HR5370-119

What This Bill Does

The Pathways to Health Careers Act rebuilds the Health Profession Opportunity Grants program around career pathways for low-income individuals. Eligible entities must describe adult basic education, literacy, work readiness, training, case management, career coaching, employer connections, job placement, and staff plans. HHS, consulting Labor and Education, must award grants for health professions such as allied health, health information technology, physician assistants, nursing assistants, registered nurses, advanced practice nurses, emergency medical technicians, paramedics, and other health-care pathways. The bill requires at least two grants per state where enough qualified applications exist, at least ten grants each year to Indian tribes, tribal organizations, or Tribal Colleges and Universities from the tribal reserve, and at least two awards to territories from the territory reserve. Demonstration projects must last at least five years and cover either health-care pathways for people with arrest or conviction records or pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum career pathways in states that recognize and pay doulas or midwives. Projects must include basic-skills support, affordable child care support, emergency cash assistance, participant stipends or wage supplements when prioritized, mentoring, job placement, and employer partnerships. HHS must provide technical assistance, run rigorous evaluations, collect outcome data on graduation, credentials, employment, earnings, demographics, and related measures, and publish reports. The bill appropriates $435 million annually for fiscal years 2026 through 2030, including $10 million annually for at least 25 Administration for Children and Families career civil servants, with remaining funds allocated among state grants, tribal grants, territory grants, demonstrations, technical assistance, and evaluation.

Who Benefits and How

Low-income health career trainees benefit from grant-funded education, work readiness, case management, career coaching, child care supports, emergency assistance, and job placement. Tribal Colleges benefit from a reserved funding stream for Indian tribes, tribal organizations, and Tribal Colleges and Universities. People with arrest records benefit from demonstration grants designed to open credentialing, licensing, and employment pathways in health professions. Doula and midwife workforce programs benefit from demonstrations for pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum career pathways in states that recognize and pay those services.

Who Bears the Burden and How

ACF program staff must administer grants, technical assistance, evaluations, reports, and outcome data systems. Health workforce grant recipients must report participant outcomes including graduation, credentials, employment, earnings, demographics, and other HHS-specified data. State health career applicants must compete under detailed application criteria and project requirements. Federal taxpayers fund $435 million per year for fiscal years 2026 through 2030.

Key Provisions

• Appropriates $435 million annually for fiscal years 2026 through 2030 for health profession opportunity grants.
• Requires at least two grants per state, at least ten tribal or Tribal College grants, and at least two territory grants when applications qualify.
• Creates five-year demonstrations for people with arrest or conviction records and for doula, midwife, pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum career pathways.
• Requires child care, basic-skills education, mentoring, job-placement, technical-assistance, evaluation, and outcome-reporting components.
• Reserves $10 million annually for at least 25 Administration for Children and Families career civil servants.