I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2781 
To amend title VII of the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize certain 
programs relating to the health professions workforce, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 16, 2019 
Ms. SCHAKOWSKY (for herself and Mr. BURGESS) 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 
reauthorize certain programs relating to the health pro-
fessions workforce, 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 ‘‘Educating Medical 
Professionals and Optimizing Workforce Efficiency and 
Readiness for Health Act of 2019’’ or the ‘‘EMPOWER 
for Health Act of 2019’’. 
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SEC. 2. REAUTHORIZATION OF HEALTH PROFESSIONS 
WORKFORCE PROGRAMS. 
(a) CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE.—Subsection (i) of 
section 736 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
293) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(i) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.—To 
carry out this section, there is authorized to be appro-
priated $24,897,000 for each of fiscal years 2020 through 
2024.’’. 
(b) HEALTH PROFESSIONS TRAINING FOR DIVER-
SITY.—Section 740 of the Public Health Service Act (42 
U.S.C. 293d) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘$51,000,000 
for fiscal year 2010, and such sums as may be nec-
essary for each of the fiscal years 2011 through 
2014’’ and inserting ‘‘$51,419,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2020 through 2024’’; 
(2) in subsection (b), by striking ‘‘$5,000,000 
for each of the fiscal years 2010 through 2014’’ and 
inserting ‘‘$1,250,000 for each of fiscal years 2020 
through 2024’’; and 
(3) in subsection (c), by striking ‘‘$60,000,000 
for fiscal year 2010 and such sums as may be nec-
essary for each of the fiscal years 2011 through 
2014’’ and inserting ‘‘$14,899,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2020 through 2024’’. 
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(c) PRIMARY
CARE
TRAINING
AND
ENHANCE-
MENT.—Section 747(c)(1) of the Public Health Service 
Act (42 U.S.C. 293k(c)(1)) is amended by striking 
‘‘$125,000,000 for fiscal year 2010, and such sums as 
may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2011 through 
2014’’ and inserting ‘‘$51,371,000 for each of fiscal years 
2020 through 2024’’. 
(d) TRAINING IN GENERAL, PEDIATRIC, AND PUBLIC 
HEALTH
DENTISTRY.—Section 748(f) of the Public 
Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 293k–2(f)) is amended by 
striking ‘‘$30,000,000 for fiscal year 2010 and such sums 
as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2011 through 
2015’’ and inserting ‘‘$42,707,000 for each of fiscal years 
2020 through 2024’’. 
(e) AREA HEALTH EDUCATION CENTERS.—Section 
751(j)(1) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
294a(j)(1)) is amended by striking ‘‘$125,000,000 for 
each of the fiscal years 2010 through 2014’’ and inserting 
‘‘$42,075,000 for each of fiscal years 2020 through 
2024’’. 
(f) NATIONAL CENTER FOR HEALTHCARE WORK-
FORCE ANALYSIS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 761(e)(1)(A) of the 
Public 
Health 
Service 
Act 
(42 
U.S.C. 
294n(e)(1)(A)) is amended by striking ‘‘$7,500,000 
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for each of fiscal years 2010 through 2014’’ and in-
serting ‘‘$5,947,000 for each of fiscal years 2020 
through 2024’’. 
(2) 
TECHNICAL
CORRECTION.—Section 
761(e)(2) of the Public Health Service Act (42 
U.S.C. 294n(e)(2)) is amended by striking ‘‘sub-
section (a)’’ and inserting ‘‘paragraph (1)’’. 
(g) PUBLIC HEALTH WORKFORCE.—Section 770(a) 
of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 295e(a)) is 
amended by striking ‘‘$43,000,000 for fiscal year 2011, 
and such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal 
years 2012 through 2015’’ and inserting ‘‘$17,850,000 for 
each of fiscal years 2020 through 2024’’. 
SEC. 3. EDUCATION AND TRAINING RELATING TO GERI-
ATRICS. 
Section 753 of the Public Health Service Act (42 
U.S.C. 294c) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘SEC. 753. EDUCATION AND TRAINING RELATING TO GERI-
ATRICS. 
‘‘(a) GERIATRICS WORKFORCE ENHANCEMENT PRO-
GRAMS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall award 
grants or contracts under this subsection to entities 
described in paragraph (1), (3), or (4) of section 
799B, section 801(2), or section 865(d), or other 
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health professions schools or programs approved by 
the Secretary, for the establishment or operation of 
geriatrics workforce enhancement programs that 
meet the requirements of paragraph (2). 
‘‘(2) REQUIREMENTS.—A geriatrics workforce 
enhancement program meets the requirements of 
this paragraph if such program supports the devel-
opment of a health care workforce that maximizes 
patient and family engagement and improves health 
outcomes for older adults by integrating geriatrics 
with primary care and other appropriate specialties. 
Special emphasis should be placed on providing the 
primary care workforce with the knowledge and 
skills to care for older adults and collaborating with 
community partners to address gaps in health care 
for older adults through individual, system, commu-
nity, and population level changes. Areas of pro-
grammatic focus may include the following: 
‘‘(A) Transforming clinical training envi-
ronments to integrated geriatrics and primary 
care delivery systems to ensure trainees are well 
prepared to practice in and lead in such sys-
tems. 
‘‘(B) Developing providers from multiple 
disciplines and specialties to work interprofes-
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sionally to assess and address the needs and 
preferences of older adults and their families 
and caregivers at the individual, community, 
and population levels with cultural and lin-
guistic competency. 
‘‘(C) Creating and delivering community- 
based programs that will provide older adults 
and their families and caregivers with the 
knowledge and skills to improve health out-
comes and the quality of care for such adults. 
‘‘(D) Providing Alzheimer’s disease and re-
lated dementias (ADRD) education to the fami-
lies and caregivers of older adults, direct care 
workers, health professions students, faculty, 
and providers. 
‘‘(3) DURATION.—The Secretary shall award 
grants and contracts under paragraph (1) for a pe-
riod not to exceed five years. 
‘‘(4) APPLICATION.—To be eligible to receive a 
grant or contract under paragraph (1), an entity de-
scribed in such paragraph shall submit to the Sec-
retary an application at such time, in such manner, 
and containing such information as the Secretary 
may require, including the specific measures the ap-
plicant will use to demonstrate that the project is 
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