I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4829 
To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for the participation 
of physical therapists in the National Health Service Corps Loan Repay-
ment program, to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to 
expand Medicare Rural Health Clinic Services and Federally Qualified 
Health Center Services to include physical therapy services, and for 
other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 24, 2023 
Ms. DEGETTE (for herself and Mr. ARMSTRONG) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in 
addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subse-
quently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 
provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for 
the participation of physical therapists in the National 
Health Service Corps Loan Repayment program, to 
amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to expand 
Medicare Rural Health Clinic Services and Federally 
Qualified Health Center Services to include physical ther-
apy services, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; FINDINGS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Physical Therapist Workforce and Patient Access Act of 
2023’’. 
(b) FINDINGS.—Congress finds as follows: 
(1) Physical therapists play an important role 
in the prevention, treatment, or management of pain 
for individuals, including those with substance use 
disorders, or at risk of developing a substance use 
disorder. 
(2) Physical therapists are also playing an im-
portant role in the physical rehabilitation needs of 
individuals who have developed chronic health condi-
tions as a result of COVID–19. 
(3) Physical therapist services are an essential 
component of the multidisciplinary undertaking that 
will be required to improve patient access and out-
comes in medically underserved areas. 
SEC. 2. NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE CORPS; PARTICIPA-
TION OF PHYSICAL THERAPISTS IN LOAN RE-
PAYMENT PROGRAM. 
(a) MISSION OF CORPS; DEFINITION OF PRIMARY 
HEALTH SERVICES.—Section 331(a)(3)(D) of the Public 
Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254d(a)(3)(D)) is amended 
by striking ‘‘or mental health,’’ and inserting ‘‘mental 
health, or physical therapy,’’. 
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(b) PHYSICAL THERAPY HEALTH PROFESSIONAL 
TARGET AREAS.—Section 332 of the Public Health Serv-
ice Act (42 U.S.C. 254e) is amended by adding at the 
end: 
‘‘(l) PHYSICAL THERAPY HEALTH PROFESSIONAL 
TARGET AREAS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall carry 
out a program of— 
‘‘(A) identifying physical therapy health 
professional target areas; and 
‘‘(B) assigning members of the Corps who 
are physical therapists to such areas. 
‘‘(2) APPLICABLE PROVISIONS.—The provisions 
of paragraphs (1), (2), (3), (4), and (6) of sub-
section (k) shall apply to the identification of phys-
ical therapy health professional target areas and the 
assignment of physical therapists under this sub-
section except that— 
‘‘(A) references to maternity care health 
professional target areas shall be treated as ref-
erences to physical therapy health professional 
target areas; and 
‘‘(B) references to maternity care health 
professionals and maternity care shall be treat-
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ed as references to physical therapists and 
physical therapy, respectively.’’. 
(c) LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAM.—Section 338B of 
the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254l–1) is 
amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)(1), by inserting ‘‘physical 
therapists,’’ after ‘‘dentists,’’; 
(2) in subsection (b)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘(1)(A) have a degree in’’ 
and all that follows through the end of subpara-
graph (A) of paragraph (1) and inserting the 
following: 
‘‘(1)(A)(i) have a degree in medicine, osteo-
pathic medicine, dentistry, or another health profes-
sion, or an appropriate degree from a graduate pro-
gram of behavioral and mental health; 
‘‘(ii) be certified as a nurse midwife, nurse 
practitioner, or physician assistant; or 
‘‘(iii) have a doctoral or master’s degree in 
physical therapy;’’; 
(B) in paragraph (1)(B), by inserting 
‘‘physical therapy,’’ after ‘‘mental health,’’; and 
(C) in paragraph (1)(C)(ii), by inserting 
‘‘physical therapy,’’ after ‘‘dentistry,’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
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