) PROGRAM
DESCRIBED.—A program 
described in this subparagraph is— 
‘‘(i) a program in a school of phar-
macy, public health, allied health, or chiro-
practic medicine; or 
‘‘(ii) a graduate program in health ad-
ministration or behavioral and mental 
health practice, including clinical psy-
chology.’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by 
this section shall apply with respect to award years begin-
ning more than 60 days after the date of enactment of 
this Act. 
SEC. 3. MAKING PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS ELIGIBLE FOR 
CERTAIN LOAN FORGIVENESS. 
(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: 
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‘‘(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)); 
‘‘(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-
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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 2017’’. 
(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. 
SEC. 4. GRANTS FOR PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT PROGRAMS AT 
HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNI-
VERSITIES AND PREDOMINANTLY BLACK IN-
STITUTIONS. 
(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 
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(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-
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— 
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(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))— 
‘‘(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 
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Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1136c) are each 
amended by striking ‘‘fiscal year 2009’’ and inserting ‘‘fis-
cal year 2017’’. 
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)).’’. 
(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 after ‘‘such sums as may be 
necessary for’’ the following: ‘‘fiscal year 2017 and’’. 
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SEC. 6. GRANTS TO RURAL-SERVING INSTITUTIONS OF 
HIGHER EDUCATION FOR PHYSICIAN ASSIST-
ANT EDUCATION PROGRAMS. 
Part Q of title VIII of the Higher Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1161q) is amended— 
(1) in section 861(b), by striking ‘‘For the pur-
poses of this section’’ and inserting ‘‘For the pur-
poses of this part’’; and 
(2) by inserting after section 861 the following: 
‘‘SEC. 862. GRANTS TO SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT AND 
EXPANSION OF PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT EDU-
CATION PROGRAMS AT RURAL-SERVING IN-
STITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION. 
‘‘(a) GRANTS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary is authorized 
to award grants on a competitive basis to a rural- 
serving institution of higher education or a consor-
tium of such institutions— 
‘‘(A) to increase, for students from rural 
areas, enrollment and graduation rates for 
postbaccalaureate physician assistant education 
programs; 
‘‘(B) to train physician assistants in rural 
areas through the development of new physician 
assistant education programs and the expansion 
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of existing physician assistant education pro-
grams in rural areas; and 
‘‘(C) to promote economic growth and de-
velopment in rural America through partnership 
grants to regional employers and to consortia of 
rural-serving institutions of higher education. 
‘‘(2) DURATION.—A grant awarded under this 
section shall be awarded for a period of not longer 
than 3 years. 
‘‘(3) LIMITATION.—A rural-serving institution 
of higher education or a consortium of such institu-
tions shall not receive more than one grant under 
this section. 
‘‘(b) APPLICATIONS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Each rural-serving institu-
tion of higher education or consortium of such insti-
tutions desiring a grant under this section shall sub-
mit to the Secretary an application at such time, in 
such manner, and containing such information as 
the Secretary may require. 
‘‘(2) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under this 
section, the Secretary shall give priority to applica-
tions that demonstrate the most potential and pro-
pose the most promising and innovative approaches 
for— 
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‘‘(A) creating new physician assistant edu-
cation programs in rural areas; 
‘‘(B) increasing the number of physician 
assistants that practice medicine in rural areas; 
‘‘(C) meeting the employment needs of re-
gional employers of physician assistants with 
graduates of physician assistant education pro-
grams at rural-serving institutions of higher 
education; and 
‘‘(D) improving the health of Americans 
residing in rural areas. 
‘‘(c) USE OF FUNDS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—A rural-serving institution 
of higher education or consortium of such institu-
tions that receives a grant under this section shall 
use grant funds for the establishment and expansion 
of physician assistant education programs in rural 
areas. 
‘‘(2) PARTNERSHIP.—A rural-serving institu-
tion of higher education or a consortium of such in-
stitutions that receives a grant under this section 
shall carry out the activities of the grant in partner-
ship with— 
‘‘(A) one or more regional employers that 
employ physician assistants; 
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‘‘(B) a nonprofit organization with dem-
onstrated expertise in physician assistant edu-
cation at the postbaccalaureate level; or 
‘‘(C) an organization with expertise in de-
livering 
distance 
education 
at 
the 
postbaccalaureate level that is authorized to 
offer courses for academic credit. 
‘‘(d) PHYSICIAN
ASSISTANT
EDUCATION
PRO-
GRAM.—In this section, the term ‘physician assistant edu-
cation program’ has the meaning given to such term in 
section 799B of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
295p). 
‘‘(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 2017 and 
each of the five succeeding fiscal years.’’. 
SEC. 7. IMPROVING PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT EDUCATION 
PROGRAMS. 
Title VIII of the Higher Education Act of 1965 is 
amended by inserting after section 898 (20 U.S.C. 
1161aa–1) the following: 
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‘‘PART BB—PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT EDUCATION 
ENHANCEMENT 
‘‘SEC. 899. DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM TO SUPPORT PHYSI-
CIAN ASSISTANT FACULTY PREPARATION. 
‘‘(a) GRANTS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall provide 
grants to not more than 10 institutions of higher 
education to develop, expand, and support graduate- 
level programs to prepare certified physician assist-
ants to become physician assistant faculty members 
in accredited graduate-level physician assistant edu-
cation programs through collaboration between such 
a program and an institution of higher education 
that awards a graduate degree in education. 
‘‘(2) CAP.—No institution of higher education 
may receive more than an aggregate of $600,000 
under this section during fiscal years 2017, 2018, 
and 2019. 
‘‘(b) APPLICATION.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—An institution of higher 
education desiring a grant under this section shall 
submit to the Secretary, at such time and in such 
manner as the Secretary may require, an application 
including— 
‘‘(A) a description of the intended collabo-
ration to develop, expand, and support grad-
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uate-level programs to prepare certified physi-
cian assistants to become physician assistant 
faculty members in accredited graduate-level 
physician assistant education programs; and 
‘‘(B) an estimate of the number of stu-
dents who will be affected by such collaboration. 
‘‘(2) PRIORITY.—The Secretary shall give pri-
ority to applications that demonstrate the potential 
to maximize quality instruction through the use of 
technology. 
‘‘(c) REPORT.—Not later than 18 months after the 
date of the first grant under this section, the Secretary 
shall submit to Congress a report that— 
‘‘(1) describes the steps taken to implement this 
section; and 
‘‘(2) lists all recipients of grants under this sec-
tion as of the date of such submission. 
‘‘(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.— 
The term ‘institution of higher education’ has the 
meaning given such term in section 101. 
‘‘(2) PHYSICIAN
ASSISTANT
EDUCATION
PRO-
GRAM.—The term ‘physician assistant education 
program’ has the meaning given such term in sec-
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tion 799B of the Public Health Service Act (42 
U.S.C. 295p). 
‘‘(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be 
necessary to carry out this section for fiscal years 2017 
through 2019. 
‘‘SEC. 899A. GRANTS FOR INFRASTRUCTURE AND TECH-
NOLOGY 
IN 
PHYSICIAN 
ASSISTANT 
EDU-
CATION PROGRAMS. 
‘‘(a) GRANTS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary is authorized 
to award grants, on a competitive basis, to not more 
than 20 eligible recipients to enhance physician as-
sistant education programs and improve patient 
safety by supporting the purchase of infrastructure 
and technology, including human patient simulators, 
for such programs. 
‘‘(2) DURATION.—A grant awarded under this 
section shall be awarded for a period of not longer 
than five years. 
‘‘(b) APPLICATION.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—An eligible recipient may 
apply for a grant under this section by submitting 
an application to the Secretary at such time and in 
such manner as the Secretary may require that dem-
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onstrates how the grant funds will be used to im-
prove physician assistant education programs and 
patient safety with respect to such programs. 
‘‘(2) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under this 
section, the Secretary shall give priority to applica-
tions that demonstrate the potential to— 
‘‘(A) increase the number of physician as-
sistant graduates; 
‘‘(B) maximize the accessibility of human 
patient simulators for physician assistant edu-
cation programs through partnerships between 
the grant recipient and other institutions of 
higher education; or 
‘‘(C) improve the health of the community 
and region where the physician assistant edu-
cation program is located. 
‘‘(c) USE OF FUNDS.—An eligible recipient that re-
ceives a grant awarded under this section may use the 
grant for one or more of the following purposes: 
‘‘(1) Purchase, rental, or lease of scientific or 
laboratory equipment, including human patient sim-
ulators and machines, for educational purposes, in-
cluding instructional and research purposes. 
‘‘(2) Construction, maintenance and renovation, 
and improvement of classrooms, libraries, labora-
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tories, and other instructional facilities, including 
purchase or rental of telecommunications technology 
equipment or services. 
‘‘(3) Supporting faculty training in the use of 
the human patient simulator equipment. 
‘‘(4) Other activities proposed in the application 
submitted pursuant to subsection (b) that— 
‘‘(A) contribute to carrying out the pur-
poses of this section; and 
‘‘(B) are approved by the Secretary as part 
of the review and acceptance of such applica-
tion. 
‘‘(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) PHYSICIAN
ASSISTANT
EDUCATION
PRO-
GRAM.—The term ‘physician assistant education 
program’ has the meaning given such term in sec-
tion 799B of the Public Health Service Act (42 
U.S.C. 295p). 
‘‘(2) HUMAN PATIENT SIMULATOR.—The term 
‘human patient simulator’ means a computerized 
mannequin that is anatomically precise and responds 
physiologically to student interventions. 
‘‘(3) ELIGIBLE RECIPIENT.—The term ‘eligible 
recipient’ means a physician assistant education pro-
gram accredited by the Accreditation Review Com-
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mission on Education for the Physician Assistant, 
Inc. (or a successor organization), located in a State 
or territory. 
‘‘(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 2017 and 
each of the five succeeding fiscal years.’’. 
Æ 
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