HR 5370119th CongressIntroduced

To provide low-income individuals with opportunities to enter and follow a career pathway in the health professions, and for other purposes.

Introduced: Sep 16, 2025

HealthcareLabor & Employment

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

H.R. 5370, titled the Pathways to Health Careers Act, would create a new federal grant program—Career Pathways through Health Profession Opportunity Grants (Health POG grants)—to help low-income individuals enter and advance in health professions. The program would fund eligible entities (such as local workforce boards, colleges, hospitals, tribal organizations, federally qualified health centers, and other health/education organizations) to deliver career pathways that combine basic education, work readiness, training, and robust support services (like case management, career coaching, child care, and transportation). A key feature is the inclusion of demonstration projects, including one focused on helping people with arrest or conviction records enter health careers and another focused on maternal health workforce pathways (e.g., doulas and midwives) in states that recognize these roles. The act would authorize substantial funding for 2026–2030, establish grant cycles of at least five years, and require rigorous program evaluation and reporting. Overall, the bill aims to reduce barriers for low-income individuals while addressing health workforce shortages by creating integrated, supportive training pathways.

Key Points

1Establishes Health Profession Opportunity Grants (Health POG) under the Social Security Act to train low-income individuals for well-paying health careers through a career pathways approach, including education, training, and job placement supports.
2Eligible entities and individuals:
3- Eligible entities include local workforce development boards, state or tribal entities, institutions of higher education, hospitals, high-quality skilled nursing facilities, FQHCs, nonprofits, labor organizations, and tribal colleges/universities.
4- Eligible individuals are those with family incomes not exceeding 200% of the federal poverty level.
5Demonstration projects (two types) as part of the program:
6- Type I: Education/training for individuals with arrest or conviction records to pursue health careers.
7- Type II: Maternal mortality career pathway demonstration (training for doulas/midwives in states that recognize and pay for these services).
8- Each demonstration must run at least five years, with minimum funding allocations (not less than 25% of total funds for each type).
9Grant structure and duration:
10- Competitive grants for core training in allied health, health information tech, various nursing roles, emergency medical services, and other health career pathways.
11- 5-year grant cycle with a planning period of up to 12 months.
12- At least 2 eligible entities per state (where feasible) and minimum tribal/territorial grant guarantees.
13Use of funds and required supports:
14- Must include adult basic education/literacy activities; work readiness; training; and robust case management with career coaching.
15- Mandatory supports: affordable child care, transportation assistance, stipends or wage supplements, and access to legal assistance for records-related barriers (especially for the arrest/conviction demonstration).
16- Training must lead to a recognized postsecondary credential (including industry-recognized credentials or credentials from local workforce boards).
17Income and eligibility rules:
18- Cash stipends and emergency assistance provided to participants are not considered income for tax purposes; no required information returns for these payments.
19- Affected programs must ensure participants meet income eligibility and not use funds for entertainment; celebrations of career milestones are allowed.
20Preferences in grant selection:
21- Prior grantees or predecessors; strong partnerships with government agencies, higher education, and health employers; rural project focus; cash stipends; and emergency cash funds.
22Evaluation, reporting, and accountability:
23- Requires rigorous evaluations of demonstration projects; specific evaluation focus for arrest/conviction and maternal mortality pathways.
24- Mandates interim and final reports on participant outcomes (credentials, employment, earnings, demographics, etc.), plus annual reporting on program implementation and federal personnel actions.
25- Includes annual synthesis of broader evaluations and longer-term effects of Health POG grants.
26Funding and administration:
27- Authorized to appropriate $435 million per fiscal year from 2026 through 2030.
28- A small portion (about 10 million per year) reserved for central administration staffing for administering and evaluating the program.
29- Allocation among core grants, demonstration grants, and technical assistance/staffing, with specified percentages for different purposes.
30- Priority given to agencies with relevant experience and to ensure adequate staffing and evaluation capacity.
31Definitions and scope:
32- Clarifies terms such as “allied health profession,” “career pathway” (as defined in the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act), “doula,” “midwife,” and “eligible entity.”
33- Expands eligible entities to include hospitals, FQHCs, certain nursing facilities, tribal organizations, and other health-focused providers.
34- Defines “territory” to include Puerto Rico and several U.S. territories.
35Nonapplicability clause:
36- The traditional subtitle sections do not apply to these grants, with some limited exceptions, signaling that Health POG grants operate under a specialized framework distinct from other related programs.

Impact Areas

Primary group/area affected- Low-income individuals seeking careers in health professions (up to 200% of the federal poverty level), including those in rural areas or facing barriers such as child care, transportation, legal barriers from arrest/conviction records, and other access challenges.Secondary group/area affected- Health care employers, hospitals, clinics, and community/tribal health organizations that partner with grant recipients.- Institutions delivering adult basic education, workforce development boards, apprenticeship programs, and tribal colleges/universities.- Pregnant or postpartum communities and workers in maternal health sectors (doulas, midwives) in states recognizing these roles.Additional impacts- Potential improvement in health workforce diversity, credential attainment, and wages/benefits through career pathway advancement.- Increased access to supportive services (child care, transportation, legal help) that can benefit participants beyond health career goals.- Data collection and evaluation will inform future workforce policy and the effectiveness of integrated supportive services in workforce development.- Geographic focus could bolster health workforce capacity in rural areas and tribal communities.The bill emphasizes a holistic, wraparound approach (education, training, coaching, and practical supports) designed to reduce barriers for low-income individuals.It also explicitly addresses specific workforce needs, including entry points for people with criminal records and the growing maternal health workforce (doulas/midwives) in certain states.Funding level and program structure suggest a multi-year, federally coordinated effort with ongoing evaluation to guide improvements in health career pathways.

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