---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 295f"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "295f"
heading: "Investment in tomorrow’s pediatric health care workforce"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/295f"
units:
  - "Chapter 6A — Public Health Service"
  - "Subchapter V — Health Professions Education"
  - "Part E — Health Professions and Public Health Workforce"
  - "Subpart 3 — recruitment and retention programs"
---

# §295f. Investment in tomorrow’s pediatric health care workforce

- (a) **Establishment—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) shall establish and carry out a pediatric specialty loan repayment [program](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) under which the eligible individual agrees to be employed full-time for a specified period (which shall not be less than 2 years) in providing pediatric medical subspecialty, pediatric surgical specialty, or child and [adolescent](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-9) mental and behavioral health care, including substance abuse prevention and [treatment](/usc/42/11851.md?p=11) [services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a).
- (b) **Program administration—** Through the [program](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) established under this section, the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) shall enter into contracts with qualified health professionals under which—
  - (1) such qualified health professionals will agree to provide pediatric medical subspecialty, pediatric surgical specialty, or child and [adolescent](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-9) mental and behavioral health care in an area with a shortage of the specified pediatric subspecialty that has a sufficient pediatric population to support such pediatric subspecialty, as determined by the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c); and
  - (2) the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) agrees to make payments on the principal and interest of undergraduate, graduate, or graduate medical education loans of professionals described in [paragraph (1)](#b-1) of not more than $35,000 a year for each year of agreed upon [service](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) under such paragraph for a period of not more than 3 years during the qualified health professional’s—
    - (A) participation in an accredited pediatric medical subspecialty, pediatric surgical specialty, or child and [adolescent](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-9) mental health subspecialty residency or fellowship; or
    - (B) employment as a pediatric medical subspecialist, pediatric surgical specialist, or child and [adolescent](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-9) mental health professional serving an area or population described in such paragraph.
- (c) **In general—**
  - (1) **Eligible individuals—**
    - (A) **Pediatric medical specialists and pediatric surgical specialists—** For purposes of contracts with respect to pediatric medical specialists and pediatric surgical specialists, the term “qualified health professional” means a licensed physician who—
      - (i) is entering or receiving training in an accredited pediatric medical subspecialty or pediatric surgical specialty residency or fellowship; or
      - (ii) has completed (but not prior to the end of the calendar year in which this section is enacted) the training described in [subparagraph (B)](#c-1-B).
    - (B) **Child and adolescent mental and behavioral health—** For purposes of contracts with respect to child and [adolescent](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-9) mental and behavioral health care, the term “qualified health professional” means a health care professional who—
      - (i) has received specialized training or clinical experience in child and [adolescent](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-9) mental health in psychiatry, psychology, [school](/usc/42/300j–21.md?p=6) psychology, behavioral pediatrics, psychiatric nursing, social work, [school](/usc/42/300j–21.md?p=6) social work, substance abuse disorder prevention and [treatment](/usc/42/11851.md?p=11), marriage and family therapy, [school](/usc/42/300j–21.md?p=6) counseling, or professional counseling;
      - (ii) has a license or certification in a [State](/usc/42/201.md?p=f) to practice allopathic medicine, osteopathic medicine, psychology, [school](/usc/42/300j–21.md?p=6) psychology, psychiatric nursing, social work, [school](/usc/42/300j–21.md?p=6) social work, marriage and family therapy, [school](/usc/42/300j–21.md?p=6) counseling, or professional counseling; or
      - (iii) is a mental health [service](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) professional who completed (but not before the end of the calendar year in which this section is enacted) specialized training or clinical experience in child and [adolescent](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-9) mental health described in [clause (i)](#c-1-B-i).
  - (2) **Additional eligibility requirements—** The [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) may not enter into a contract under this subsection with an eligible individual unless—
    - (A) the individual agrees to work in, or for a [provider](/usc/42/299b–21.md?p=8) serving, a health professional shortage area or medically underserved area, or to serve a [medically underserved population](/usc/42/300s–3.md?p=14);
    - (B) the individual is a United States citizen or a permanent legal United States resident; and
    - (C) if the individual is enrolled in a graduate [program](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4), the [program](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) is accredited, and the individual has an acceptable level of academic standing (as determined by the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c)).
- (d) **Priority—** In entering into contracts under this subsection, the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) shall give priority to applicants who—
  - (1) are or will be working in a [school](/usc/42/300j–21.md?p=6) or other pre-kindergarten, elementary, or secondary education setting;
  - (2) have familiarity with evidence-based methods and cultural and linguistic competence health [care services](/usc/42/300z–1.md?p=a-7); and
  - (3) demonstrate financial need.
- (e) **Authorization of appropriations—** There is authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2025.

## Source credit

(July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title VII, § 775, as added Pub. L. 111–148, title V, § 5203, Mar. 23, 2010, 124 Stat. 607; amended Pub. L. 116–136, div. A, title III, § 3401(13), Mar. 27, 2020, 134 Stat. 387.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

The calendar year in which this section is enacted, referred to in subsec. (c)(1)(A)(ii), (B)(iii), probably means the calendar year in which Pub. L. 111–148 was enacted. Such Act was approved Mar. 23, 2010.

### Prior Provisions

A prior section 295f, act July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title VII, § 770, as added Oct. 22, 1965, Pub. L. 89–290, § 2(a), 79 Stat. 1052; amended Aug. 16, 1968, Pub. L. 90–490, title I, § 111(a), 82 Stat. 774; Nov. 18, 1971, Pub. L. 92–157, title I, § 104(a), 85 Stat. 437; Oct. 12, 1976, Pub. L. 94–484, title I, § 101(k), title V, § 501(a)–(c), 90 Stat. 2245, 2290, 2291; Aug. 13, 1981, Pub. L. 97–35, title XXVII, § 2746(a)(1), 95 Stat. 927; Oct. 22, 1985, Pub. L. 99–129, title II, § 211(a)(1), 99 Stat. 537; Nov. 4, 1988, Pub. L. 100–607, title VI, § 606(a), 102 Stat. 3127, related to capitation grants for schools of public health, prior to repeal by act July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title VII, § 773, as added Nov. 4, 1988, Pub. L. 100–607, title VI, § 606(b), 102 Stat. 3127, effective Oct. 1, 1990.

A prior section 775 of act July 1, 1944, was renumbered section 772 by Pub. L. 94–484, and was classified to section 295f–2 of this title prior to repeal by act July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title VII, § 773, as added Nov. 4, 1988, Pub. L. 100–607, title VI, § 606(b), 102 Stat. 3127.

### Amendments

2020—Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 116–136 substituted “such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2025.” for “$30,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2010 through 2014 to carry out subsection (c)(1)(A) and $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2010 through 2013 to carry out subsection (c)(1)(B).”