Pathways to Health Careers Act
Sponsored By: Senator Heinrich, Martin [D-NM]
Introduced
Summary
**Creates a new, federally funded HPOG 2.0 to *expand training and job placement for low-income people into health careers*.** The program funds multi-year grants that train participants for nursing, allied health, emergency services, health IT, doulas, midwives, and other in-demand health occupations while testing models that address criminal-record barriers and maternal health workforce gaps.
Show full summary
- Families and low-income participants: Offers training plus supports like child care referrals or payments, transportation help, cash stipends, emergency financial assistance, and education to earn recognized postsecondary credentials; eligible individuals must have family income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level.
- Tribal communities and territories: Guarantees at least 10 tribal grantees and at least two grantees in each U.S. territory, and allows projects involving tribal midwives where tribes recognize them.
- Employers, workforce boards, and training partners: Grants must coordinate with local workforce development boards under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, higher education, employers, unions, and apprenticeship models, and include rigorous data reporting and evaluation requirements.
*This proposal increases federal spending by $435 million annually for fiscal years 2027–2031, including a $10 million annual reserve for federal staffing.*
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 4 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Eligibility and tax-free participant supports
If enacted, projects would serve people with family income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level. In States with TANF, at least 10% of project participants must meet that State's TANF income rules. Projects would offer adult basic skills assessment and education, case management, career coaching, child care help (by referral or direct payment), transportation help, tuition and certification coverage, PPE and materials, cash stipends or wage supplements, and emergency financial aid. Legal assistance would be allowed in the arrest/conviction-record demonstrations. Cash stipends and emergency assistance paid under a project would not count as taxable income and would not require an information return. Training must lead to a recognized postsecondary credential and meet State-required hours, or hours the Secretary sets if the State has none.
Funding and staffing for the program
If enacted, the bill would authorize $435 million each year for fiscal years 2027 through 2031 for the program. Each year $10 million would be reserved to hire or retain at least 25 career civil servants at the Administration for Children and Families to run and evaluate the program. The remainder of each year's appropriation would be split by statutory percentages into core competitive grants, other set-asides, demonstration grants, technical assistance and staffing, and a 4 percent evaluation/study share. The bill also requires minimum awards for States, DC, territories, and tribal grantees when enough eligible applications exist.
Training demos for justice and maternal care
If enacted, the program would run two required demonstration types for at least five years each. One demo would reduce arrest and conviction record barriers to career pathways and could provide legal assistance. The other demo would expand maternal health career pathways, prioritizing doula and midwife training where States or tribes recognize and reimburse those services. Not less than 25 percent of demonstration funds must go to each demo type. Demonstrations must be rigorously evaluated and grantees must report participant outcomes like graduation, credentials, employment, and earnings.
New grants to train health workers
If enacted, HHS would award competitive grants to run local health-care career programs. Eligible applicants would include workforce boards, States, tribes, colleges, hospitals, nonprofits, labor groups, and other qualified organizations. Grants must run at least five years, and applicants must consult local workforce boards, hire project staff by the end of planning, accept technical help, and report required data. The Secretary would favor prior grantees, projects serving rural areas, mentoring programs, and projects that commit to stipends or emergency funds. The Secretary must give tailored technical assistance to tribes and territories. Most prior subtitle rules would not apply to these grants, though one named subsection would apply in a limited way.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Heinrich, Martin [D-NM]
NM • D
Cosponsors
Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR]
OR • D
Sponsored 8/6/2026
Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN]
MN • D
Sponsored 8/6/2026
Sen. Murphy, Christopher [D-CT]
CT • D
Sponsored 8/6/2026
Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT]
CT • D
Sponsored 8/6/2026
Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR]
OR • D
Sponsored 8/6/2026
Sen. Luján, Ben Ray [D-NM]
NM • D
Sponsored 8/6/2026
Sen. Bennet, Michael F. [D-CO]
CO • D
Sponsored 8/6/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov