[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5370 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 5370
To provide low-income individuals with opportunities to enter and
follow a career pathway in the health professions, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 16, 2025
Mr. Davis of Illinois (for himself, Mr. Neal, Mr. Doggett, Mr. Thompson
of California, Mr. Larson of Connecticut, Ms. Sewell, Ms. Chu, Ms.
Moore of Wisconsin, Mr. Boyle of Pennsylvania, Mr. Evans of
Pennsylvania, Mr. Schneider, Mr. Panetta, Mr. Horsford, Mr. Gomez, Ms.
Plaskett, and Mr. Suozzi) introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on Ways and Means
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide low-income individuals with opportunities to enter and
follow a career pathway in the health professions, and for other
purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This section may be cited as the ``Pathways to Health Careers
Act''.
SEC. 2. CAREER PATHWAYS THROUGH HEALTH PROFESSION OPPORTUNITY GRANTS.
Effective October 1, 2025, section 2008 of the Social Security Act
(42 U.S.C. 1397g) is amended to read as follows:
``SEC. 2008. CAREER PATHWAYS THROUGH HEALTH PROFESSION OPPORTUNITY
GRANTS.
``(a) Application Requirements.--An eligible entity desiring a
grant under this section for a project shall submit to the Secretary an
application for the grant, that includes the following:
``(1) A description of how the applicant will use a career
pathways approach to train eligible individuals for health
professions that pay well or will put eligible individuals on a
career path to an occupation that pays well, under the project.
``(2) A description of the adult basic education and
literacy activities, work readiness activities, training
activities, and case management and career coaching services
that the applicant will use to assist eligible individuals to
gain work experience, connection to employers, and job
placement, and a description of the plan for recruiting,
hiring, and training staff to provide the case management,
mentoring, and career coaching services, under the project
directly or through local governmental, apprenticeship,
educational, or charitable institutions.
``(3) In the case of an application for a grant under this
section for a demonstration project described in subsection
(c)(2)(B)(i)(I)--
``(A) a demonstration that the State in which the
demonstration project is to be conducted has in effect
policies or laws that permit certain allied health and
behavioral health care credentials to be awarded to
people with certain arrest or conviction records (which
policies or laws shall include appeals processes,
waivers, certificates, and other opportunities to
demonstrate rehabilitation to obtain credentials,
licensure, and approval to work in the proposed health
careers), and a plan described in the application that
will use a career pathway to assist participants with
such a record in acquiring credentials, licensing, and
employment in the specified careers;
``(B) a discussion of how the project or future
strategic hiring decisions will demonstrate the
experience and expertise of the project in working with
job seekers who have arrest or conviction records or
employers with experience working with people with
arrest or conviction records;
``(C) an identification of promising innovations or
best practices that can be used to provide the
training;
``(D) a proof of concept or demonstration that the
applicant has done sufficient research on workforce
shortage or in-demand jobs for which people with
certain types of arrest or conviction records can be
hired;
``(E) a plan for recruiting students who are
eligible individuals into the project; and
``(F) a plan for providing post-employment support
and ongoing training as part of a career pathway under
the project.
``(4) In the case of an application for a grant under this
section for a demonstration project described in subsection
(c)(2)(B)(i)(II)--
``(A) a description of the partnerships, strategic
staff hiring decisions, tailored program activities, or
other programmatic elements of the project, such as
training plans for doulas and other community health
workers and training plans for midwives and other
allied health professions, that are designed to support
a career pathway in pregnancy, birth, or postpartum
services; and
``(B) a demonstration that the State in which the
demonstration project is to be conducted recognizes
doulas or midwives, as the case may be.
``(5) A demonstration that the applicant has experience
working with low-income populations, or a description of the
plan of the applicant to work with a partner organization that
has the experience.
``(6) A plan for providing post-employment support and
ongoing training as part of a career pathway under the project.
``(7) A description of the support services that the
applicant will provide under the project, including a plan for
how child care and transportation support services will be
guaranteed and, if the applicant will provide a cash stipend or
wage supplement, how the stipend or supplement would be
calculated and distributed.
``(8) A certification by the applicant that the project
development included--
``(A) consultation with a local workforce
development board established under section 107 of the
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act;
``(B) consideration of apprenticeship and pre-
apprenticeship models registered under the Act of
August 16, 1937 (also known as the `National
Apprenticeship Act');
``(C) consideration of career pathway programs in
the State in which the project is to be conducted; and
``(D) a review of the State plan under section 102
or 103 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.
``(9) A description of the availability and relevance of
recent labor market information and other pertinent evidence of
in-demand jobs or worker shortages.
``(10) A certification that the applicant will directly
provide or contract for the training services described in the
application.
``(11) A commitment by the applicant that, if the grant is
made to the applicant, the applicant will--
``(A) during the planning period for the project,
provide the Secretary with any information needed by
the Secretary to establish adequate data reporting and
administrative structure for the project;
``(B) hire staff to direct the project not later
than the end of the planning period applicable to the
project;
``(C) accept all technical assistance offered by
the Secretary with respect to the grant;
``(D) participate in peer technical assistance
conferences as are regularly scheduled by the
Secretary; and
``(E) provide all data required by the Secretary
under subsection (g).
``(b) Preferences in Considering Applications.--In considering
applications for a grant under this section, the Secretary shall give
preference to--
``(1) applications submitted by applicants to whom a grant
was made under this section or any predecessor to this section;
``(2) applications submitted by applicants who have
business and community partners in each of the following
categories:
``(A) State and local government agencies and
social service providers, including a State or local
entity that administers a State program funded under
part A of this title;
``(B) institutions of higher education,
apprenticeship programs, and local workforce
development boards established under section 107 of the
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act; and
``(C) health care employers, health care industry
or sector partnerships, labor unions, and labor-
management partnerships;
``(3) applications that include opportunities for mentoring
or peer support, and make career coaching available, as part of
the case management plan;
``(4) applications which describe a project that will serve
a rural area in which--
``(A) the community in which the individuals to be
enrolled in the project reside is located;
``(B) the project will be conducted; or
``(C) an employer partnership that has committed to
hiring individuals who successfully complete all
activities under the project is located;
``(5) applications that include a commitment to providing
project participants with a cash stipend or wage supplement;
and
``(6) applications which have an emergency cash fund to
assist project participants financially in emergency
situations.
``(c) Grants.--
``(1) Competitive grants.--
``(A) Grant authority.--
``(i) In general.--The Secretary, in
consultation with the Secretary of Labor and
the Secretary of Education, shall make a grant
in accordance with this paragraph to an
eligible entity whose application for the grant
meets the applicable requirements of subsection
(a) and is approved by the Secretary, to
conduct a project designed to train low-income
individuals for allied health professions,
health information technology, physicians
assistants, nursing assistants, registered
nurse, advanced practice nurse, emergency
medical technicians, paramedics, and other
professions considered part of a health care
career pathway model.
``(ii) Guarantee of grantees in each state
and the district of columbia.--For each grant
cycle, the Secretary shall award a grant under
this paragraph to at least 2 eligible entities
in each State that is not a territory, to the
extent there are a sufficient number of
applications submitted by the entities that
meet the requirements applicable with respect
to such a grant. If, for a grant cycle, there
are fewer than 2 such eligible entities in a
State, the Secretary shall include that
information in the report required by
subsection (g)(2) that covers the fiscal year.
``(B) Guarantee of grants for indian populations.--
From the amount reserved under subsection (i)(2)(B) for
each fiscal year, the Secretary shall award a grant
under this paragraph to at least 10 eligible entities
that are an Indian tribe, a tribal organization, or a
tribal college or university, to the extent there are a
sufficient number of applications submitted by the
entities that meet the requirements applicable with
respect to such a grant.
``(C) Guarantee of grantees in the territories.--
From the amount reserved under subsection (i)(2)(C) for
each fiscal year, the Secretary shall award a grant
under this paragraph to at least 2 eligible entities
that are located in a territory, to the extent there
are a sufficient number of applications submitted by
the entities that meet the requirements applicable with
respect to such a grant.
``(2) Grants for demonstration projects.--
``(A) Grant authority.--The Secretary, in
consultation with the Secretary of Labor and the
Secretary of Education (and, with respect to
demonstration projects of the type described in
subparagraph (B)(i)(I), the Attorney General) shall
make a grant in accordance with this subsection to an
eligible entity whose application for the grant is
approved by the Secretary, to conduct a demonstration
project that meets the requirements of subparagraph
(B).
``(B) Requirements.--The requirements of this
subparagraph are the following:
``(i) Type of project.--The demonstration
project shall be of 1 of the following types:
``(I) Individuals with arrest or
conviction records demonstration.--The
demonstration project shall be of a
type designed to provide education and
training for eligible individuals with
arrest or conviction records to enter
and follow a career pathway in the
health professions through occupations
that pay well and are expected to
experience a labor shortage or be in
high demand.
``(II) Maternal mortality career
pathway demonstration.--The
demonstration project shall be of a
type designed to provide education and
training for eligible individuals to
enter and follow a career pathway in
the field of pregnancy, childbirth, and
postpartum, in a State that recognizes
doulas or midwives and that provides
payment for services provided by doulas
or midwives, as the case may be, under
private or public health insurance
plans.
``(ii) Duration.--The demonstration project
shall be conducted for not less than 5 years.
``(C) Minimum allocation of funds for each type of
demonstration project.--
``(i) Individuals with arrest or conviction
records demonstrations.--Not less than 25
percent of the amounts made available for
grants under this paragraph shall be used to
make grants for demonstration projects of the
type described in subparagraph (B)(i)(I).
``(ii) Maternal mortality career pathway
demonstrations.--Not less than 25 percent of
the amounts made available for grants under
this paragraph shall be used to make grants for
demonstration projects of the type described in
subparagraph (B)(i)(II).
``(3) Grant cycle.--The grant cycle under this section
shall be not less than 5 years, with a planning period of not
more than the 1st 12 months of the grant cycle. During the
planning period, the amount of the grant shall be in such
lesser amount as the Secretary determines appropriate.
``(d) Use of Grant.--
``(1) In general.--An entity to which a grant is made under
this section shall use the grant in accordance with the
approved application for the grant.
``(2) Support to be provided.--
``(A) Required support.--A project for which a
grant is made under this section shall include the
following:
``(i) An assessment for adult basic skill
competency, and provision of adult basic skills
education if necessary for lower-skilled
eligible individuals to enroll in the project
and go on to enter and complete post-secondary
training, through means including the
following:
``(I) Establishing a network of
partners that offer pre-training
activities for project participants who
need to improve basic academic skills
or English language proficiency before
entering a health occupational training
career pathway program.
``(II) Offering resources to enable
project participants to continue
advancing adult basic skill proficiency
while enrolled in a career pathway
program.
``(III) Embedding adult basic skill
maintenance as part of ongoing post-
graduatio