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S. 3506Senate117th Congress (2021-2023)In Committee

Strengthening the Public Health Workforce Act

Sponsored by Tina SmithSen. Tina Smith (D-MN)
Introduced January 13, 2022

AI-Generated Summary

Updated February 8, 2026 at 8:52 AM UTC

The Strengthening the Public Health Workforce Act updates the public health workforce loan repayment program to better recruit and retain public‑health professionals. It widens the types of degrees and training that qualify, raises the loan‑repayment amounts, and adds a requirement for a GAO study of workforce gaps. The changes affect current and future public‑health workers employed by federal, state, local, Tribal, or territorial agencies.

Key Provisions

  • Adds “recruitment and retention” language to the program’s purpose, expanding its focus beyond just supply of workers
  • Broadens eligible education to include public health, epidemiology, laboratory sciences, data systems, data science, data analytics, informatics, statistics, and related fields
  • Increases the annual loan‑repayment award from $35,000 to $50,000 and the total from $105,000 to $150,000 per participant
  • Requires the Secretary to distribute contracts equitably across U.S. regions, local/state/Tribal agencies, and rural and urban areas
  • Expands eligible loans to cover a range of federal student loans, including Direct Stafford, PLUS, Unsubsidized, Consolidation, Perkins, and other loans the Secretary deems appropriate
  • Extends authorized funding to cover fiscal years 2023‑2025
  • Mandates a GAO study within two years to assess public‑health workforce gaps, hiring and retention challenges, and to recommend improvements

Legislative Activity

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SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee

January 13, 2022

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

January 13, 2022

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee

January 13, 2022

Bill Text

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Introduced in SenateIssued January 13, 2022

II

117th CONGRESS

2d Session

S. 3506

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

January 13 (legislative day, January 10), 2022

Ms. Smith (for herself, Ms. Collins, Mr. Booker, and Ms. Murkowski) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

A BILL

To strengthen the public health workforce loan repayment program, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Strengthening the Public Health Workforce Act.

2.

Public health workforce loan repayment program

Section 776 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 295f–1) is amended—

(1)

in subsection (a)—

(A)

by striking supply of and inserting supply of, and encourage recruitment and retention of,; and

(B)

by striking Federal,;

(2)

in subsection (b)—

(A)

by amending paragraph (1)(A) to read as follows:

(1)
(A)
(i)

be accepted for enrollment, or be enrolled, as a student in an accredited institution of higher education or school of public health in the final semester (or equivalent) of a program leading to a certificate or degree, including a master’s or doctoral degree, in public health, epidemiology, laboratory sciences, data systems, data science, data analytics, informatics, statistics, or other subject matter related to public health; and

(ii)

be employed by or have accepted employment with a State, local, or Tribal public health agency, or a related training fellowship at such State, local, or Tribal public health agency, as recognized by the Secretary, to commence upon graduation; or

; and

(B)

in paragraph (1)(B)—

(i)

in clause (i)—

(I)

by striking accredited educational institution in a State or territory and inserting accredited institution of higher education or school of public health; and

(II)

by striking a public health or health professions degree or certificate and inserting a certificate or degree, including a master’s or doctoral degree, in public health, epidemiology, laboratory sciences, data systems, data science, data analytics, informatics, statistics, or other subject matter related to public health; and

(ii)

in clause (ii)—

(I)

by striking Federal,; and

(II)

by striking fellowship, and inserting fellowship at such State, local, or Tribal public health agency,;

(3)

in subsection (c)(2)—

(A)

by striking Federal,; and

(B)

by striking equal to the greater of— and all that follows through the end of subparagraph (B) and inserting of at least 2 consecutive years;;

(4)

in subsection (d)—

(A)

by amending paragraph (1) to read as follows:

(1)

In general

A loan repayment provided for an individual under a written contract under the Program shall consist of payment, in accordance with paragraph (2), for the individual toward the outstanding principal and interest on education loans incurred by the individual in the pursuit of the relevant degree or certificate described in subsection (b)(1) in accordance with the terms of the contract.

; and

(B)

in paragraph (2)—

(i)

by striking For each year and inserting the following:

(A)

In general

For each year

;

(ii)

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

(iii)

by striking $105,000 and inserting $150,000; and

(iv)

by adding at the end the following:

(B)

Considerations

The Secretary may take action in making awards under this section to ensure that—

(i)

an appropriate proportion of contracts are awarded to individuals who are eligible to participate in the Program pursuant to subsection (b)(1)(A); and

(ii)

contracts awarded under this section are equitably distributed among—

(I)

the geographical regions of the United States;

(II)

local, State, and Tribal public health departments; and

(III)

such public health departments under subclause (II) serving rural and urban areas.

;

(5)

in subsection (e), by striking receiving a degree or certificate from a health professions or other related school and inserting with a contract to serve under subsection (c);

(6)

in subsection (f), by adding at the end the following: In the event that a participant fails to either begin or complete the obligated service requirement of the loan repayment contract under this section, the Secretary may waive or suspend either the unfulfilled service or the assessed damages as provided for under section 338E(d), as appropriate.;

(7)

by redesignating subsection (g) as subsection (h);

(8)

by inserting after subsection (f) the following:

(g)

Eligible loans

The loans eligible for repayment under this section are each of the following:

(1)

Any loan for education or training for employment by a health department.

(2)

Any loan under part E of title VIII (relating to nursing student loans).

(3)

Any Federal Direct Stafford Loan, Federal Direct PLUS Loan, Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan, or Federal Direct Consolidation Loan (as such terms are used in section 455 of the Higher Education Act of 1965).

(4)

Any Federal Perkins Loan under part E of title I of the Higher Education Act of 1965.

(5)

Any other Federal loan, as the Secretary determines appropriate.

;

(9)

in subsection (h), as so redesignated, by striking $195,000,000 for fiscal year 2010, and such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2011 through 2015 and inserting such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2025; and

(10)

by striking tribal each place such term appears and inserting Tribal.

3.

GAO study on public health workforce

(a)

In general

Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall—

(1)

conduct an evaluation of what is known about the public health workforce in the United States during the COVID–19 pandemic, which shall address—

(A)

existing gaps in the Federal, State, local, Tribal, and territorial public health workforce, including positions that may be required to prevent, prepare for, and respond to, a public health emergency such as COVID–19;

(B)

challenges associated with the hiring, recruitment, and retention of the Federal, State, local, Tribal, and territorial public health workforce; and

(C)

recommended steps to improve hiring, recruitment, and retention of the public health workforce; and

(2)

submit to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives a report on such review.