HR 8629
Developing the Community Health Workforce Act of 2026
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Bill overview
The Developing the Community Health Workforce Act of 2026 aims to increase the number of healthcare professionals working in Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and rural health clinics. It does this by providing loan repayment programs for healthcare professionals, establishing a workforce pipeline program with grants for training and recruitment, and expanding opportunities for apprenticeships. The bill also seeks to increase graduate medical education opportunities at hospitals with FQHC partnerships and expand services offered by FQHCs, particularly in behavioral health.
Key provisions
- Prioritizes applications for Corps members to FQHCs and rural health clinics.
- Creates a loan repayment program for healthcare professionals working at FQHCs.
- Establishes a Community Health Center Workforce Pipeline Program to fund recruitment, training, and retention of staff.
- Allows FQHCs to register as apprenticeship programs.
- Provides grants to institutions of higher education for partnerships with health centers to train health professions students.
- Increases Medicare resident limits for hospitals with significant FQHC residency training programs.
- Expands Medicare coverage to include behavioral health consultant and case manager services at FQHCs.
- Requires the Secretary to study and provide guidance to states on Medicaid payment adjustments for FQHC services.
Who is affected
- Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs)
- Rural Health Clinics
- Healthcare Professionals (physicians, nurses, etc.)
Sponsors
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Primary sponsor
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119th CONGRESS — 2d Session
H. R. 8629
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
A BILL
To strengthen recruitment, training, and retention of the health center workforce to improve access to care and health outcomes in rural and underserved communities, and for other purposes.
This Act may be cited as the Developing the Community Health Workforce Act of 2026
.
The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall award grants to Federally qualified health centers (as defined in section 1861(aa) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(aa))) for the purpose of addressing health professional workforce shortages by making loan repayments on behalf of health care professionals serving at such centers.
To seek a grant under paragraph (1), a Federally qualified health center shall submit an application to the Secretary of Health and Human Services at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require. At a minimum, such an application shall include—
a description of the center’s capacity to address specific regional workforce shortages, supported by data;
a plan for making loan repayments as described in paragraph (1); and
Section 330 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254b) is amended—
by redesignating subsection (r) as subsection (u); and
by inserting after subsection (q) the following new subsection:
The Secretary may award grants to health centers for the purpose of assisting such centers in—
The Secretary may award grants to institutions of higher education, including community colleges and minority-serving institutions, to establish partnerships with one or more health centers funded under this section for training students in health professions.
An institution of higher education receiving a grant under this subsection may use the grant to pay the costs of training, including the salary of the clinicians or other educators who provide the training.
The training supported pursuant to a grant under this subsection may include formal training and mentorships.
In this subsection:
The term institution of higher education means an institution of higher education described in subsection (a) or (b) of section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965.
The term minority-serving institution means an institution of higher education described in section 371(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965.
The Secretary may award grants to health centers to establish, operate, or expand training programs for behavioral health specialists.
stipends for personnel to operate the training programs;
apprenticeship programs; and
other recruitment and retention activities for behavioral health specialists.
Section 340H of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 256h) is amended—
in subsection (a)(1), by inserting , or that have in effect a covered agreement with a sponsoring institution so listed,
after relevant accrediting body
; and
in subsection (j), by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
Section 1886(h) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395ww(h)) is amended—
in subsection (4)(F), by striking and (10)
and inserting (10), and (11)
; and
by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
For cost reporting periods beginning on or after October 1, 2025, in the case of a hospital that has an approved medical residency training program where a significant portion of such program occurs at a Federally qualified health center (as determined by the Secretary), the Secretary shall increase the otherwise applicable resident limit for such hospital by 3 full-time equivalent residency positions.
In this paragraph:
otherwise applicable resident limitmeans, with respect to a hospital, the limit otherwise applicable under subparagraphs (F)(i) and (H) of paragraph (4) on the resident level for the hospital determined without regard to this paragraph but taking into account paragraphs (7)(A), (7)(B), (8)(A), (8)(B), (9)(A), and (10)(A).
The term resident level
has the meaning given such term in paragraph (7)(C)(i).
Section 1861(aa) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(aa)) is amended—
in paragraph (1)—
in subparagraph (B), by inserting such services furnished on or after October 1, 2025, by a behavioral health consultant, peer support specialist, or other behavioral health professional (as such terms are defined by the Secretary),
before and such services
;
in subparagraph (C), by striking and
at the end;
in subparagraph (D), by striking the comma at the end and inserting , and
; and
by inserting after subparagraph (D) the following new subparagraph:
in paragraph (3)(A), by striking (D)
and inserting (E)
.
Section 1905(l)(2)(A) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396d(l)(2)(A)) is amended by inserting and (E)
before of section
.
conduct a study on any differences in the methods by which State plans adjust the payment amount under paragraph (3) for services furnished during a fiscal year; and