Welcome Back to the Health Care Workforce Act
Sponsored By: Representative Krishnamoorthi, Raja [D-IL-8]
Introduced
Summary
This bill would authorize grants to help integrate internationally educated health care professionals into the U.S. health care workforce. It focuses on funding licensing and training supports and on system-level changes to improve recruitment and retention.
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- Internationally educated professionals would get targeted help with licensing, exam and English preparation, credential evaluation, clinical training, career counseling, and individualized supports such as living or transportation assistance.
- Hospitals, colleges, nonprofits, federally qualified health centers, and other consortia could receive funds to build culturally and linguistically competent supports, mentoring networks, employer education, and career ladders. At least 20% of each grant must fund these system-level improvements and up to 10% may be used for administration.
- Projects that recruit and retain internationally educated professionals in communities with workforce gaps or in rural areas would get priority. Recipients must report participant and outcome data annually to HHS and the Secretary would provide yearly progress reports to Congress starting within two years, and the bill authorizes appropriations for fiscal years 2027–2031 as needed.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Grants to help foreign-trained health workers
If enacted, the Secretary of HHS would award grants within one year to consortia that help foreign-trained health workers get licensed and hired. Each grant would fund system projects (at least 20% of funds) and direct supports like licensing help, ESL and exam prep, clinical training, career counseling, and short-term living, health, or transportation aid. Grantees could use up to 10% of grant money for administration, must supplement (not supplant) existing state or regional funds, and would be prioritized for communities with workforce gaps and rural areas. Grant recipients would report participant and outcome data to HHS each year, and HHS would report to Congress starting two years after enactment. Funding is authorized as "such sums as may be necessary" for fiscal years 2027–2031.
Who counts and who can apply
This bill would define key terms for the grant program. An eligible entity would be a consortium of two or more groups, such as hospitals, community nonprofits, colleges, area health education centers, state or local governments or Indian Tribes, and federally qualified health centers. An "internationally educated health care professional" would be someone who trained abroad and is a lawful permanent resident, admitted as a refugee (INA 207), granted asylum (INA 208), or otherwise authorized to work in the United States.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Krishnamoorthi, Raja [D-IL-8]
IL • D
Cosponsors
Rep. Smith, Adam [D-WA-9]
WA • D
Sponsored 7/16/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov