H.R. 5998 – SECURE Act

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Updated April 15, 2026 at 10:12 PM UTC

The SECURE Act reauthorizes and improves a federal loan‑repayment program for health professionals who work for the CDC or the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. It raises the amount of loan forgiveness, shortens the service obligation, updates the program’s dates, and expands the scope to include rapid response to major health threats. The changes aim to attract more experts to public‑health prevention work.

Key Provisions

Increases the maximum loan repayment amount for eligible health professionals from $35,000 to $50,000.
Shortens the required service commitment from three years to two years.
Updates the program’s authorization dates, moving the start from 1994 to 2019 and extending the funding period to 2020‑2023.
Adds language that the prevention activities include rapid response to major health threats.

Legislative Activity

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HouseIntro Referral Latest Action

Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Energy and Commerce Committee

June 5, 2018

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

June 5, 2018

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Energy and Commerce Committee

June 5, 2018

Bill Text

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Introduced in HouseIssued June 5, 2018

I

115th CONGRESS

2d Session

H. R. 5998

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

June 5, 2018

Ms. Schakowsky introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

A BILL

To amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize a loan repayment program under which health professionals agree to conduct prevention activities, as employees of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, in consideration of the Federal Government agreeing to make payments on the principal and interest of the educational loans of such health professionals, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Securing Experts to Control, Understand, and Respond to Emergencies Act or the SECURE Act.

2.

Improvement of loan repayment program for prevention activities

Section 317F of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 247b–7) is amended—

(1)

in subsection (a)(1)—

(A)

by inserting after conduct prevention activities the following: , including rapid response to major health threats,; and

(B)

by striking $35,000 and inserting $50,000;

(2)

in subsection (a)(2)(B), by striking 3 years and inserting 2 years; and

(3)

in section (c)—

(A)

by striking 1994 and inserting 2019; and

(B)

by striking 1995 through 2002 and inserting 2020 through 2023.