H.R. 5496 would amend the Public Health Service Act to establish various programs for the recruitment and retention of public health workers and to eliminate critical public health workforce shortages in Federal, State, local, and tribal public health agencies.
Detailed Summary
Public Health Preparedness Workforce Development Act of 2008 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish the Public Health Workforce Scholarship Program to assure an adequate supply of public health professionals to eliminate critical public health preparedness workforce shortages in federal, state, local, and tribal public health agencies by offering four-year scholarships in return for employment at such agencies.
Requires the Secretary to establish the Public Health Workforce Loan Repayment Program to provide for the repayment of loans incurred by individuals in the pursuit of the relevant public health preparedness workforce educational degree or certificate in exchange for working at such agencies for at least three years.
Requires the Secretary to award grants to public health agencies that receive public health preparedness cooperative agreements from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to operate state, local, and tribal public health workforce loan repayment programs.
Authorizes the Secretary to provide for scholarships to enable mid-career professionals in the public health workforce to receive additional training in the field of public health preparedness or biodefense.
Requires the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to ensure that included in the OPM website there is an online catalogue of public health workforce employment opportunities in the federal government.
Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to award grants to establish Academic Health Departments to provide for collaboration between the academic and practice aspects of public health.
Status of the Legislation
Latest Major Action: 2/26/2008: Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
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