H.R. 5444

119 HR 5444 IH: Medical Laboratory Personnel Shortage Relief Act of 2025
 U.S. House of Representatives
 2025-09-17
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 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.
 .