EMPOWER for Health Act
Sponsored By: Senator John Reed
Introduced
Summary
Refocus and expand Title VII health workforce programs toward pediatric care. It would raise funding authorizations across many Title VII authorities for FY2026–2030 and add clearer full-time service rules for trainees tied to pediatric subspecialties.
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- Families and children: Would broaden eligibility to serve underserved children, explicitly including Medicaid-enrolled children, and target resources to areas with pediatric subspecialty shortages to improve access to child health specialists.
- Trainees and providers: Would create a Full-Time Service Obligations framework for fellows and residents that ties service to accrediting standards and includes research and teaching duties. Fellows and residents must meet applicable residency or fellowship requirements when performing full-time service.
- Training programs and Area Health Education Centers: Would raise annual authorization caps across multiple Title VII sections for FY2026–2030, for example to about $28.4 million for one authority and $55.0 million for the 740 family. It would also swap “high school” for “pre-collegiate” and change award timing to “2 award cycles” and “1 award cycle.”
*Overall, this bill would increase federal funding authorizations for Title VII health workforce programs through 2030 and shift more focus and obligations toward pediatric workforce development.*
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
Higher funding for health workforce
This bill would set new annual funding levels for many Title VII health workforce programs for fiscal years 2026 through 2030. Examples include $28.422 million, $55.014 million, $2.31 million, $16 million, $49.924 million, $42.673 million, $47 million, $48.245 million, and $18 million per year for various programs. It would also extend some authorization dates through September 30, 2030.
More pediatric specialist funding and rules
This bill would let pediatric specialists serve "underserved children" or areas with pediatric subspecialty shortages. It would explicitly say children enrolled in Medicaid count as "medically underserved." It would require the Secretary to set full-time service rules that match specialty practice or residency standards, including research and teaching obligations. Fellows and residents would have to meet accrediting-body full-time service rules. The bill would also authorize $5 million per year for one subsection and $5 million per year for another, for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030. These changes would take effect upon enactment.
Changes to health education outreach timing
This bill would update Area Health Education Center outreach language. It would replace the term "high school" with "pre-collegiate." It would also replace the phrases "12 years" and "6 years" with "2 award cycles" and "1 award cycle" to describe award timing. These are wording and timing fixes that would take effect upon enactment.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
John Reed
RI • D
Cosponsors
Lisa Murkowski
AK • R
Sponsored 3/17/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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