What This Bill Does · Plain English
Summary · Congress.gov
Medical Laboratory Personnel Shortage Relief Act of 2025 This bill adds medical laboratory professionals to the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) and establishes a grant program to fund education programs for medical laboratory professionals. Specifically, it makes medical laboratory professionals eligible to participate in the NHSC, which provides scholarships and student loan repayment awards to health care providers who agree to work in areas with health care provider shortages. The bill also authorizes the Department of Health and Human Services to award grants to, or enter into contracts with, certain hospitals, schools, and nonprofits to develop and operate accredited education programs that award degrees or certificates to medical laboratory professionals.
Carveouts & Earmarks · 2 line items · $25M tagged
Specific dollar amounts in this bill that flow to identifiable companies or programs — the actual cash trail.
$25M
Sec. 3
"There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section— (1) $25,000,000 for the first full fiscal year beginning after the date of enactment of this Act; and (2) such sums as may be necessary for subsequent fiscal years."
→ Secretary of Health and Human Services
—
Sec. 3
"The Secretary may make grants to, or enter into contracts with, eligible entities that the Secretary has determined are capable of carrying out such grant or contract— (1) to plan, develop, operate, or participate in an accredited medical laboratory professional education program that awards an associate’s, bachelor’s, or graduate degree or certificate; and (2) to recruit, train, and develop faculty for such program."
→ eligible entities
Action Timeline
2025-09-17
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
2025-09-17
Introduced in House
2025-09-17
Introduced in House
Frequently Asked Questions
Did HR.5444 pass?
HR.5444 is still alive. Current stage: COMMITTEE. Pass likelihood: pending.
What does HR.5444 do?
Medical Laboratory Personnel Shortage Relief Act of 2025 This bill adds medical laboratory professionals to the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) and establishes a grant program to fund education programs for medical laboratory professionals. Specifically, it makes medical laboratory professionals eligible to participate in the NHSC, which provides scholarships and student loan repayment awards to health care providers who agree to work in areas with health care provider shortages. The bill also authorizes the Department of Health and Human Services to award grants to, or enter into contrac…
Who sponsored HR.5444?
HR.5444 was sponsored by Deborah K. Ross (D-North Carolina).
How much money does HR.5444 spend?
HR.5444 contains $25M in identified line-item carveouts to specific programs and companies, across 2 earmarks.
Full Bill Text
119 HR 5444 IH: Medical Laboratory Personnel Shortage Relief Act of 2025 U.S. House of Representatives 2025-09-17 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain. I 119th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 5444 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES September 17, 2025 Ms. Ross (for herself and Mrs. Kiggans of Virginia ) introduced the following bill; 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 personnel, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Medical Laboratory Personnel Shortage Relief Act of 2025 . 2. Including medical laboratory personnel and services in National Health Service Corps programs (a) Definition Section 331(a) of the Public Health Service Act ( 42 U.S.C. 254d(a) ) is amended— (1) in paragraph (3)(D), by striking or mental health and inserting mental health, or medical laboratory services ; and (2) by adding at the end the following: (F) The term medical laboratory personnel — (i) means individuals— (I) seeking or receiving training in an accredited medical laboratory science program; or (II) employed in a position in which the individual examines materials derived from the human body for the purpose of providing information for the diagnosis, prevention, or treatment of a disease or impairment of human beings; and (ii) includes phlebotomists, medical laboratory assistants, histotechnologists, laboratory scientists, laboratory technicians, and genetic counselors. . (b) Medical laboratory health professional target areas Section 332 of the Public Health Service Act ( 42 U.S.C. 254e ) is amended by adding at the end the following: (l) Medical laboratory health professional target areas (1) In general The Secretary shall carry out a program of— (A) identifying medical laboratory health professional target areas; and (B) assigning members of the Corps who are medical laboratory personnel to such areas. (2) Applicable provisions The provisions of paragraphs (1), (2), (3), (4), and (6) of subsection (k) shall apply to the identification of medical laboratory health professional target areas and the assignment of medical laboratory personnel under this subsection except that— (A) references to maternity care health professional target areas shall be treated as references to medical laboratory health professional target areas; and (B) references to maternity care health professionals and maternity care shall be treated as references to medical laboratory personnel and medical laboratory services, respectively. . (c) Loan repayment program Section 338B of the Public Health Service Act ( 42 U.S.C. 254l–1 ) is amended— (1) in subsection (a)(1), by inserting medical laboratory personnel, after dentists, ; and (2) in subsection (b)— (A) by striking an individual must— and all that follows through or physician assistant; and inserting the following: an individual must— (1) (A) (i) have a degree in medicine, osteopathic medicine, dentistry, or another health profession, or an appropriate degree from a graduate program of behavioral and mental health; (ii) be certified as a nurse midwife, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant; or (iii) have a degree in medical laboratory science; ; (B) in paragraph (1)(B), by inserting medical laboratory science, after mental health, ; and (C) in paragraph (1)(C)(ii), by inserting medical laboratory science, after dentistry, . 3. Medical laboratory personnel education program The Public Health Service Act is amended by inserting after section 778 ( 42 U.S.C. 295f–3 ) the following: 779. Medical laboratory personnel education program (a) In general The Secretary may make grants to, or enter into contracts with, eligible entities that the Secretary has determined are capable of carrying out such grant or contract— (1) to plan, develop, operate, or participate in an accredited medical laboratory professional education program that awards an associate’s, bachelor’s, or graduate degree or certificate; and (2) to recruit, train, and develop faculty for such program. (b) Priorities in making awards In awarding grants and contracts under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall give priority to eligible entities that— (1) utilize innovative approaches to clinical teaching; (2) are committed to training individuals from rural, underrepresented, or disadvantaged backgrounds; (3) teach collaboration among health professionals; or (4) provide training in cultural competency and health literacy. (c) Duration of awards A grant or contract awarded under this subsection shall be for a period of 3 years. (d) Eligible entity defined In this section, the term eligible entity means an accredited nonprofit hospital, school of allied health, or nonprofit entity that sponsors accredited internship programs required for professional certification. (e) Authorization of appropriations There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section— (1) $25,000,000 for the first full fiscal year beginning after the date of enactment of this Act; and (2) such sums as may be necessary for subsequent fiscal years. .
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