Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Physical Therapist Workforce and Patient Access Act of 2019”.
Physical Therapist Workforce and Patient Access Act of 2019
A BILL
To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for the participation of physical therapists in the National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 National Health Service Corps; participation of physical therapists in loan repayment program
Mission of corps; definition of primary health services— Section 331(a)(3)(D) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254d(a)(3)(D)) is amended by striking “or mental health,” and inserting “mental health, or physical therapy,”.
Loan repayment program— Section 338B of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254l–1) is amended—
in subsection (a)—
in paragraph (1), by striking “; and” and inserting a semicolon;
by redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph (3); and
by inserting after paragraph (1) the following:
“(2) an adequate supply of physical therapists, including physical therapists for the prevention, treatment, or management of pain for individuals with substance use disorders, or at risk of developing a substance use disorder; and”
in subsection (b)(1)—
in subparagraph (A)—
by striking “, or be certified” and inserting “; be certified”; and
by inserting before the semicolon the following: “; or have a doctoral or master's degree in physical therapy”;
in subparagraph (B), by inserting “physical therapy,” after “mental health,”; and
in subparagraph (C)(ii), by inserting “physical therapy,” after “dentistry,”; and
by adding at the end the following:
“(i) Eligibility To participate in other programs—Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit any health care professional who is eligible to participate in the program under this section from participating in any other loan repayment program established by the Secretary for which such professional is eligible.”