I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6302 
To amend the Public Health Service Act to respond to the shortage of 
allied health professionals, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 19, 2020 
Mr. CICILLINE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To amend the Public Health Service Act to respond to the 
shortage of allied health professionals, 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 ‘‘Allied Health Per-
sonnel Shortage Act of 2020’’. 
SEC. 2. RESPONSE TO SHORTAGE OF ALLIED HEALTH PRO-
FESSIONALS. 
(a) SCHOLARSHIPS AND LOAN REPAYMENTS.—The 
Public Health Service Act is amended by inserting after 
section 755 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 294e) the following: 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
20:57 Apr 03, 2020
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6302.IH
H6302
tkelley on DSKBCP9HB2PROD with BILLS
‘‘SEC. 755A. SCHOLARSHIP AND LOAN REPAYMENT PRO-
GRAM FOR ALLIED HEALTH PROFESSIONALS. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish a 
program of entering into agreements with individuals 
under which— 
‘‘(1) the Secretary agrees— 
‘‘(A) to award a scholarship to the indi-
vidual to pursue a degree in a science relating 
to health care at a school of allied health; or 
‘‘(B) to pay the principal, interest, and re-
lated expenses on government and commercial 
loans received by the individual to pursue such 
a degree at a school of allied health; and 
‘‘(2) the individual agrees to complete a period 
of obligated service as an allied health professional 
in— 
‘‘(A) a health professional shortage area 
designated under section 332; or 
‘‘(B) an area designated by the Secretary 
for purpose of this section as having a shortage 
of allied health professionals. 
‘‘(b) APPLICABLE PROVISIONS.—The Secretary shall 
model— 
‘‘(1) the scholarship program under subsection 
(a) on the provisions applicable to the National 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:27 Mar 31, 2020
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6302.IH
H6302
tkelley on DSKBCP9HB2PROD with BILLS
Health Service Corps Scholarship Program under 
subpart III of part D of title III; and 
‘‘(2) the loan repayment program under sub-
section (a) on the provisions applicable to the Na-
tional Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Pro-
gram under such subpart. 
‘‘(c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
$25,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2021 through 
2025.’’. 
(b) RESPONSE TO SHORTAGE OF QUALIFYING AL-
LIED HEALTH PROFESSIONALS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Beginning 1 year after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
Health and Human Services, in collaboration with 
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, shall— 
(A) identify categories of qualifying allied 
health professionals which are in shortage; and 
(B) annually publish a list of such cat-
egories in the Federal Register. 
(2) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection: 
(A) The term ‘‘allied health professional’’ 
has the meaning given to the term ‘‘allied 
health professionals’’ in section 799B(5) of the 
Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 295p(5)). 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:27 Mar 31, 2020
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6302.IH
H6302
tkelley on DSKBCP9HB2PROD with BILLS
(B) The term ‘‘qualifying allied health pro-
fessional’’ means an allied health professional 
who is authorized to provide health care serv-
ices under the Medicare program under title 
XVIII of the Social Security Act and under the 
Medicaid programs under title XIX of such Act. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:27 Mar 31, 2020
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H6302.IH
H6302
tkelley on DSKBCP9HB2PROD with BILLS