Davis Leads Reintroduction of Legislation to Modernize Crucial Health Profession Training Program

WASHINGTON, DC— Today, Ways and Means Committee Worker and Family Support Subcommittee Ranking Member Danny K. Davis (D-IL) led a group of Representatives in reintroducing the Pathways to Health Careers Act (H.R. 4783), which would reauthorize and modernize the Health Profession Opportunity Grant (HPOG) program to better support low-income workers as they seek training and education for in-demand health care careers, creating good-paying jobs and expanding our labor force. The HPOG program has a proven track record of successfully educating workers for jobs in the health care industry, while also providing career coaching, job placement, and a mix of other support services:

"Our economic recovery from the pandemic has been historic, and by investing in the workforce training, child care, and career coaching provided by the Health Profession Opportunity Grant program, we will further unlock good-paying jobs and improve access to health care.” Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard E. Neal (D-MA) said.  “Worker and Family Support Subcommittee Ranking Member Danny K. Davis’s leadership has powered this program, growing the middle class and closing workforce shortages. His commitment to the HPOG programs and the workers it serves has given countless families the security of a career and set their families on a pathway to prosperity. I’m grateful to Ranking Member Davis and all of the Ways and Means Committee Democrats for their dedication to building healthier, thriving communities.”

"Strengthening and 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 that too often prevent the full potential of our work force - especially women and people of color - from being realized,” Ways and Means Committee Worker and Family Support Subcommittee Ranking Member Danny K. Davis (D-IL) said.  This proven initiative has expanded economic opportunity for working families across America and we must continue to build on its success in creating jobs and expanding access to care. 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 critical program."

A fact sheet on the HPOG program is available HERE. 
Section-by-Section of the Pathways to Health Careers Act is available HERE.

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

H.R. 4730, 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. 4732, 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. 4747, Health Opportunities to Promote Equity (HOPE) Act
Sponsor: Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., (D-NJ)
Summary: Guarantees that every state will have an HPOG program, so long as at least $250 million is provided for the overall program.

H.R. 4788, Opioid Treatment Providers Act
Sponsor: Rep. Brian Higgins (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.

H.R. 4813, 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. 4781, 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. 4833, 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. 4874, Technical Assistance for Health Grants Act
Sponsor: Rep. Dan Kildee (D-MI)
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. Provides $15 million for this purpose.

H.R. 4827, 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. 4034, Pre-Apprenticeship Promotion Act
Sponsor: Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA)
Summary: Ensures that pre-apprenticeships and apprenticeships are considered when implementing the Health Profession Opportunity Grant Program's career pathway model.

H.R. 4735, 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. 4734, 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. 4753, 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. 4885, 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. 417, 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. 8681, 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. 1675, Territory Health Revitalization Act
Sponsor: Del. Gonzalez-Colon (R-PR), Rep. Plaskett (D-VI), Del. Moylan (R-GU), Del. Sablan (D-CNMI), Del. Radewagen (R-AS)
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.