§295f — Title 42 The Public Health and Welfare | U.S. Code

§295f Investment in tomorrow’s pediatric health care workforce

Title 42 › Chapter CHAPTER 6A— - PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER V— - HEALTH PROFESSIONS EDUCATION › Part Part E— - Health Professions and Public Health Workforce › Subpart subpart 3— - recruitment and retention programs › § 295f

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Creates a federal program that pays off certain student loans for health workers who agree to work full time for at least 2 years caring for children. The program will pay up to $35,000 a year toward the principal and interest on undergraduate, graduate, or medical education loans. Payments can be made for up to 3 years while a person is in an accredited pediatric subspecialty or surgical residency/fellowship, or while employed as a pediatric subspecialist, pediatric surgeon, or a child and adolescent mental and behavioral health provider serving a shortage area with enough children to support the specialty (as the Secretary decides). Funds are available as needed for fiscal years 2021 through 2025. Who can join and rules: contracts are for “qualified health professionals” who agree to work in health professional shortage areas, medically underserved areas, or for underserved populations; must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident; and if in a graduate program, that program must be accredited and the student must have acceptable academic standing. One-line definitions: qualified pediatric medical/surgical professional — a licensed physician in or entering accredited pediatric subspecialty or surgical training or who completed that training after the law’s enactment year. Qualified child and adolescent mental health professional — a licensed or certified mental health or related provider with specialized child/adolescent training or experience, or who completed that training after the law’s enactment year. The Secretary will give priority to those working in schools, those familiar with evidence-based and culturally/linguistically competent care, and those with financial need.

Title 42, §295f

The Public Health and Welfare — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Secretary shall establish and carry out a pediatric specialty loan repayment program under which the eligible individual agrees to be employed full-time for a specified period (which shall not be less than 2 years) in providing pediatric medical subspecialty, pediatric surgical specialty, or child and adolescent mental and behavioral health care, including substance abuse prevention and treatment services.

(b)Through the program established under this section, the Secretary shall enter into contracts with qualified health professionals under which—

(1)such qualified health professionals will agree to provide pediatric medical subspecialty, pediatric surgical specialty, or child and adolescent mental and behavioral health care in an area with a shortage of the specified pediatric subspecialty that has a sufficient pediatric population to support such pediatric subspecialty, as determined by the Secretary; and

(2)the Secretary agrees to make payments on the principal and interest of undergraduate, graduate, or graduate medical education loans of professionals described in paragraph (1) of not more than $35,000 a year for each year of agreed upon service under such paragraph for a period of not more than 3 years during the qualified health professional’s—

(A)participation in an accredited pediatric medical subspecialty, pediatric surgical specialty, or child and adolescent mental health subspecialty residency or fellowship; or

(B)employment as a pediatric medical subspecialist, pediatric surgical specialist, or child and adolescent mental health professional serving an area or population described in such paragraph.

(c)(1)(A)For purposes of contracts with respect to pediatric medical specialists and pediatric surgical specialists, the term “qualified health professional” means a licensed physician who—

(i)is entering or receiving training in an accredited pediatric medical subspecialty or pediatric surgical specialty residency or fellowship; or

(ii)has completed (but not prior to the end of the calendar year in which this section is enacted) the training described in subparagraph (B).

(B)For purposes of contracts with respect to child and adolescent mental and behavioral health care, the term “qualified health professional” means a health care professional who—

(i)has received specialized training or clinical experience in child and adolescent mental health in psychiatry, psychology, school psychology, behavioral pediatrics, psychiatric nursing, social work, school social work, substance abuse disorder prevention and treatment, marriage and family therapy, school counseling, or professional counseling;

(ii)has a license or certification in a State to practice allopathic medicine, osteopathic medicine, psychology, school psychology, psychiatric nursing, social work, school social work, marriage and family therapy, school counseling, or professional counseling; or

(iii)is a mental health service professional who completed (but not before the end of the calendar year in which this section is enacted) specialized training or clinical experience in child and adolescent mental health described in clause (i).

(2)The Secretary may not enter into a contract under this subsection with an eligible individual unless—

(A)the individual agrees to work in, or for a provider serving, a health professional shortage area or medically underserved area, or to serve a medically underserved population;

(B)the individual is a United States citizen or a permanent legal United States resident; and

(C)if the individual is enrolled in a graduate program, the program is accredited, and the individual has an acceptable level of academic standing (as determined by the Secretary).

(d)In entering into contracts under this subsection, the Secretary shall give priority to applicants who—

(1)are or will be working in a school or other pre-kindergarten, elementary, or secondary education setting;

(2)have familiarity with evidence-based methods and cultural and linguistic competence health care services; and

(3)demonstrate financial need.

(e)There is authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2025.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The calendar year in which this section is enacted, referred to in subsec. (c)(1)(A)(ii), (B)(iii), probably means the calendar year in which Pub. L. 111–148 was enacted. Such Act was approved Mar. 23, 2010.

Prior Provisions

A prior section 295f, act

July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title VII, § 770, as added Oct. 22, 1965, Pub. L. 89–290, § 2(a), 79 Stat. 1052; amended Aug. 16, 1968, Pub. L. 90–490, title I, § 111(a), 82 Stat. 774; Nov. 18, 1971, Pub. L. 92–157, title I, § 104(a), 85 Stat. 437; Oct. 12, 1976, Pub. L. 94–484, title I, § 101(k), title V, § 501(a)–(c), 90 Stat. 2245, 2290, 2291; Aug. 13, 1981, Pub. L. 97–35, title XXVII, § 2746(a)(1), 95 Stat. 927; Oct. 22, 1985, Pub. L. 99–129, title II, § 211(a)(1), 99 Stat. 537; Nov. 4, 1988, Pub. L. 100–607, title VI, § 606(a), 102 Stat. 3127, related to capitation grants for schools of public health, prior to repeal by act

July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title VII, § 773, as added Nov. 4, 1988, Pub. L. 100–607, title VI, § 606(b), 102 Stat. 3127, effective Oct. 1, 1990. A prior section 775 of act

July 1, 1944, was renumbered section 772 by Pub. L. 94–484, and was classified to section 295f–2 of this title prior to repeal by act

July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title VII, § 773, as added Nov. 4, 1988, Pub. L. 100–607, title VI, § 606(b), 102 Stat. 3127.

Amendments

2020—Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 116–136 substituted “such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2025.” for “$30,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2010 through 2014 to carry out subsection (c)(1)(A) and $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2010 through 2013 to carry out subsection (c)(1)(B).”