HR1585119th CongressWALLET

Conrad State 30 and Physician Access Reauthorization Act

Sponsored By: Representative Valadao

Introduced

Summary

Expand and modernize the Conrad State 30 J-1 waiver program to extend its life, strengthen protections for physician hires and families, and change how waiver slots are allocated and reported. It would reset the program termination to three years after enactment and treat provisions as effective beginning September 30, 2018.

Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

4 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.

Easier green card paths for physicians

If enacted, a foreign medical degree accepted by a U.S. residency would count like an advanced degree. National interest waivers could apply for full-time work in shortage areas, at VA sites, or at facilities serving shortage-area patients when a health authority says it is in the public interest. The 5-year NIW clock would start when you first begin work in a shortage area, and past qualifying service could count. Employers could not demand a contract longer than your remaining service, and you would not need a new petition if you move sites. Doctors could file green card papers before finishing service, but approvals would wait until service is done; this would also cover those who already finished service, plus their spouse and children.

Smoother visa status for foreign doctors

If your State hits its waiver cap, you could get up to 6 more months of status while you seek a job in a State with slots. While that new waiver is pending, you could work only for the employer named in the extension. DHS could also change a J-1 doctor’s status to a work visa without counting against visa caps, when the State Department agrees. H-1B doctors with a timely petition would be extended to October 1 and could keep working; if visas are used up, the extension would run to the next October 1. Medical trainees would be treated as having dual intent, reducing visa denials based on intent to immigrate.

Stronger job protections for Conrad doctors

This bill would set fair contract rules for J-1 doctors with Conrad waivers. Deals must state maximum on-call hours, pay for on-call time, malpractice coverage and amount, and all work sites. Non-compete clauses would be banned. If your job ends, you would keep lawful status while you find a new job for up to 120 days. You could choose a 45-day in-state path that adds extra service time, or ask DHS/your State to excuse time if there are extenuating issues like employer violations.

State waiver counts and academic placements

This bill would tie each State’s waiver count to last year’s use. If 90% are used, every State would get 35 next year; as use stays high, counts rise by 5, and at 45 or more waivers the target would move to 95%. If use falls 5%, each State would drop by 5, but no State would go below 30. States could also place up to 3 doctors a year at academic medical centers outside shortage areas when in the public interest, and may get one extra waiver if a doctor leaves for another State. The program itself would be extended to end 3 years after enactment, applied as if effective September 30, 2018.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Valadao

CA • R

Cosponsors

  • Bacon

    NE • R

    Sponsored 2/25/2025

  • Schneider

    IL • D

    Sponsored 2/25/2025

  • Garcia (TX)

    TX • D

    Sponsored 2/25/2025

  • Salazar

    FL • R

    Sponsored 3/3/2025

  • Davids (KS)

    KS • D

    Sponsored 3/3/2025

  • Johnson (GA)

    GA • D

    Sponsored 3/4/2025

  • Scott, David

    GA • D

    Sponsored 3/5/2025

  • Carbajal

    CA • D

    Sponsored 3/5/2025

  • Costa

    CA • D

    Sponsored 3/5/2025

  • Krishnamoorthi

    IL • D

    Sponsored 3/5/2025

  • DelBene

    WA • D

    Sponsored 3/5/2025

  • Cherfilus-McCormick

    FL • D

    Sponsored 3/18/2025

  • Riley (NY)

    NY • D

    Sponsored 3/24/2025

  • Houlahan

    PA • D

    Sponsored 3/24/2025

  • Panetta

    CA • D

    Sponsored 3/25/2025

  • Suozzi

    NY • D

    Sponsored 3/31/2025

  • Meuser

    PA • R

    Sponsored 3/31/2025

  • Gillen

    NY • D

    Sponsored 4/1/2025

  • Gomez

    CA • D

    Sponsored 4/1/2025

  • Ciscomani

    AZ • R

    Sponsored 4/24/2025

  • McBride

    DE • D

    Sponsored 4/24/2025

  • Murphy

    NC • R

    Sponsored 4/29/2025

  • Wasserman Schultz

    FL • D

    Sponsored 5/7/2025

  • Lawler

    NY • R

    Sponsored 5/13/2025

  • Baumgartner

    WA • R

    Sponsored 5/20/2025

  • Craig

    MN • D

    Sponsored 6/9/2025

  • Correa

    CA • D

    Sponsored 6/23/2025

  • Tokuda

    HI • D

    Sponsored 6/24/2025

  • Ryan

    NY • D

    Sponsored 6/24/2025

  • Scholten

    MI • D

    Sponsored 6/25/2025

  • Foxx

    NC • R

    Sponsored 6/25/2025

  • Dingell

    MI • D

    Sponsored 6/25/2025

  • Gottheimer

    NJ • D

    Sponsored 6/25/2025

  • Castor (FL)

    FL • D

    Sponsored 6/25/2025

  • Ross

    NC • D

    Sponsored 6/26/2025

  • Casten

    IL • D

    Sponsored 6/26/2025

  • Peters

    CA • D

    Sponsored 6/27/2025

  • McClellan

    VA • D

    Sponsored 7/2/2025

  • Gonzalez, V.

    TX • D

    Sponsored 7/10/2025

  • Pettersen

    CO • D

    Sponsored 7/10/2025

  • Matsui

    CA • D

    Sponsored 7/10/2025

  • Magaziner

    RI • D

    Sponsored 7/10/2025

  • Dexter

    OR • D

    Sponsored 7/14/2025

  • Veasey

    TX • D

    Sponsored 7/17/2025

  • Crow

    CO • D

    Sponsored 7/29/2025

  • Vindman

    VA • D

    Sponsored 7/29/2025

  • Stanton

    AZ • D

    Sponsored 8/19/2025

  • Van Drew

    NJ • R

    Sponsored 9/2/2025

  • Leger Fernandez

    NM • D

    Sponsored 9/3/2025

  • Subramanyam

    VA • D

    Sponsored 9/17/2025

  • Lee (NV)

    NV • D

    Sponsored 9/23/2025

  • Stevens

    MI • D

    Sponsored 9/30/2025

  • Meng

    NY • D

    Sponsored 10/6/2025

  • Lynch

    MA • D

    Sponsored 10/8/2025

  • Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large]

    DC • D

    Sponsored 10/8/2025

  • Kennedy (NY)

    NY • D

    Sponsored 10/17/2025

  • Vasquez

    NM • D

    Sponsored 10/17/2025

  • McDonald Rivet

    MI • D

    Sponsored 10/24/2025

  • Thompson (CA)

    CA • D

    Sponsored 10/24/2025

  • Pingree

    ME • D

    Sponsored 11/7/2025

  • Garcia (IL)

    IL • D

    Sponsored 12/19/2025

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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