To reauthorize programs related to health professions education, and for other purposes.
House Bill H.R. 4262, introduced by Ms. Schakowsky, would reauthorize a broad set of health professions education programs under the Public Health Service Act and lock in specific, annual funding levels for fiscal years 2026 through 2030. Rather than leaving funding for these programs to be determined year-by-year, the bill substitutes concrete appropriation amounts for each program, extending the programs through 2030 and updating certain program horizons (notably extending the data and analysis period of the National Center for Health Care Workforce Analysis). The overall aim is to bolster the education, training, loan repayment, and other supports for health professionals—particularly for disadvantaged students and in areas like primary care, geriatrics, dentistry, pediatrics, and public health—by providing stable, multi-year funding.
Key Points
- 1Reauthorizes a wide range of health professions education programs under the Public Health Service Act and sets funding through fiscal year 2030 (2026–2030).
- 2Establishes explicit annual appropriations for each program (examples include Centers of Excellence, Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students, Primary Care Training and Enhancement, Area Health Education Centers, Geriatrics education, Public Health Workforce Development, and Pediatric Specialty Loan Repayment, among others).
- 3Updates the funding horizon for the National Center for Health Care Workforce Analysis from 2021–2025 to 2026–2030.
- 4Emphasizes continued support for students and professionals from disadvantaged backgrounds and targeted training in primary care, dentistry (general/pediatric/public health dentistry), geriatrics, and pediatrics.
- 5Total program funding under the bill is roughly $317.6 million per year (about $1.59 billion over five years), subject to annual appropriations and any future changes, since the bill fixes the funding levels for 2026–2030.