,,ii #aafth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 #djee ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,june #bd1 #bjbj,mr4 ,durbin 7for himself and ,mr4 ,rubio7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions ,a ,,bill ,to address health workforce shortages and disparities highlighted by the ,,covid-#ai pandemic through additional funding for the ,national ,health ,service ,corps and the ,nurse ,corps1 and to establish a ,national ,health ,service ,corps ,emergency ,service demonstration project4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,strengthening ,america's ,health ,care ,readiness ,act4 #b4 ,additional funding for the ,national ,health ,service ,corps 7a7 ,additional funding ,section #ajejc7;b7 of the ,patient ,protection and ,affordable ,care ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bed;b-#b7;b77 is amended-- 7#a7 in paragraph 7#a77;,f71 by striking and at the end2 7#b7 in paragraph 7#b77;,h71 by striking the period and inserting 2 and2 and 7#c7 by adding at the end the following3 7#c7 to be transferred to the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services #e1jjj1jjj1jjj for fiscal year #bjbj1 to provide additional funding to carry out the ,national ,health ,service ,corps ,scholarship ,program under section #cch;,a of the ,public ,health ,service ,act1 the ,national ,health ,service ,corps ,loan ,program under section #cch;,b of such ,act1 and the ,national ,health ,service ,corps ,emergency ,service under section #bhab;,a of such ,act4 4 7b7 ,criteria for use of additional funding for in-,demand professionals ,not less than #dj percent of the amounts made available under paragraph 7#c7 of section #ajejc7;b7 of the ,patient ,protection and ,affordable ,care ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bed;b-#b7;b77 7as amended by subsection 7a77 shall be allocated to awards to eligible applicants to the ,national ,health ,service ,corps ,scholarship ,program under section #cch;,a of the ,public ,health ,service ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bedl71 the ,national ,health ,service ,corps ,loan ,repayment ,program under section #cch;,b of such ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bedl-#a71 or the ,national ,health ,service ,corps ,emergency ,service under section #bhab;,a of such ,act 7as added by subsection 7c77 who are members of groups that are historically underrepresented in health care professions1 including racial and ethnic minorities and individuals from low-income urban and rural communities4 ,to carry out the requirements of this subsection1 the ,secretary may coordinate with entities receiving funding under section #gci or #hba of the ,public ,health ,service ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bic;c1 #bifm7 to identify1 provide mentorship and support1 and recruit such eligible applicants4 7c7 ,national health service corps emergency service demonstration project ,part ,b of title ,,xxviii of the ,public ,health ,service ,act is amended by inserting after section #bhab 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #cjj;hh-#aa7 the following3 #bhab;,a4 ,national health service corps emergency service demonstration project 7a7 ,in general ,from the amounts made available under section #ajejc7;b77#c7 of the ,patient ,protection and ,affordable ,care ,act for each of fiscal years #bjba through #bjbe1 to the extent permitted by1 and consistent with1 the requirements of applicable ,state law1 the ,secretary shall allocate up to #ej1jjj1jjj to establishing1 as a demonstration project1 a ,national ,health ,service ,corps ,emergency ,service 7referred to in this section as the emergency service7 under which a qualified individual currently or previously participating in the ,national ,health ,service ,corps agrees to engage in service through the ,national ,disaster ,medical ,system established under section #bhab1 as described in this section4 7b7 ,participants 7#a7 ,,nhsc alumni 7,a7 ,qualified individuals ,an individual may be eligible to participate in the emergency service under this section if such individual participated in the ,scholarship ,program under section #cch;,a or the ,loan ,repayment ,program under section #cch;,b1 and who satisfied the obligated service requirements under such program1 in accordance with the individual's contract4 7,b7 ,priority and increased funding amounts 7i7 ,priority ,in selecting eligible individuals to participate in the program under this paragraph1 the ,secretary shall give priority-- 7,i7 first1 to qualified individuals who continue to practice at the site where the individual fulfilled his or her obligated service under the ,scholarship ,program or ,loan ,repayment ,program through the time of the application to the program under this section2 and 7,,ii7 secondly1 to qualified individuals who continue to practice in any site approved for obligated service under the ,scholarship ,program or ,loan ,repayment ,program other than the site at which the individual served4 7ii7 ,increased funding amounts ,the ,secretary may grant increased award amounts to certain participants in the program under this section based on the site where a participant fulfilled his or her obligated service under the ,scholarship ,program or ,loan ,repayment ,program4 7,c7 ,private practice ,an individual participating in the emergency service under this section may practice a health profession in any private capacity when not obligated to fulfill the requirements described in subsection 7c74 7#b7 ,current ,,nhsc members 7,a7 ,in general ,an individual who is participating in the ,scholarship ,program under section #cch;,a or the ,loan ,repayment ,program under section #cch;,b may apply to participate in the program under this section while fulfilling the individual's obligated services under such program4 7,b7 ,clarifications ,notwithstanding any other provision of law or any contract with respect to service requirements under the ,scholarship ,program or ,loan ,repayment ,program1 an individual fulfilling service requirements described in subsection 7c7 shall not be considered in breach of such contract under such ,scholarship ,program or ,loan ,repayment ,program1 provided that the individual notifies the site at which the individual is fulfilling his or her obligated service requirements under such contract4 7,c7 ,no credit toward obligated service ,no period of service under the ,national ,disaster ,medical ,system described in subsection 7c77#a7 shall be counted toward satisfying a period of obligated service under the ,scholarship ,program or ,loan ,repayment ,program4 7c7 ,participants as members of the ,national ,disaster ,medical ,system 7#a7 ,service requirements ,an individual participating in the program under this section shall participate in the activities of the ,national ,disaster ,medical ,system under section #bhab in the same manner and to the same extent as other participants in such system4 7#b7 ,rights and requirements ,an individual participating in the program under this section shall be considered participants in the ,national ,disaster ,medical ,system and shall be subject to the rights and requirements of subsections 7c7 and 7d7 of section #bhab4 7d7 ,emergency service plan ,in carrying out this section1 the ,secretary1 in coordination with the ,administrator of the ,health ,resources and ,services ,administration and the ,assistant ,secretary for ,preparedness and ,response1 shall establish an action plan for the service commitments1 deployment protocols1 coordination efforts1 training requirements1 liability1 workforce development1 and such other considerations as the ,secretary determines appropriate4 ,such action plan shall-- 7#a7 ensure adherence to the missions of both the ,national ,health ,service ,corps and ,national ,disaster ,medical ,service2 7#b7 ensure an adequate health care workforce during a public health emergency declared by the ,secretary under section #cai of this ,act1 a major disaster declared by the ,president under section #dja of the ,robert ,t4 ,stafford ,disaster ,relief and ,emergency ,assistance ,act1 an emergency declared by the ,president under section #eja of the ,robert ,t4 ,stafford ,disaster ,relief and ,emergency ,assistance ,act1 or a national emergency declared by the ,president under the ,national ,emergencies ,act2 and 7#c7 describe how the program established under this section will be implemented in a manner consistent with1 and in furtherance of1 the assessments and goals for workforce and training described in the review conducted by the ,secretary under section #bhab7;b77#b74 7e7 ,contracts for certain participating individuals ,an individual who is participating in the emergency service program under this section shall receive loan repayments in an amount equal to #ej percent of the highest new award made for the year under the ,national ,health ,service ,corps ,loan ,repayment ,program pursuant to a contract entered into at the same time under section #cch;,b7g71 in a manner similar to the manner in which payments are made under such section1 pursuant to the terms of a contract between the ,secretary and such individual4 ,the ,secretary shall establish a system of contracting for purposes of this subsection which shall be similar to the contract requirements and terms under subsections 7c71 7d71 and 7f7 of section #cch;,b4 ,amounts received by an individual under this subsection shall be in addition to any amounts received by an individual described in subsection 7b77#b7 pursuant to the ,scholarship ,program under section #cch;,a or the ,loan ,repayment ,program under section #cch;,b1 as applicable4 7f7 ,breach of contract ,if an individual breaches the written contract of the individual under subsection 7e7 by failing either to begin such individual's service obligation in accordance with such contract or to complete such service obligation1 the ,united ,states shall be entitled to recover from the individual an amount equal to the sum of-- 7#a7 the total of the amounts paid by the ,united ,states under such contract on behalf of the individual for any period of such service not served2 7#b7 an amount equal to the product of the number of months of service that were not completed by the individual1 multiplied by #c1gej2 and 7#c7 the interest on the amounts described in paragraphs 7#a7 and 7#b71 at the maximum legal prevailing rate1 as determined by the ,treasurer of the ,united ,states1 from the date of the breach4 7g7 ,report ,not later than #d years after the date of enactment of this section1 the ,secretary shall submit to the ,committee on ,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions of the ,senate and the ,committee on ,energy and ,commerce of the ,house of ,representatives a report that evaluates the demonstration project established under this section1 including-- 7#a7 the effects of such program on health care access in underserved areas and health professional shortage areas and on public health emergency response capacity2 7#b7 the effects of such program on the health care provider workforce pipeline1 including any impact on the demographic representation among1 and the fields or specialties pursued by1 students in approved graduate training programs in medicine1 osteopathic medicine1 dentistry1 behavioral and mental health1 or other health profession2 7#c7 the impact of such program on the enrollment1 participation1 and completion of requirements in the underlying scholarship and loan repayment programs of the ,national ,health ,service ,corps2 7#d7 the effects of such program on the ,national ,disaster ,medical ,system's response capability1 readiness1 and workforce strength2 and 7#e7 recommendations for improving the demonstration project described in this section1 and any other considerations as the ,secretary determines appropriate4 4 #c4 ,funding for the ,nurse ,corps ,scholarship and ,loan ,repayment ,program 7a7 ,funding ,there are hereby appropriated1 out of amounts in the ,treasury not otherwise appropriated1 #a1jjj1jjj1jjj for fiscal year #bjbj1 for purposes of carrying out section #hdf of the ,public ,health ,service ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bign71 to remain available until expended1 except that-- 7#a7 of the amount appropriated under this heading and made available for scholarships and loan repayment1 not less than #dj percent shall be allocated for eligible applicants who are members of groups that are historically underrepresented in health care professions1 including racial and ethnic minorities and individuals from low-income urban and rural communities2 and 7#b7 to carry out the requirements of paragraph 7#a71 the ,secretary may coordinate with entities receiving funding under section #hba to identify1 recruit1 and select individuals to receive such scholarships4 7b7 ,emergency designation 7#a7 ,in general ,the amounts provided by this section are designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to section #d7;g7 of the ,statutory ,pay-,as-,you-,go ,act of #bjaj 7#b ,u4,s4,c4 #icc7;g774 7#b7 ,designation in senate ,in the ,senate1 this section is designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to section #daab7;a7 of ,h4 ,con4 ,res4 #ga 7#aaeth ,congress71 the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year #bjah4