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119-s-4110119th CongressWALLET

EMPOWER for Health Act

Sponsored By: Senator Reed, Jack [D-RI]

In Committee

Summary

This bill would reauthorize and boost Title VII health workforce programs to expand and strengthen the health workforce. It would extend program authority and funding through fiscal year 2031, raise annual authorization levels for multiple program lines, tighten pediatric service obligations, and add new nursing workforce analytics and technical assistance.

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  • Families and patients: Expands eligibility for pediatric programs to cover more Medicaid-eligible children and targets services to underserved pediatric populations, aiming to improve access to pediatric mental and behavioral health care.
  • Trainees and clinicians: Replaces "be employed full-time" with a requirement to "perform full-time service," defines service obligations for many pediatric trainees, requires at least half of annual hours be direct clinical care, and sets a breach-of-contract liquidated damages framework.
  • State workforce analysis and nursing: Broadens State and Regional Centers for Health Workforce Analysis to include nursing supply, demand, and education capacity. It adds requirements for technical assistance, a public repository of tools, and at least one grant for entities with nursing workforce expertise.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

5 provisions identified: 4 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.

Higher funding for health workforce programs

If enacted, the bill would raise annual authorized funding for many Title VII health workforce programs for fiscal years 2027–2031. Examples include $25,422,000 a year for one program and $55,014,000 a year for another, and multiple other line items are increased or realigned. The changes also update some statutory deadlines to September 30, 2031.

New nursing workforce analysis grants

If enacted, the bill would let State and Regional Centers for Health Workforce Analysis fund nursing workforce studies and technical help under this Act from 2027 through 2031. Grants could pay for supply and demand analysis, education capacity studies, rapid research, training, and a public website with tools and materials. The bill would encourage at least one award to an entity with strong nursing workforce experience.

New pediatric service rules and funding

If enacted, the bill would set $10,000,000 per year for pediatric workforce activities for FY2027–FY2031, with the money remaining available until spent. It would change pediatric trainee awards into service obligations that require full‑time service, with at least half of yearly hours as direct clinical care. The rules would explicitly include serving Medicaid-enrolled children and expand eligible pediatric mental and behavioral health disciplines. The Secretary could set a liquidated damages formula for breach, but good-faith partial completion of paid years would not automatically count as a breach.

AHECs can serve middle school students

If enacted, the bill would let Area Health Education Centers explicitly include middle school students as part of their outreach along with high school students. Families with middle school children would see AHEC outreach and early health career programs broaden to younger students.

Extend program authorizations through 2031

If enacted, the bill would push several statutory dates and authorization windows to fiscal years 2027–2031. It would replace earlier 2023–2025 or 2021–2025 references with 2027–2031 and move specific deadlines to September 30, 2031. This gives programs more time to operate under the law.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Reed, Jack [D-RI]

RI • D

Cosponsors

  • Sen. Murkowski, Lisa [R-AK]

    AK • R

    Sponsored 3/17/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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