Sec. 208. Increasing workforce diversity in allied health professionals and direct support professionals
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Title VII of the Public Health Service Act is amended— by redesignating part G ( 42 U.S.C. 295j et seq. ) as part H; and by inserting after part F ( 42 U.S.C. 295h et seq. ) the following new part: The Secretary may award grants and contracts to eligible entities to increase educational opportunities in the professions of physical therapy, occupational therapy, respiratory therapy, audiology, speech-language pathology, and direct care professionals for eligible individuals by— providing student scholarships or stipends, including for— completion of an accelerated degree program; completion of an associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree program; and entry by a diploma or associate’s degree practitioner into a bridge or degree completion program; providing assistance for completion of prerequisite courses or other preparation necessary for acceptance for enrollment in the eligible entity; carrying out activities to increase the retention of students in 1 or more programs in the professions of physical therapy, occupational therapy, respiratory therapy, audiology, speech-language pathology, and direct care professionals; and building or strengthening career pipeline programs, including those for high school students, older workers and retirees, veterans, and other displaced workers.
In carrying out subsection (a), the Secretary shall take into consideration the recommendations of national organizations representing the professions of physical therapy, occupational therapy, respiratory therapy, audiology, speech-language pathology, and direct care professionals, including the American Physical Therapy Association, the American Occupational Therapy Association, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, the American Association for Respiratory Care, the American Academy of Audiology, the Academy of Doctors of Audiology, and the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals.
The Secretary may require recipients of awards under this section to report to the Secretary concerning the annual admission, retention, and graduation rates for eligible individuals in programs of the recipient leading to a degree in any of the professions of physical therapy, occupational therapy, respiratory therapy, audiology, speech-language pathology, and direct care professionals. If any of the rates reported by a recipient under paragraph
(1)fall below the average for such recipient over the 2 years preceding the year covered by the report, the recipient shall provide the Secretary with plans for immediately improving such rates. A recipient described in paragraph
(2)shall be ineligible for continued funding under this section if the plan of the recipient fails to improve the rates within the 1-year period beginning on the date such plan is implemented. In accordance with paragraph (2), the Secretary, in conjunction with the Secretary of Labor, shall evaluate the implementation and outcomes of this section on the recruitment and retention in long-term care settings of certified nursing assistants, physical therapists, occupational therapists, audiologists, speech-language pathologists, respiratory therapists, direct support professionals, and any other direct care professionals determined by the Secretary. The Secretary shall conduct the evaluation under paragraph
(1)through a contract with an external evaluator who has experience with evaluation related to people with disabilities and older individuals. In this section: The terms direct care professional and disability have the meanings given such terms in section 3 of the Long-Term Care Workforce Support Act. The term eligible entity means an education program that— is accredited by— the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology or the Accreditation Commission for Audiology Education; the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education; the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education; the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care; or the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals Certification Program; and is carrying out a program for recruiting and retaining students underrepresented in the professions of physical therapy, occupational therapy, respiratory therapy, audiology, speech-language pathology, and direct care professionals (including racial or ethnic minorities, students with disabilities, or students from disadvantaged backgrounds). The term eligible individual means an individual who— is a member of a class of persons who are underrepresented in the professions of physical therapy, occupational therapy, respiratory therapy, audiology, speech-language pathology, and direct care professionals, including— individuals who are racial or ethnic minorities; or individuals who are from disadvantaged backgrounds; has a financial need for a scholarship or stipend; and is enrolled (or accepted for enrollment) at a physical therapy, occupational therapy, respiratory therapy, audiology, speech-language pathology, or direct care professionals program as a full-time student at an eligible entity. The term individualized education program has the meaning given such term in section 602 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The term long-term care setting has the meaning given such term in section 3 of the Long-Term Care Workforce Support Act. The term older individual has the meaning given such term in section 102 of the Older Americans Act of 1965. There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2029. .
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Sec. 208
Increasing workforce diversity in allied health professionals and direct support professionals
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