Promoting Health Careers in Community and Technical Colleges Act
This bill, titled the Promoting Health Careers in Community and Technical Colleges Act, would strengthen the Health Professions Opportunity Grants (HPOG) program by tying grant outcomes to credential attainment. Specifically, it requires any entity awarded a grant to run a health professions demonstration project to ensure participants earn a recognized postsecondary credential (including industry-recognized credentials). It also expands eligibility to include community colleges as eligible grantees for conducting these demonstration projects. The changes take effect October 1, 2025. In short, the bill aims to formalize credential-focused training within HPOG and explicitly open up grant opportunities to more community-based colleges. The bill amends the Social Security Act to (a) mandate credential attainment for participants and (b) clarify that community colleges are eligible to apply for and receive HPOG demonstration project funds. It references existing sections and cross-references to ensure the changes apply to current program structures, with a clear effective date for the new requirements.
Key Points
- 1Grantees must train project participants to earn a recognized postsecondary credential, including industry-recognized credentials.
- 2Community colleges are explicitly made eligible to receive grants to conduct health professions opportunity demonstration projects.
- 3The statute reorganizes and updates cross-references within the Health Professions Opportunity Grants framework to accommodate the new eligibility and credential requirements.
- 4The changes apply to new or ongoing grants beginning October 1, 2025.
- 5The bill focuses on promoting pathways to recognized credentials in health care through funded demonstration projects, expanding access to community colleges as grantee partners.