Conrad State 30 and Physician Access Reauthorization Act
Sponsored By: Representative Valadao
Introduced
Summary
Expand and modernize the Conrad State 30 J-1 waiver program to extend its life, strengthen protections for physician hires and families, and change how waiver slots are allocated and reported. It would reset the program termination to three years after enactment and treat provisions as effective beginning September 30, 2018.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
Easier green card paths for physicians
If enacted, a foreign medical degree accepted by a U.S. residency would count like an advanced degree. National interest waivers could apply for full-time work in shortage areas, at VA sites, or at facilities serving shortage-area patients when a health authority says it is in the public interest. The 5-year NIW clock would start when you first begin work in a shortage area, and past qualifying service could count. Employers could not demand a contract longer than your remaining service, and you would not need a new petition if you move sites. Doctors could file green card papers before finishing service, but approvals would wait until service is done; this would also cover those who already finished service, plus their spouse and children.
Smoother visa status for foreign doctors
If your State hits its waiver cap, you could get up to 6 more months of status while you seek a job in a State with slots. While that new waiver is pending, you could work only for the employer named in the extension. DHS could also change a J-1 doctor’s status to a work visa without counting against visa caps, when the State Department agrees. H-1B doctors with a timely petition would be extended to October 1 and could keep working; if visas are used up, the extension would run to the next October 1. Medical trainees would be treated as having dual intent, reducing visa denials based on intent to immigrate.
Stronger job protections for Conrad doctors
This bill would set fair contract rules for J-1 doctors with Conrad waivers. Deals must state maximum on-call hours, pay for on-call time, malpractice coverage and amount, and all work sites. Non-compete clauses would be banned. If your job ends, you would keep lawful status while you find a new job for up to 120 days. You could choose a 45-day in-state path that adds extra service time, or ask DHS/your State to excuse time if there are extenuating issues like employer violations.
State waiver counts and academic placements
This bill would tie each State’s waiver count to last year’s use. If 90% are used, every State would get 35 next year; as use stays high, counts rise by 5, and at 45 or more waivers the target would move to 95%. If use falls 5%, each State would drop by 5, but no State would go below 30. States could also place up to 3 doctors a year at academic medical centers outside shortage areas when in the public interest, and may get one extra waiver if a doctor leaves for another State. The program itself would be extended to end 3 years after enactment, applied as if effective September 30, 2018.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Valadao
CA • R
Cosponsors
Bacon
NE • R
Sponsored 2/25/2025
Schneider
IL • D
Sponsored 2/25/2025
Garcia (TX)
TX • D
Sponsored 2/25/2025
Salazar
FL • R
Sponsored 3/3/2025
Davids (KS)
KS • D
Sponsored 3/3/2025
Johnson (GA)
GA • D
Sponsored 3/4/2025
Scott, David
GA • D
Sponsored 3/5/2025
Carbajal
CA • D
Sponsored 3/5/2025
Costa
CA • D
Sponsored 3/5/2025
Krishnamoorthi
IL • D
Sponsored 3/5/2025
DelBene
WA • D
Sponsored 3/5/2025
Cherfilus-McCormick
FL • D
Sponsored 3/18/2025
Riley (NY)
NY • D
Sponsored 3/24/2025
Houlahan
PA • D
Sponsored 3/24/2025
Panetta
CA • D
Sponsored 3/25/2025
Suozzi
NY • D
Sponsored 3/31/2025
Meuser
PA • R
Sponsored 3/31/2025
Gillen
NY • D
Sponsored 4/1/2025
Gomez
CA • D
Sponsored 4/1/2025
Ciscomani
AZ • R
Sponsored 4/24/2025
McBride
DE • D
Sponsored 4/24/2025
Murphy
NC • R
Sponsored 4/29/2025
Wasserman Schultz
FL • D
Sponsored 5/7/2025
Lawler
NY • R
Sponsored 5/13/2025
Baumgartner
WA • R
Sponsored 5/20/2025
Craig
MN • D
Sponsored 6/9/2025
Correa
CA • D
Sponsored 6/23/2025
Tokuda
HI • D
Sponsored 6/24/2025
Ryan
NY • D
Sponsored 6/24/2025
Scholten
MI • D
Sponsored 6/25/2025
Foxx
NC • R
Sponsored 6/25/2025
Dingell
MI • D
Sponsored 6/25/2025
Gottheimer
NJ • D
Sponsored 6/25/2025
Castor (FL)
FL • D
Sponsored 6/25/2025
Ross
NC • D
Sponsored 6/26/2025
Casten
IL • D
Sponsored 6/26/2025
Peters
CA • D
Sponsored 6/27/2025
McClellan
VA • D
Sponsored 7/2/2025
Gonzalez, V.
TX • D
Sponsored 7/10/2025
Pettersen
CO • D
Sponsored 7/10/2025
Matsui
CA • D
Sponsored 7/10/2025
Magaziner
RI • D
Sponsored 7/10/2025
Dexter
OR • D
Sponsored 7/14/2025
Veasey
TX • D
Sponsored 7/17/2025
Crow
CO • D
Sponsored 7/29/2025
Vindman
VA • D
Sponsored 7/29/2025
Stanton
AZ • D
Sponsored 8/19/2025
Van Drew
NJ • R
Sponsored 9/2/2025
Leger Fernandez
NM • D
Sponsored 9/3/2025
Subramanyam
VA • D
Sponsored 9/17/2025
Lee (NV)
NV • D
Sponsored 9/23/2025
Stevens
MI • D
Sponsored 9/30/2025
Meng
NY • D
Sponsored 10/6/2025
Lynch
MA • D
Sponsored 10/8/2025
Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large]
DC • D
Sponsored 10/8/2025
Kennedy (NY)
NY • D
Sponsored 10/17/2025
Vasquez
NM • D
Sponsored 10/17/2025
McDonald Rivet
MI • D
Sponsored 10/24/2025
Thompson (CA)
CA • D
Sponsored 10/24/2025
Pingree
ME • D
Sponsored 11/7/2025
Garcia (IL)
IL • D
Sponsored 12/19/2025
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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