Davis Champions Health Workers in Bipartisan Reintroduction of Career Pathway Program

WASHINGTON, DC– Today, Ways and Means Worker and Family Support Subcommittee Ranking Member Danny K. Davis (D-IL) led a group of bipartisan lawmakers to reintroduce legislation that will modernize and reauthorize the Health Profession Opportunity Grant (HPOG) program. The HPOG program prevents health care worker shortages by providing job seekers a direct pathway to these in-demand health industry careers.

“Republicans’ Big Ugly Law will cut hospital funding and create worker shortages, posing a serious risk to our nation’s health,” Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard E. Neal (D-MA) said. “Renewing the Health Profession Opportunity Grant program will fortify our hospitals against these attacks by creating opportunities for workers to reskill into high-demand health care jobs. I am grateful for the Worker and Family Support Subcommittee Ranking Member Danny K. Davis and Ways and Means Committee Democrats for their continued commitment to this impactful program.”

“As our economy and health systems struggle due to damaging Republican policies, Congress must invest in proven programs that expand economic opportunity for working families and strengthen our health care,” Ways and Means Committee Worker and Family Support Subcommittee Ranking Member Danny K. Davis (D-IL) said. “Modernizing the Health Profession Opportunity Grant Program will connect a new generation of workers with career pathways to in-demand health care jobs while addressing barriers to employment.  I am proud to lead this bill and thank Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard E. Neal and my Democratic colleagues for their continued support of this successful program shown to create jobs and expand access to care.”

The full bill can be read HERE.

A fact sheet on the HPOG program is available HERE.

Section-by-Section of the Pathways to Health Career Act is available HERE.

The Pathways to Health Careers Act fully incorporates a host of individual bills designed to improve the HPOG program, including: 

H.R. 5372, Demonstrating that Empowerment Makes Opportunities (DEMO) Act
Sponsor: Rep.  Danny K. Davis (D-IL)
Summary: Authorizes demonstration projects to test an HPOG/Career Pathways approach for helping individuals with arrest or conviction records enter the health professions, and provides $10 million for them.

H.R. 5374, Promoting Health Careers in Community & Technical Colleges Act
Sponsor: Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) 
Summary: Clarifies that community colleges, and other higher-ed institutions, including technical colleges, will continue to remain eligible grantees of the Health Profession Opportunity Grant Program, and requires that enrolled students earn industry-recognized credentials to ensure that the training they receive results in a job.

H.R. 5379, Health Opportunities to Promote Equity (HOPE) Act
Sponsor: John B. Larson (D-CT)
Summary: Guarantees that every state will receive at least two HPOG program awards to qualified applicants.

H.R. 5377, Rural Health Training Opportunities Act
Sponsor: Rep. Terri Sewell (D-AL)
Summary: Gives priority to applications that would train healthcare workers in rural communities, and requires grantees to ensure that participants have access to transportation.

H.R. 5375, Essential Skills and Child Care for Health Professions Act
Sponsor: Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA)
Summary: Requires grantees to provide support services like basic education, English-language proficiency, and child care, when needed.

H.R. 5406, Opportunities to Support Mothers & Deliver Children Act
Sponsor: Rep. Gwen Moore (D-WI)
Summary: Authorizes demonstration projects to test an HPOG/career pathways approach to training doulas, midwives, and other pregnancy and birth professions.

H.R. 5380, Labor Market Response Act
Sponsor: Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-PA)
Summary: Requires all grant applicants to use publicly available labor market data to survey the local health care employment market, to ensure that they are training workers for in-demand jobs and those with a shortage of trained workers.

H.R. 5383, Mentoring and Supporting Families Act
Sponsor: Rep. Dwight Evans (D-PA)
Summary: Requires the HPOG grantee's case management plan to offer a career coaching service as part of the plan, with an option also to provide high-quality mentoring and peer support as needed to ensure success in this health care training program.

H.R. 5384, Making Opportunities Reachable for Everyone (MORE) Act
Sponsor: Rep. Dwight Evans (D-PA)
Summary: Gives priority to HPOG grant applications that include partnerships among job training and education providers, state and local government, and unions and employers.

H.R. 5376, Impacts & Outcomes for Health Career Training Act
Sponsor: Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL)
Summary: Ensures funding to study the effects of Health Profession Opportunity Grant projects, and to evaluate new demonstration projects.

H.R. 5382, Health Career Advancement & Renumeration Exclusion for Training Act (Health CARE Training Act)
Sponsor: Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-CA)
Summary: Requires that any health care workforce training program that receives HPOG federal funds must provide at least the minimum number of hours to meet state and industry standards. It also ensures that any cash stipends or emergency assistance that a grantee may provide is not considered income.

H.R. 5378, Tribal Healthcare Careers Act
Sponsor: Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-CA)
Summary: Builds on the current success of Tribal HPOG programs by guaranteeing funding for grants to tribes, tribal organizations, and tribal colleges and universities.

H.R. 5385, Health Providers Training Act
Sponsor: Rep. Steven Horsford (D-NV)
Summary: Ensures that hospitals are considered an eligible entity to apply for, and receive grant funds from, this health career training program.

H.R. 5386, Technical Assistance for Health Grants Act
Sponsor: Rep. Steven Horsford (D-NV)
Summary: Requires HHS to provide targeted technical assistance with grant applications, implementation, and outcome reporting, to ensure that all applicants have a fair chance to receive funding and grants are administered effectively. Requires that HHS continue providing in-person peer technical assistance conference to facilitate grantee-to-grantee peer learning.

H.R. 5409, Territory Health Revitalization Act
Sponsor: Rep. Stacey Plaskett (D-VI), Rep. James Moylan (R-GU), Rep. Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen (R-AS), Rep. Kimberlyn King-Hinds (R-MP), and Rep. Pablo José Hernández (D-PR)
Summary: Makes all five U.S. territories eligible for Health Profession Opportunity Grant funds, sets aside five percent of total funding for grants to the territories, and guarantees at least two territorial grants per grant cycle.

H.R. 5381, Opioid Treatment Providers Act
Sponsor: Tom Suozzi (D-NY)
Summary: Ensures that certain high-quality opioid treatment providers are considered an eligible entity to apply for, and receive grant funds from, this health career training program.

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