,i  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #fcjb  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,march #ai1 #bjbj,mr4
 ,cicilline introduced the following    
bill2 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 professionals1 and for
 other purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this
 ,act may be cited as the ,allied       
,health ,personnel ,shortage ,act of    
#bjbj4  #b4 ,response to shortage of    
allied health professionals  7a7        
,scholarships and loan repayments ,the  
,public ,health ,service ,act is amended
 by inserting after section #gee of such
 ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bid;e7 the        
following3  #gee;,a4 ,scholarship and   
loan repayment program for allied health
 professionals  7a7 ,in general ,the    
,secretary shall establish a program of 
entering into agreements with           
individuals under which-- 7#a7 the      
,secretary agrees-- 7,a7 to award a     

scholarship to the individual to pursue 
a degree in a science relating to health
 care at a school of allied health2 or  
7,b7 to pay the principal1 interest1 and
 related expenses on government and     
commercial loans received by the        
individual to pursue such a degree at a 
school of allied health2 and  7#b7 the  
individual agrees to complete a period  
of obligated service as an allied health
 professional in-- 7,a7 a health        
professional shortage area designated   
under section #ccb2 or  7,b7 an area    
designated by the ,secretary for purpose
 of this section as having a shortage of
 allied health professionals4  7b7      
,applicable provisions ,the ,secretary  
shall model-- 7#a7 the scholarship      
program under subsection 7a7 on the     
provisions applicable to the ,national  
,health ,service ,corps ,scholarship    
,program under subpart ,,iii of part ,d 
of title ,,iii2 and  7#b7 the loan      
repayment program under subsection 7a7  
on the provisions applicable to the     

,national ,health ,service ,corps ,loan 
,repayment ,program under such subpart4 
7c7 ,authorization of appropriations    
,there is authorized to be appropriated 
to carry out this section #be1jjj1jjj   
for the period of fiscal years #bjba    
through #bjbe4  4  7b7 ,response to     
shortage of qualifying allied health    
professionals  7#a7 ,in general         
,beginning #a year after the date of    
enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary  
of ,health and ,human ,services1 in     
collaboration with the ,secretary of    
,veterans ,affairs1 shall-- 7,a7        
identify categories of qualifying allied
 health professionals which are in      
shortage2 and  7,b7 annually publish a  
list of such categories in the ,federal 
,register4  7#b7 ,definitions ,in this  
subsection3 7,a7 ,the term allied health
 professional has the meaning given to  
the term allied health professionals in 
section #gii;,b7#e7 of the ,public      
,health ,service ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4    
#biep7#e774  7,b7 ,the term 8qualifying 

allied health professional0 means an    
allied health professional who is       
authorized to provide health care       
services under the ,medicare program    
under title ,,xviii of the ,social      
,security ,act and under the ,medicaid  
programs under title ,,xix of such ,act4