GRAD Act of 2021
Bill: H.R.4477 | Sponsor: Rep. Meng, Grace (D-NY)
Policy area: Immigration

Summary:
Grant Residency for Additional Doctors Act of 2021 or the GRAD Act of 2021
This bill requires the Department of State to take certain actions to expedite the processing of visas for aliens entering the United States for graduate medical education or training.
Specifically, the State Department shall designate an officer or employee whose sole responsibility from March through June (and in any other time period as necessary) is to facilitate the expedited review of visa applications for such aliens.
The State Department shall also provide relevant Foreign Service officers with training related to medical graduates and medical graduate programs in the countries where the officers are serving.

To facilitate the expedited review of applications of aliens applying 
 for admission to the United States under section 101(a)(15)(J) of the 
Immigration and Nationality Act who are coming to the United States to 
participate in a program under which they will receive graduate medical 
   education or training, require the Secretary of State to provide 
relevant Foreign Service officers with training regarding such aliens, 
                        and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Grant Residency for Additional 
Doctors Act of 2021'' or the ``GRAD Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Physicians who are foreign-trained or international 
        medical graduates, most of whom are not United States citizens, 
        comprise almost one-quarter of active physicians.
            (2) Foreign-trained physicians who are not United States 
        citizens and are not lawful permanent residents provide 
        critical health care services and supply labor for the 
        physician shortages, particularly in rural communities.
            (3) The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the demands on 
        physicians and exacerbated the physician workforce shortage 
        facing the United States, with projections estimating a 
        shortage of over 120,000 physicians by 2032.
            (4) The pandemic has contributed to delays in processing 
        visa applicants, resulting in missed educational and economic 
        opportunities.
            (5) Delays in visa processing can impact medical training 
        and impose hardships on both prospective doctors and the 
        American medical institutions at which they seek to learn.

SEC. 3. EXPEDITED REVIEW OF CERTAIN J-1 VISAS AND TRAINING FOR FOREIGN 
              SERVICE OFFICERS.

    (a) Expedited Review.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall designate an 
officer or employee of the Department of State whose sole 
responsibility during the months of March, April, May, June, and any 
other period of time as determined appropriate by the Secretary, shall 
be to facilitate the expedited review of applications of aliens 
applying for admission to the United States under section 101(a)(15)(J) 
of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(15)(J)) who 
are coming to the United States to participate in a program under which 
such aliens will receive graduate medical education or training.
    (b) Training.--Beginning not later than 180 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall provide to relevant 
Foreign Service officers training related to medical graduates and 
medical graduate programs in the countries in which such officers are 
serving. Such training shall be part of the training provided to such 
officers under section 701 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (22 
U.S.C. 4021).
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