(2) the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority 
Health. 
SEC. 4. TAX INCENTIVES. 
(a) WORK
OPPORTUNITY
CREDIT
FOR
HIRING 
HEALTH DISPARITY ZONE WORKERS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 51(d)(1) of the In-
ternal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended— 
(A) in subparagraph (I), by striking ‘‘or’’ 
at the end; 
(B) in subparagraph (J), by striking the 
period at the end and inserting ‘‘, or’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(K) a qualified Health Disparity Zone 
worker, to the extent that the qualified first- 
year wages with respect to such worker are paid 
for qualified Health Disparity Zone work.’’. 
(2) QUALIFIED
HEALTH
DISPARITY
ZONE 
WORKER.—Section 51(d) of such Code is amended 
by adding at the end the following new paragraphs: 
‘‘(16) QUALIFIED
HEALTH
DISPARITY
ZONE 
WORKER.—The term ‘qualified Health Disparity 
Zone worker’ means any individual who is certified 
by the designated local agency as having (as of the 
hiring date) a principal place of employment within 
a Health Disparity Zone (as such term is defined in 
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section 9 of the Health Disparity Zones Act of 
2023). 
‘‘(17) QUALIFIED
HEALTH
DISPARITY
ZONE 
WORK.—The term ‘qualified Health Disparity Zone 
work’ means employment by a Health Disparity 
Zone practitioner (as such term is defined in section 
9 of the Health Disparity Zones Act of 2023), the 
primary official duties of which promote access to 
healthcare in a Health Disparity Zone (as such term 
is defined in section 9 of the Health Disparity Zones 
Act of 2023).’’. 
(3) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made 
by this section shall apply to amounts paid or in-
curred after the date of the enactment of this Act 
to individuals who begin work for the employer after 
such date. 
(b) CREDIT FOR HEALTH DISPARITY ZONE WORK-
ERS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Subpart A of part IV of sub-
chapter A of chapter 1 of the Internal Revenue Code 
of 1986 is amended by inserting after section 25E 
the following new section: 
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‘‘SEC. 25F. CREDIT FOR QUALIFIED HEALTH DISPARITY 
ZONE WORKERS. 
‘‘(a) ALLOWANCE
OF CREDIT.—In the case of a 
qualified Health Disparity Zone worker, there shall be al-
lowed as a credit against the tax imposed by this chapter 
for a taxable year an amount equal to 40% of wages re-
ceived for qualified Health Disparity Zone work. 
‘‘(b) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this section— 
‘‘(1) The term ‘qualified Health Disparity Zone 
worker’ means, with respect to wages, an individual 
whose principal place of employment while earning 
such wages is within a Health Disparity Zone (as 
such term is defined in section 9 of the Health Dis-
parity Zones Act of 2023). 
‘‘(2) The term ‘qualified Health Disparity Zone 
work’ has the meaning given such term in section 
51.’’. 
(2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sec-
tions for subpart A of part IV of subchapter A of 
chapter 1 of such Code is amended by inserting 
after the item relating to section 25D the following 
new item: 
‘‘Sec. 25F. Credit for qualified Health Disparity Zone workers.’’. 
(3) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made 
by this section shall apply to amounts paid or in-
curred after the date of the enactment of this Act. 
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SEC. 5. GRANTS. 
(a) AUTHORIZATION.—For each area designated 
under section 2 as a Health Disparity Zone, the Secretary 
may award a grant to the community-based nonprofit or-
ganization or local governmental agency that applied for 
such designation to support such applicant and its coali-
tion partners in reducing health disparities and improving 
health outcomes in such area. 
(b) USE OF FUNDS.—Programs and activities funded 
through a grant under this section shall be consistent with 
the grantee’s plan submitted pursuant to section 2(d)(1) 
and may include the following: 
(1) SUBGRANTS
TO
HEALTH
CARE
PRACTI-
TIONERS.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—For the purpose of im-
proving or expanding the delivery of health care 
in the respective Health Disparity Zone, the 
grantee may award subgrants to Health Dis-
parity Zone practitioners to defray costs related 
to innovative strategies listed in paragraph (2). 
(B) ELIGIBILITY.—To be eligible to receive 
a subgrant pursuant to subparagraph (A), a 
Health Disparity Zone practitioner shall— 
(i) own or lease a health care facility 
in the Health Disparity Zone; or 
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(ii) provide health care in such a facil-
ity. 
(C) AMOUNT.—The amount of a subgrant 
under subparagraph (A) may not exceed the 
lesser of— 
(i) $5,000,000; or 
(ii) 50 percent of the costs of the 
equipment, or capital or leasehold improve-
ments, to be defrayed using the subgrant 
to implement innovative strategies listed in 
paragraph (2). 
(2) INNOVATIVE STRATEGIES.—A grantee (or 
subgrantee) may use a grant received under this sec-
tion (or a subgrant received under paragraph (1)) to 
implement innovative public health strategies in the 
respective Health Disparity Zone, which strategies 
may include— 
(A) internships and volunteer opportunities 
for students who reside in the Health Disparity 
Zone; 
(B) funding resources to improve health 
care provider capacity to serve non-English 
speakers; 
(C) operation of medical, mental and be-
havioral health, and dental mobile clinics; 
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(D) provision of transportation to and 
from medical appointments for patients; 
(E) funding resources to improve access to 
healthy food, recreation, and high-quality hous-
ing; 
(F) capital or leasehold improvements to a 
health care facility in the respective Health Dis-
parity Zone; and 
(G) medical or dental equipment to be 
used in such a facility. 
SEC. 6. STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall carry out a 
loan repayment program under which the Secretary enters 
into agreements with eligible Health Disparity Zone prac-
titioners to make payments on the principal and interest 
of the eligible educational loans of such practitioners for 
each year such practitioners agree to provide health care 
services in a Health Disparity Zone. 
(b) LIMITATIONS.—In entering into loan repayment 
agreements under this section, the Secretary may not 
agree to— 
(1) make payments for more than 10 years with 
respect to a practitioner; or 
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SEC. 7. 10-PERCENT INCREASE OF PAYMENT FOR ITEMS 
AND SERVICES PAYABLE UNDER MEDICARE 
PART B FURNISHED IN HEALTH DISPARITY 
ZONES. 
Section 1833(a) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C.1395l(a)) is amended by inserting before the period 
at the end the following: ‘‘. With respect to items and serv-
ices payable under this part that are furnished in a Health 
Disparity Zone (as defined in section 9 of the Health Dis-
parity Zones Act of 2023) during the period beginning on 
the first day an area is designated a Health Disparity 
Zone under section 2(a)(1) of such Act and ending on the 
last day of the fiscal year that is 10 fiscal years following 
the enactment of this Act, the payment rates otherwise 
established for such items and services shall be increased 
by 10 percent. The cost-sharing requirements (if any) ap-
plicable to an item or service described in the preceding 
sentence furnished to an individual shall be calculated as 
if such preceding sentence did not apply’’. 
SEC. 8. REPORTING. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than the end of each 
fiscal year in the period of 10 fiscal years following the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit 
to the Congress a report on the implementation of this 
Act and the results thereof. 
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(b) CONTENTS.—Each report under subsection (a) 
shall— 
(1) specify the number and types of incentives 
provided pursuant to this Act in each Health Dis-
parity Zone designated under section 2; 
(2) include evidence of the extent to which the 
incentives utilized by each Health Disparity Zone 
have succeeded— 
(A) in attracting health care practitioners 
to practice in Health Disparity Zones; 
(B) in reducing health disparities and im-
proving health outcomes in Health Disparity 
Zones; and 
(C) in reducing health costs and hospital 
admissions and readmissions in Health Dis-
parity Zones. 
SEC. 9. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) The term ‘‘Health Disparity Zone’’ means 
an area designated under section 2 as a Health Dis-
parity Zone. 
(2) The term ‘‘Health Disparity Zone practi-
tioner’’ means a health care practitioner who— 
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(A) is licensed or certified in accordance 
with applicable State law to treat patients in 
the respective Health Disparity Zone; 
(B) provides— 
(i) primary care, which may include 
obstetrics, gynecological services, pediatric 
services, or geriatric services; 
(ii) behavioral health services, which 
may include mental health or substance 
use disorder services; or 
(iii) dental services; and 
(C) is a participating provider of services 
or supplier under the Medicare program under 
title XVIII of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1395 et seq.) or a participating provider 
under a State plan under title XIX of such Act 
(42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.). 
(3) The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary 
of Health and Human Services. 
SEC. 10. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
To carry out this Act, there is authorized to be appro-
priated such sums as may be necessary for the period of 
10 fiscal years following the date of enactment of this Act. 
Æ 
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