EMPOWER for Health Act
Sponsored By: Senator Reed, Jack [D-RI]
Introduced
Summary
Boosts and extends funding for Title VII health workforce programs through 2026–2030. It would also widen who counts as a qualified pediatric health professional and add enforceable full‑time service obligations tied to clinical, research, and teaching expectations.
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- Families and children: Medically underserved children, explicitly including Medicaid‑enrolled kids, would be named as eligible populations for pediatric workforce programs, aiming to expand access to pediatric subspecialty and child mental health care in shortage areas.
- Trainees and providers: Pediatric fellows, residents, and other qualified health professionals would face defined full‑time service requirements aligned with accrediting bodies and practice standards, shifting the focus from simple employment to sustained clinical and scholarly service.
- Training programs and AHEC: The bill would raise annual authorizations across many Title VII lines and push authorizations into FY2026–2030, with examples such as $23.7 million to $28.4 million and $28.5 million to $42.7 million for specified sections. The Area Health Education Centers program would swap “high school” for “pre‑collegiate” and move to shorter award cycles (2 and 1 award cycles).
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
More health workforce funding and dates
If enacted, the bill would raise annual authorized funding for many Title VII health workforce programs for fiscal years 2026 through 2030. It would set these yearly authorizations: $28,422,000; $55,014,000; $2,310,000; $16,000,000; $49,924,000; $42,673,000; $48,245,000; and $18,000,000 for the listed program lines. It would also move several statutory end dates and authorization ranges forward into the 2026–2030 period or to September 30, 2030. Congress would still need to appropriate money before grants are paid.
Pre-college health pipeline rules and funding
If enacted, the bill would modernize Area Health Education Center (AHEC) rules and raise AHEC funding. It would replace the phrase "high school" with "pre-collegiate" and change award lengths from "12 years" and "6 years" to "2 award cycles" and "1 award cycle." It would authorize $47,000,000 per year for section 751(j)(1) for fiscal years 2026 through 2030. Congress would still need to appropriate the funds.
Pediatric service rules and grants
If enacted, the bill would expand who pediatric placement programs can serve by explicitly naming the medically underserved pediatric population, including children on Medicaid. It would define a "qualified health professional" and replace references to "individual" with that term. It would authorize $5,000,000 per year for each of two program parts (total $10,000,000 per year) for fiscal years 2026 through 2030. It would also require the HHS Secretary to set enforceable full-time service rules for awardees that match practice, teaching, and accreditor standards and would change wording from "employed full-time" to "perform full-time service."
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.
View on Congress.gov