,,ii  #aagth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #cbdd  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,november #ah1 
#bjba,ms4 ,baldwin 7for herself1 ,ms4   
,collins1 ,ms4 ,rosen1 ,ms4 ,murkowski1 
,mrs4 ,gillibrand1 and ,mr4 ,cardin7    
introduced the following bill2 which was
 read twice and referred to the         
,committee on ,health1 ,education1      
,labor1 and ,pensions  ,a ,,bill  ,to   
amend the ,public ,health ,service ,act 
to establish a ,bio-,preparedness and   
,infectious ,diseases ,workforce ,loan  
,repayment ,program4  #a4 ,short title  
,this ,act may be cited as the          
,bolstering ,infectious ,outbreaks      
,preparedness ,workforce ,act of #bjba  
or the ,,bio ,preparedness ,workforce   
,act of #bjba4  #b4 ,establishment of a 
,bio-,preparedness and ,infectious      
,diseases ,workforce ,loan ,repayment   
,program ,subpart #c of part ,e of title
 ,,vii of the ,public ,health ,service  
,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bie;f et seq47 is  
amended by inserting after section #ggf 

7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bie;f-#a7 the following3
  #ggf;,a ,bio-,preparedness and        
,infectious ,diseases ,workforce ,loan  
,repayment ,program  7a7 ,establishment 
,the ,secretary1 acting through the     
,administrator of the ,health ,resources
 and ,services ,administration1 shall   
establish the ,bio-,preparedness and    
,infectious ,diseases ,workforce ,loan  
,repayment ,program 7referred to in this
 section as the ,program7 to ensure an  
adequate supply of health care          
professionals engaged in                
bio-preparedness and response activities
 described in subsection                
7c77#b77;,a77#a7 and health care        
professionals engaged in infectious     
disease care described in subsection    
7c77#b77;,a77ii74  7b7 ,eligibility     
7#a7 ,in general ,to be eligible to     
participate in the ,program1 an         
individual shall-- 7,a7 7i7 be accepted 
for enrollment1 or be enrolled1 as a    
student in an accredited academic       
educational institution in a ,state or  

territory in the final year of a course 
of study or program leading to a health 
professions degree or certificate       
described in paragraph 7#b72 or  7ii7   
have graduated1 during the preceding    
#aj-year period1 from an accredited     
educational institution in a ,state or  
territory and received a health         
professions degree or certificate       
described in paragraph 7#b72  7,b7 be a 
,united ,states citizen2  7,c7 7i7      
submit an application to the ,secretary 
to participate in the ,program2 and     
7ii7 execute a written contract as      
required in subsection 7c72 and  7,d7   
not have received1 for the same service1
 a reduction of loan obligations under--
 7i7 section #cch;,b1 #cch;,i1 #ggf1 or 
#hdf2 or  7ii7 section #dbh,k or #dbh,l 
of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife4
  7#b7 ,health professions degree or    
certificate ,a health professions degree
 or certificate described in this       
paragraph is a degree or certificate    
for-- 7,a7 a doctor of medicine2  7,b7 a

 doctor of osteopathic medicine2  7,c7 a
 doctor of philosophy2  7,d7 a doctor of
 pharmacy2  7,e7 certification as a     
registered nurse2  7,f7 a bachelor of   
science in nursing2  7,g7 a master of   
science in nursing2  7,h7 certification 
as a nurse practitioner2  7,i7          
certification as a physician assistant2 
7,j7 a doctor of public health2  7,k7 a 
master of public health2  7,l7 a master 
of science in epidemiology2  7,m7 a     
bachelor of science in medical          
technology2  7,n7 certification in      
medical technology or as a medical lab  
scientist2  7,o7 a doctor of dental     
surgery1 doctor of medicine in          
dentistry1 or doctor of dental medicine2
 and  7,p7 completion of any other      
program determined appropriate by the   
,secretary4  7c7 ,contract  7#a7 ,in    
general ,the written contract 7referred 
to in this section as the written       
contract7 between the ,secretary and an 
individual shall contain-- 7,a7 an      
agreement on the part of the ,secretary 

that the ,secretary will repay on behalf
 of the individual loans incurred by the
 individual in the pursuit of the       
relevant degree or certificate in       
accordance with the terms of the        
contract2  7,b7 an agreement on the part
 of the individual that the individual  
will serve as a health care professional
 engaged in a qualified role for a      
period of time 7referred to in this     
section as the period of obligated      
service7 equal to the greater of-- 7i7  
#c years2 or  7ii7 such longer period of
 time as determined appropriate by the  
,secretary and the individual2  7,c7 a  
provision that any financial obligation 
of the ,united ,states arising out of a 
contract entered into under this section
 and any obligation of the individual   
that is conditioned thereon1 is         
contingent on funds being appropriated  
for loan repayments under this section2 
7,d7 a statement of the damages to which
 the ,united ,states is entitled1 under 
this section for the individual's breach

 of the contract2 and  7,e7 such other  
statements of the rights and liabilities
 of the ,secretary and of the           
individual1 not inconsistent with this  
section4  7#b7 ,qualified role  7,a7 ,in
 general ,in this subsection1 the term  
qualified role means either of the      
following3 7i7 ,bio-preparedness health 
care professional ,a role in which the  
health care professional spends not less
 than #ej percent of their time engaged 
in bio-preparedness and response        
activities1 including-- 7,i7 developing 
and updating response1 surge1 and       
isolation capacity plans and protocols2 
7,,ii7 collaborating with ,state1 local1
 and ,tribal health departments on      
preparedness and response efforts2      
7,,iii7 training health care facility   
personnel in matters related to         
bio-preparedness2  7,,iv7 purchasing and
 managing equipment 7such as personal   
protective equipment7 for public health 
emergencies1 including those declared   
under section #cai2  7,v7 executing     

readiness assessments for public health 
emergencies1 including those declared   
under section #cai2  7,,vi7 repurposing 
areas of a health care facility to      
manage patient influx2  7,,vii7         
communicating with the public regarding 
preventing or responding to public      
health emergencies1 including those     
declared under section #cai2  7,,viii7  
performing infection prevention and     
control and environmental disinfection2 
7,,ix7 conducting epidemiologic         
surveillance and investigations2 and    
7,x7 conducting antimicrobial           
stewardship4  7ii7 ,infectious diseases 
health care professional ,a role        
7including through a fellowship7 in     
which the health care professional      
spends not less than #ej percent of     
their time engaging in infectious       
disease care-- 7,i7 in a medically      
underserved community2  7,,ii7 for a    
medically underserved population as     
defined in section #ccj7;b77#c72        
7,,iii7 at a ,federally qualified health

 center or rural health clinic 7as those
 terms are defined in section #ahfa7;aa7
 of the ,social ,security ,act72  7,,iv7
 at a health center receiving assistance
 under section #ccj2  7,v7 at a ,federal
 medical facility2  7,,vi7 in a health  
program1 or at a facility operated1 by  
an ,indian ,tribe or ,tribal            
organization 7as those terms are defined
 in section #d of the ,indian           
,self-,determination and ,education     
,assistance ,act7 or by an urban ,indian
 organization as defined in section #d  
of the ,indian ,health ,care            
,improvement ,act2  7,,vii7 in a health 
professional shortage area as designated
 under section #ccb2  7,,viii7 at an    
entity receiving assistance under title 
,,xxvi for the provision of clinical    
services2  7,,ix7 at a critical access  
hospital 7as defined in section         
#ahfa7mm77#a7 of the ,social ,security  
,act72  7,x7 in a frontier health       
professional shortage area2 or  7,,xi7  
at an accredited public academic        

educational institution in a ,state or  
territory or health care setting        
affiliated with such an institution4    
7,b7 ,employment by public health agency
 ,the term qualified role does not      
include a role in which the health care 
professional is employed by a ,federal1 
,state1 local1 or ,tribal public health 
agency or is in a related training      
fellowship1 as recognized by the        
,secretary1 excluding-- 7i7 a role under
 clause 7i7 of subparagraph 7,a7 in     
which the health care professional is   
employed at a medical facility described
 in subclause 7,,xi7 of subparagraph    
7,a77ii72  7ii7 a role under clause 7ii7
 of subparagraph 7,a7 in which the      
health care professional is employed at 
a medical facility described in         
subclause 7,v71 7,,vi71 or 7,,xi7 of    
subparagraph 7,a77ii72 or  7iii7 a role 
under clause 7i7 or 7ii7 of subparagraph
 7,a7 in which the health care          
professional is employed in any other   
setting specified by the ,secretary4    

7#c7 ,health care professional ,in this 
section1 the term health care           
professional includes-- 7,a7 with       
respect to an individual in a role      
described in paragraph 7#b77;,a77i71 an 
individual who is-- 7i7 a physician2    
7ii7 a clinical pharmacist2  7iii7 a    
physician assistant2  7iv7 an advanced  
practice registered nurse2  7v7 an      
infection preventionist2 or  7vi7 a     
laboratory professional2 or  7,b7 with  
respect to an individual in a role      
described in paragraph 7#b77;,a77ii71 an
 individual who is-- 7i7 a physician2   
7ii7 a clinical pharmacist2  7iii7 a    
physician assistant2  7iv7 a dentist2 or
  7v7 an advanced practice registered   
nurse4  7d7 ,payments  7#a7 ,in general 
,a loan repayment provided for an       
individual under a written contract     
under the ,program shall consist of     
payment1 in accordance with paragraph   
7#b71 on behalf of the individual of the
 principal1 interest1 and related       
expenses on government and commercial   

loans received by the individual        
regarding the undergraduate or graduate 
education of the individual 7or both71  
which loans were made for tuition       
expenses incurred by the individual4    
7#b7 ,payments for years served ,for    
each year of obligated service that an  
individual contracts to serve under     
subsection 7c71 the ,secretary may pay  
up to #ej1jjj on behalf of the          
individual for loans described in       
paragraph 7#a74 ,with respect to        
participants under the ,program whose   
total eligible loans are less than      
#aej1jjj1 the ,secretary shall pay an   
amount that does not exceed #a_/c of the
 eligible loan balance for each year of 
obligated service of the individual4    
7#c7 ,tax liability ,for the purpose of 
providing reimbursements for tax        
liability resulting from payments under 
paragraph 7#b7 on behalf of an          
individual1 the ,secretary shall1 in    
addition to such payments1 make payments
 to the individual in an amount not to  

exceed #ci percent of the total amount  
of loan repayments made for the taxable 
year involved4  7e7 ,postponing         
obligated service ,with respect to any  
individual participating in the         
,program1 the date of the initiation of 
the period of obligated service may be  
postponed as approved by the ,secretary4
  7f7 ,breach of contract ,an individual
 who fails to comply with the contract  
entered into under subsection 7c7 shall 
be subject to the same financial        
penalties as provided for under section 
#cch;,e for breaches of loan repayment  
contracts under section #cch;,b4  7g7   
,considerations ,in awarding contracts  
under this section1 the ,secretary may--
 7#a7 distribute contracts under this   
section equitably among geographic areas
 of the ,united ,states2 and  7#b7      
ensure that contracts under this section
 help to increase the number of         
underrepresented minority individuals   
7as defined in section #gch7;b77#e77    
serving as heath care professionals in  

roles described in clauses 7i7 and 7ii7 
of subsection 7c77#b77;,a74  7h7        
,additional criteria ,the ,secretary--  
7#a7 may establish1 in addition to the  
criteria and rules specified in this    
section1 such criteria and rules to     
carry out this section as the ,secretary
 determines are needed2 and  7#b7 shall 
give notice to the committees specified 
in subsection 7i7 of any criteria and   
rules so established4  7i7 ,report to   
congress ,not later than #c years after 
the date of enactment of this section1  
and every other year thereafter1 the    
,secretary shall prepare and 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 on-- 7#a7 the number and location
 of borrowers who have qualified for    
loan repayments under this section2 and 
7#b7 the impact of this section on the  
availability of-- 7,a7 health care      
professionals engaged in                

bio-preparedness and response activities
 described in subsection                
7c77#b77;,a77i71 and health care        
professionals engaged in infectious     
disease care described in subsection    
7c77#b77;,a77ii71 nationally2 and  7,b7 
health care professionals engaged in    
infectious disease care described in    
subsection 7c77#b77;,a77ii7 in the areas
 and settings listed in such subsection4
  7j7 ,authorization of appropriations  
,there is authorized to be appropriated 
to carry out this section #ej1jjj1jjj   
for each of fiscal years #bjbc through  
#bjbg4  4