,i  #aahth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #ihdi  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,september #be1      
#bjbd,ms4 ,ross introduced the following
 bill2 which was referred to the        
,committee on ,energy and ,commerce  ,a 
,,bill  ,to amend the ,public ,health   
,service ,act to address the shortage of
 medical laboratory personnel1 and for  
other purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this 
,act may be cited as the ,medical       
,laboratory ,personnel ,shortage ,relief
 ,act of #bjbd4  #b4 ,including medical 
laboratory personnel and services in    
,national ,health ,service ,corps       
programs  7a7 ,definition ,section      
#cca7;a7 of the ,public ,health ,service
 ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bed;d7a77 is      
amended-- 7#a7 in paragraph 7#c77;,d71  
by striking or mental health and        
inserting mental health1 or medical     
laboratory services2 and  7#b7 by adding
 at the end the following3  7,f7 ,the   
term medical laboratory personnel-- 7i7 
means individuals-- 7,i7 seeking or     

receiving training in an accredited     
medical laboratory science program2 or  
7,,ii7 employed in a position in which  
the individual examines materials       
derived from the human body for the     
purpose of providing information for the
 diagnosis1 prevention1 or treatment of 
a disease or impairment of human beings2
 and  7ii7 includes phlebotomists1      
medical laboratory assistants1          
histotechnologists1 laboratory          
scientists1 laboratory technicians1 and 
genetic counselors4  4  7b7 ,medical    
laboratory health professional target   
areas ,section #ccb of the ,public      
,health ,service ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4    
#bed;e7 is amended by adding at the end 
the following3  7l7 ,medical laboratory 
health professional target areas  7#a7  
,in general ,the ,secretary shall carry 
out a program of-- 7,a7 identifying     
medical laboratory health professional  
target areas2 and  7,b7 assigning       
members of the ,corps who are medical   
laboratory personnel to such areas4     

7#b7 ,applicable provisions ,the        
provisions of paragraphs 7#a71 7#b71    
7#c71 7#d71 and 7#f7 of subsection 7k7  
shall apply to the identification of    
medical laboratory health professional  
target areas and the assignment of      
medical laboratory personnel under this 
subsection except that-- 7,a7 references
 to maternity care health professional  
target areas shall be treated as        
references to medical laboratory health 
professional target areas2 and  7,b7    
references to maternity care health     
professionals and maternity care shall  
be treated as references to medical     
laboratory personnel and medical        
laboratory services1 respectively4  4   
7c7 ,loan repayment program ,section    
#cch;,b of the ,public ,health ,service 
,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bedl-#a7 is        
amended-- 7#a7 in subsection 7a77#a71 by
 inserting medical laboratory personnel1
 after dentists12 and  7#b7 in          
subsection 7b7-- 7,a7 by striking an    
individual must-- and all that follows  

through or physician assistant2 and     
inserting the following3 an individual  
must-- 7#a7 7,a7 7i7 have a degree in   
medicine1 osteopathic medicine1         
dentistry1 or another health profession1
 or an appropriate degree from a        
graduate program of behavioral and      
mental health2  7ii7 be certified as a  
nurse midwife1 nurse practitioner1 or   
physician assistant2 or  7iii7 have a   
degree in medical laboratory science2  2
  7,b7 in paragraph 7#a77;,b71 by       
inserting medical laboratory science1   
after mental health12 and  7,c7 in      
paragraph 7#a77;,c77ii71 by inserting   
medical laboratory science1 after       
dentistry14  #c4 ,medical laboratory    
personnel education program ,the ,public
 ,health ,service ,act is amended by    
inserting after section #ggh 7#db       
,u4,s4,c4 #bie;f-#c7 the following3     
#ggi4 ,medical laboratory personnel     
education program  7a7 ,in general ,the 
,secretary may make grants to1 or enter 
into contracts with1 eligible entities  

that the ,secretary has determined are  
capable of carrying out such grant or   
contract-- 7#a7 to plan1 develop1       
operate1 or participate in an accredited
 medical laboratory professional        
education program that awards an        
associate's1 bachelor's1 or graduate    
degree or certificate2 and  7#b7 to     
recruit1 train1 and develop faculty for 
such program4  7b7 ,priorities in making
 awards ,in awarding grants and         
contracts under paragraph 7#a71 the     
,secretary shall give priority to       
eligible entities that-- 7#a7 utilize   
innovative approaches to clinical       
teaching2  7#b7 are committed to        
training individuals from rural1        
underrepresented1 or disadvantaged      
backgrounds2  7#c7 teach collaboration  
among health professionals2 or  7#d7    
provide training in cultural competency 
and health literacy4  7c7 ,duration of  
awards ,a grant or contract awarded     
under this subsection shall be for a    
period of #c years4  7d7 ,eligible      

entity defined ,in this section1 the    
term eligible entity means an accredited
 nonprofit hospital1 school of allied   
health1 or nonprofit entity that        
sponsors accredited internship programs 
required for professional certification4
  7e7 ,authorization of appropriations  
,there is authorized to be appropriated 
to carry out this section-- 7#a7        
#be1jjj1jjj for the first full fiscal   
year beginning after the date of        
enactment of this ,act2 and  7#b7 such  
sums as may be necessary for subsequent 
fiscal years4  4