H. R. 2617—1291 
‘‘(6) REPORTS TO CONGRESS.—Not later than September 30, 
2023, and annually thereafter for each fiscal year in which 
the authority under this subsection is used, the Secretary shall 
submit to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and 
Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on Energy and 
Commerce of the House of Representatives a report describing 
the total number of appointments filled under this subsection 
within the fiscal year and a description of how the positions 
relate to the requirements of subparagraph (A) or (B) of para-
graph (1). 
‘‘(7) SUNSET.—The authority under this subsection shall 
expire on September 30, 2028.’’. 
(b) GAO REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the issuance 
of the initial report under subsection (g)(6) of section 319 of the 
Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d), as added by subsection 
(a), and again 180 days after the date on which the authority 
provided under section 319(g) of such Act expires pursuant to para-
graph (7) of such section, the Comptroller General of the United 
States shall submit to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, 
and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on Energy and 
Commerce of the House of Representatives a report on the use 
of the authority provided under such section. Such report shall, 
in a manner that protects personal privacy, at a minimum, include 
information on— 
(1) the number of positions publicly noticed and filled under 
the authority of each of subparagraphs (A) and (B) of such 
section 319(g)(1); 
(2) the occupational series, grades, and types of appoint-
ments of such positions; 
(3) how such positions related to addressing a need or 
shortage described in subparagraph (A) or (B) of such section; 
(4) how the Secretary of Health and Human Services made 
appointment decisions under each of subparagraphs (A) and 
(B) of such section; 
(5) sources used to identify candidates for filling such posi-
tions; 
(6) the number of individuals appointed under each such 
subparagraph; 
(7) aggregated demographic information related to individ-
uals appointed under each such subparagraph; and 
(8) any challenges, limitations, or gaps related to the use 
of the authority under each such subparagraph and any related 
recommendations to address such challenges, limitations, or 
gaps. 
SEC. 2224. INCREASING EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALLIED 
HEALTH PROFESSIONS. 
Section 755(b) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
294e(b)) is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(4) Increasing educational opportunities in physical 
therapy, occupational therapy, respiratory therapy, audiology, 
and speech-language pathology professions, which may include 
offering scholarships or stipends and carrying out other activi-
ties to improve retention, for individuals from disadvantaged 
backgrounds or individuals who are underrepresented in such 
professions.’’.
H. R. 2617—1292 
SEC. 2225. PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE CORPS ANNUAL AND SICK LEAVE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 219 of the Public Health Service 
Act (42 U.S.C. 210–1) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘Reserve Corps’’ and inserting ‘‘Ready 
Reserve Corps’’; and 
(B) by striking ‘‘: Provided, That such regulations shall 
not authorize annual leave to be accumulated in excess 
of sixty days’’; 
(2) by inserting after subsection (a) the following: 
‘‘(b) The regulations described in subsection (a) may authorize 
accumulated annual leave of not more than 120 days for any 
commissioned officer of the Regular Corps or officer of the Ready 
Reserve Corps on active duty.’’; and 
(3) by redesignating subsection (d) as subsection (c). 
(b) APPLICATION.—The amendments made by subsection (a) 
shall apply with respect to accumulated annual leave (as defined 
in section 219 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 210– 
1)) that a commissioned officer of the Regular Corps or officer 
of the Ready Reserve Corps on active duty would, but for the 
regulations described in such section, lose at the end of fiscal 
year 2022 or a subsequent fiscal year. 
SEC. 2226. LEADERSHIP EXCHANGE PILOT FOR PUBLIC HEALTH AND 
MEDICAL PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE POSITIONS AT 
THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES. 
Title XXVIII of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300hh 
et seq.), as amended by section 2214, is further amended by adding 
at the end the following: 
‘‘SEC. 2826. LEADERSHIP EXCHANGE PILOT FOR PUBLIC HEALTH AND 
MEDICAL PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE POSITIONS AT 
THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may, not later than 1 year 
after the date of enactment of the PREVENT Pandemics Act, estab-
lish a voluntary program to provide additional training to individ-
uals in eligible positions, as described in subsection (c), to support 
the continuous professional development of such individuals. 
‘‘(b) CRITERIA.— 
‘‘(1) DURATION.—The program under subsection (a) shall 
provide for fellowships, details, or other relevant placements 
with Federal agencies or departments, or State or local health 
departments, pursuant to the guidance issued under paragraph 
(2), for a maximum period of 2 years. 
‘‘(2) GUIDANCE.—The Secretary shall issue guidance estab-
lishing criteria for identifying placements that demonstrate 
ongoing sufficient mastery of knowledge, skills, and abilities 
to satisfy the field experience criteria under the program estab-
lished under subsection (a), including assignments and experi-
ences that develop public health and medical preparedness 
and response expertise. 
‘‘(c) ELIGIBLE POSITION.—For purposes of subsection (a), the 
term ‘eligible position’ means any position at the Department of 
Health and Human Services at or above grade GS–13 of the General 
Schedule, or the equivalent, for which not less than 50 percent 
of the time of such position is spent on activities related to public 
health preparedness or response.
H. R. 2617—1293 
‘‘(d) PILOT PERIOD
AND FINAL REPORT.—The pilot program 
authorized under this section shall not exceed 5 years. Not later 
than 90 days after the end of the program, the Secretary shall 
issue a report to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and 
Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on Energy and Com-
merce of the House of Representatives that includes— 
‘‘(1) the number of individuals who participated in such 
pilot, as applicable; 
‘‘(2) a description of the professional growth experience 
in which individuals participated; and 
‘‘(3) an assessment of the outcomes of such program, 
including a recommendation on whether such program should 
be continued.’’. 
SEC. 
2227. 
CONTINUING 
EDUCATIONAL 
SUPPORT 
FOR 
HEALTH 
PROFESSIONALS SERVING IN RURAL AND UNDERSERVED 
COMMUNITIES. 
Section 752 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 294b) 
is amended— 
(1) in the section heading, by inserting ‘‘RURAL AND’’ after 
‘‘SERVING IN’’; 
(2) in subsection (a)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘shall make grants to, and enter into 
contracts with, eligible entities’’ and inserting ‘‘, as appro-
priate, shall make grants to, and enter into contracts with, 
eligible entities to support access to accredited continuing 
medical education for primary care physicians and health 
care providers at community health centers or rural health 
clinics to improve and increase access to care for patients 
in rural and medically underserved areas. Such grants 
or contracts may be used’’; 
(B) by striking ‘‘faculty members’’ and inserting ‘‘health 
care providers’’; and 
(C) by inserting ‘‘increase primary care physician and 
health care provider knowledge,’’ after ‘‘practice environ-
ment,’’; 
(3) in subsection (b), by inserting ‘‘, such as a community 
health center or rural health clinic’’ before the period; 
(4) in subsection (c), by striking ‘‘by require.’’ and inserting 
the following: ‘‘may require, including— 
‘‘(1) a description of how participation in activities funded 
under this section will help improve access to, and quality 
of, health care services and training needs of primary care 
physicians and health care providers; and 
‘‘(2) a plan for providing peer-to-peer training, as appro-
priate.’’; 
(5) by amending subsection (d) to read as follows: 
‘‘(d) USE OF FUNDS.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—An eligible entity shall use amounts 
awarded under a grant or contract under this section to provide 
innovative supportive activities to enhance education for pri-
mary care physicians and health care providers described in 
subsection (a) through distance learning, continuing educational 
activities, collaborative conferences, and electronic and tele-
learning activities, with priority for primary care providers 
who are seeking additional education in specialty fields such 
as infectious disease, endocrinology, pediatrics, mental health
H. R. 2617—1294 
and substance use disorders, pain management, geriatrics, and 
other areas, as appropriate, in order to— 
‘‘(A) improve retention of primary care physicians and 
health care providers and increase access to specialty 
health care services for patients; and 
‘‘(B) support access to the integration of specialty care 
through existing service delivery locations and care across 
settings. 
‘‘(2) CLARIFICATION.—Entities may use amounts awarded 
under a grant or contract under this section for continuing 
educational activities that include a clinical training component, 
including in-person patient care, in the respective community 
health center or rural health clinic, with the primary care 
physician or health care provider at such site and the clinical 
specialist from whom such additional training is being pro-
vided.’’; 
(6) by redesignating subsection (e) as subsection (g); 
(7) by inserting after subsection (d) the following: 
‘‘(e) ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES.—An entity that revives a grant 
or contract under this section shall use not more than 5 percent 
of the amounts received under the grant or contract under this 
section for administrative expenses. 
‘‘(f) NON-DUPLICATION OF EFFORT.—The Secretary shall ensure 
that activities under this section do not unnecessarily duplicate 
efforts of other programs overseen by the Health Resources and 
Services Administration, including activities described in section 
330N.’’; and 
(8) in subsection (g), as so redesignated, by striking ‘‘the 
fiscal years 2010 through 2014, and such sums as may be 
necessary for each subsequent fiscal year’’ and inserting ‘‘fiscal 
years 2023 through 2025’’. 
CHAPTER 4—ENHANCING PUBLIC HEALTH 
PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE 
SEC. 2231. CENTERS FOR PUBLIC HEALTH PREPAREDNESS AND 
RESPONSE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 319F of the Public Health Service 
Act (42 U.S.C. 247d–6) is amended— 
(1) by striking subsection (d) and inserting the following: 
‘‘(d) CENTERS
FOR
PUBLIC
HEALTH
PREPAREDNESS
AND 
RESPONSE.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary, acting through the 
Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 
may award grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements to 
institutions of higher education, including accredited schools 
of public health, or other nonprofit private entities to establish 
or maintain a network of Centers for Public Health Prepared-
ness and Response (referred to in this subsection as ‘Centers’). 
‘‘(2) ELIGIBILITY.—To be eligible to receive an award under 
this subsection, an entity shall submit to the Secretary an 
application containing such information as the Secretary may 
require, including a description of how the entity will— 
‘‘(A) coordinate relevant activities with applicable 
State, local, and Tribal health departments and officials, 
health care facilities, and health care coalitions to improve 
public health preparedness and response, as informed by