Allied Health Workforce Diversity Act of 2021

IB Union Calendar No. 155 117TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 3320 [Report No. 117–214] To amend title VII of the Public Health Service Act to authorize assistance for increasing workforce diversity in the professions of physical therapy, occupational therapy, respiratory therapy, audiology, and speech-language pathology, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MAY 18, 2021 Mr. RUSH (for himself and Mr. MULLIN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce DECEMBER 8, 2021 Additional sponsors: Mrs. AXNE, Ms. BARRAGA´N, Mrs. BEATTY, Ms. BONAMICI, Mr. FITZPATRICK, Mr. GRIJALVA, Ms. KELLY of Illinois, Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI, Ms. SEWELL, Mr. COHEN, Ms. PINGREE, Mr. CLEAVER, Ms. DEAN, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Mr. EVANS, Mr. DOGGETT, Mr. TONKO, Mr. SOTO, Mr. CASTRO of Texas, Mr. SUOZZI, Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, Mr. PAPPAS, Mr. YARMUTH, Ms. ROSS, Mr. MALINOWSKI, Mr. GOTTHEIMER, Mr. KAHELE, Mr. TRONE, Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALO- NEY of New York, Mr. COLE, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Ms. UNDERWOOD, Ms. WILD, Ms. MANNING, Mr. ALLRED, Ms. HERRERA BEUTLER, Ms. BLUNT ROCHESTER, Ms. DEGETTE, Mr. QUIGLEY, Miss GONZA´LEZ- COLO´N, and Ms. WILLIAMS of Georgia VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:10 Dec 09, 2021 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6652 E:\BILLS\H3320.RH H3320 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 3320 RH DECEMBER 8, 2021 Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] [For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on May 18, 2021] A BILL To amend title VII of the Public Health Service Act to authorize assistance for increasing workforce diversity in the professions of physical therapy, occupational ther- apy, respiratory therapy, audiology, and speech-language pathology, and for other purposes. VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:10 Dec 09, 2021 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6652 E:\BILLS\H3320.RH H3320 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 3320 RH Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Allied Health Workforce 4 Diversity Act of 2021’’. 5 SEC. 2. INCREASING WORKFORCE DIVERSITY IN THE PRO- 6 FESSIONS OF PHYSICAL THERAPY, OCCUPA- 7 TIONAL THERAPY, RESPIRATORY THERAPY, 8 AUDIOLOGY, AND SPEECH-LANGUAGE PA- 9 THOLOGY. 10 Title VII of the Public Health Service Act is amend- 11 ed— 12 (1) by redesignating part G (42 U.S.C. 295j et 13 seq.) as part H; and 14 (2) by inserting after part F (42 U.S.C. 295h) 15 the following new part: 16 ‘‘PART G—INCREASING WORKFORCE DIVERSITY 17 IN THE PROFESSIONS OF PHYSICAL THER- 18 APY, OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY, RES- 19 PIRATORY THERAPY, AUDIOLOGY, AND 20 SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY 21 ‘‘SEC. 783. SCHOLARSHIPS AND STIPENDS. 22 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may award grants 23 and contracts to eligible entities to increase educational op- 24 portunities in the professions of physical therapy, occupa- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:10 Dec 09, 2021 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\H3320.RH H3320 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 3320 RH tional therapy, respiratory therapy, audiology, and speech- 1 language pathology for eligible individuals by— 2 ‘‘(1) providing student scholarships or stipends, 3 including for— 4 ‘‘(A) completion of an accelerated degree 5 program; 6 ‘‘(B) completion of an associate’s, bachelor’s, 7 master’s, or doctoral degree program; and 8 ‘‘(C) entry by a diploma or associate’s de- 9 gree practitioner into a bridge or degree comple- 10 tion program; 11 ‘‘(2) providing assistance for completion of pre- 12 requisite courses or other preparation necessary for 13 acceptance for enrollment in the eligible entity; and 14 ‘‘(3) carrying out activities to increase the reten- 15 tion of students in one or more programs in the pro- 16 fessions of physical therapy, occupational therapy, 17 respiratory therapy, audiology, and speech-language 18 pathology. 19 ‘‘(b) CONSIDERATION OF RECOMMENDATIONS.—In 20 carrying out subsection (a), the Secretary shall take into 21 consideration the recommendations of national organiza- 22 tions representing the professions of physical therapy, occu- 23 pational therapy, respiratory therapy, audiology, and 24 speech-language pathology, including the American Phys- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:10 Dec 09, 2021 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\H3320.RH H3320 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 5 •HR 3320 RH ical Therapy Association, the American Occupational Ther- 1 apy Association, the American Speech-Language-Hearing 2 Association, the American Association for Respiratory 3 Care, the American Academy of Audiology, and the Acad- 4 emy of Doctors of Audiology. 5 ‘‘(c) REQUIRED INFORMATION AND CONDITIONS FOR 6 AWARD RECIPIENTS.— 7 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may require 8 recipients of awards under this section to report to 9 the Secretary concerning the annual admission, reten- 10 tion, and graduation rates for eligible individuals in 11 programs of the recipient leading to a degree in any 12 of the professions of physical therapy, occupational 13 therapy, respiratory therapy, audiology, and speech- 14 language pathology. 15 ‘‘(2) FALLING RATES.—If any of the rates re- 16 ported by a recipient under paragraph (1) fall below 17 the average for such recipient over the two years pre- 18 ceding the year covered by the report, the recipient 19 shall provide the Secretary with plans for imme- 20 diately improving such rates. 21 ‘‘(3) INELIGIBILITY.—A recipient described in 22 paragraph (2) shall be ineligible for continued fund- 23 ing under this section if the plan of the recipient fails 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:10 Dec 09, 2021 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\H3320.RH H3320 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 6 •HR 3320 RH to improve the rates within the 1-year period begin- 1 ning on the date such plan is implemented. 2 ‘‘(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 3 ‘‘(1) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—The term ‘eligible en- 4 tity’ means an accredited education program that is 5 carrying out a program for recruiting and retaining 6 students underrepresented in the professions of phys- 7 ical therapy, occupational therapy, respiratory ther- 8 apy, audiology, and speech-language pathology (in- 9 cluding racial or ethnic minorities, or students from 10 disadvantaged backgrounds). 11 ‘‘(2) ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUAL.—The term ‘eligible 12 individual’ means an individual who— 13 ‘‘(A) is a member of a class of persons who 14 are underrepresented in the professions of phys- 15 ical therapy, occupational therapy, respiratory 16 therapy, audiology, and speech-language pathol- 17 ogy, including individuals who are— 18 ‘‘(i) racial or ethnic minorities; 19 ‘‘(ii) from disadvantaged backgrounds; 20 or 21 ‘‘(iii) individuals with a disability (as 22 defined in section 3(1) of the Americans 23 with Disabilities Act of 1990), or who have 24 an individualized education program (as 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:10 Dec 09, 2021 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\H3320.RH H3320 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 7 •HR 3320 RH defined in section 602 of the Individuals 1 with Disabilities Education Act), are cov- 2 ered under section 504 of the Rehabilitation 3 Act of 1973, or have other documentation 4 establishing the student’s disability (as such 5 term is defined in section 3(1) of the Ameri- 6 cans with Disabilities Act of 1990); 7 ‘‘(B) has a financial need for a scholarship 8 or stipend; and 9 ‘‘(C) is enrolled (or accepted for enrollment) 10 at an audiology, speech-language pathology, res- 11 piratory therapy, physical therapy, or occupa- 12 tional therapy program as a full-time student at 13 an eligible entity. 14 ‘‘(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 15 authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 16 $8,000,000 for the first fiscal year commencing after the 17 date of enactment of the Allied Health Workforce Diversity 18 Act of 2021 and each of the 4 succeeding fiscal years.’’. 19 SEC. 3. ELIGIBILITY CLARIFICATION REGARDING STU- 20 DENTS SUPPORTED THROUGH MENTAL AND 21 BEHAVIORAL HEALTH EDUCATION AND 22 TRAINING GRANTS. 23 Section 756(a)(1) of the Public Health Service Act (42 24 U.S.C. 294e–1(a)(1)) is amended by inserting after ‘‘occu- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:10 Dec 09, 2021 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\H3320.RH H3320 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 8 •HR 3320 RH pational therapy’’ the following: ‘‘(which may include mas- 1 ter’s and doctoral level programs)’’. 2 VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:10 Dec 09, 2021 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\H3320.RH H3320 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:10 Dec 09, 2021 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\H3320.RH H3320 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS Union Calendar No. 155 117TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 3320 [Report No. 117–214] A BILL To amend title VII of the Public Health Service Act to authorize assistance for increasing work- force diversity in the professions of physical ther- apy, occupational therapy, respiratory therapy, audiology, and speech-language pathology, and for other purposes. DECEMBER 8, 2021 Reported with an amendment, committed to the Com- mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:10 Dec 09, 2021 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6651 Sfmt 6651 E:\BILLS\H3320.RH H3320 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS