IHS Workforce Parity Act of 2025

The IHS Workforce Parity Act of 2025 would modify the Indian Health Care Improvement Act to give Indian Health Service (IHS) scholarship and loan recipients the option to satisfy their service obligations through half-time clinical practice, in addition to the current standard full-time service. The bill preserves the requirement that the service obligation be served in specific settings—such as in the Service, in programs run under contracts with tribal governance or under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act, in Title V programs, or in private practice that serves Indians in shortage areas. If half-time service is chosen, recipients must agree to a longer total obligation (double the period or an equivalent full-time period) and adhere to breach-damages rules that convert half-time service to full-time equivalents for purposes of enforcement. The bill also revises the IHS Loan Repayment Program to allow three options: 2 years of full-time service; 4 years of half-time service (with an expanded half-time period equivalent to the full-time obligation); or 2 years of half-time service with loan forgiveness tied to 50% of the full-time payment amount. Overall, the bill aims to increase workforce flexibility and parity in IHS-supported health professions while preserving accountability for service obligations.