Bill > HR5444

This bill aims to address the shortage of medical laboratory personnel by making several key changes to the Public Health Service Act. It expands the National Health Service Corps programs to include medical laboratory personnel, defining this group as individuals training in or working in medical laboratory science, such as phlebotomists, laboratory technicians, and genetic counselors. The bill establishes a program to identify medical laboratory health professional target areas and assign corps members to these regions, similar to existing programs for other healthcare professionals. It also modifies the loan repayment program to include medical laboratory science professionals, making them eligible for student loan assistance if they work in underserved areas. Additionally, the bill creates a new education program that can provide grants to eligible entities like nonprofit hospitals and schools to develop and operate accredited medical laboratory professional education programs. Priority will be given to programs that use innovative teaching methods, train individuals from rural or disadvantaged backgrounds, emphasize collaboration among health professionals, and provide training in cultural competency. The bill authorizes $25 million in funding for the first fiscal year, with additional funding to be determined in subsequent years, to support these initiatives aimed at addressing the medical laboratory personnel shortage.

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https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/5444/all-info