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119-hr-5444119th CongressWALLET

Medical Laboratory Personnel Shortage Relief Act of 2025

Sponsored By: Representative Ross, Deborah K. [D-NC-2]

Introduced

Summary

Expands the National Health Service Corps to include medical laboratory personnel and services. This bill would add lab workers to NHSC definitions and loan repayment eligibility, create a new grant program for medical laboratory education, and authorize $25.0 million for the first full fiscal year.

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  • Medical laboratory workers, including phlebotomists, histotechnologists, laboratory technicians, laboratory scientists, medical laboratory assistants, and genetic counselors, would become eligible for NHSC assignments and loan repayment.
  • Schools, nonprofit hospitals, and accredited internship sponsors could receive 3-year grants to develop accredited lab education programs and train faculty. The bill authorizes $25.0 million for the first full fiscal year.
  • The Secretary of Health and Human Services would identify medical laboratory health professional target areas and assign NHSC lab personnel to those shortage areas to strengthen lab services.

*Would increase federal spending by authorizing $25.0 million for the first full fiscal year and additional unspecified amounts thereafter.*

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

3 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.

Loan repayment for lab workers

If enacted, the bill would add medical laboratory personnel to the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) loan repayment program. A degree in medical laboratory science would be an explicit eligibility path. The bill would replace the existing eligibility text with a three-part structure for qualifying degrees and certifications. This change would take effect upon enactment.

Who counts as lab personnel

If enacted, the bill would add a statutory definition of "medical laboratory personnel." The definition would include people training in accredited medical laboratory programs and those who examine human samples for diagnosis. It would list jobs like phlebotomists, lab assistants, histotechnologists, lab scientists, lab technicians, and genetic counselors. The bill would also add "medical laboratory services" to the list of services NHSC programs cover.

More lab workers in target areas

If enacted, the bill would require the Secretary to identify medical laboratory health professional target areas. The NHSC would assign Corps members who are medical laboratory personnel to those areas. The bill would apply several existing assignment rules used for maternity care to these lab target areas. This change would take effect upon enactment.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Ross, Deborah K. [D-NC-2]

NC • D

Cosponsors

  • Rep. Kiggans, Jennifer A. [R-VA-2]

    VA • R

    Sponsored 9/17/2025

  • Rep. Dingell, Debbie [D-MI-6]

    MI • D

    Sponsored 11/12/2025

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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