HR7289-119

What This Bill Does

The Community Health Workforce Development Act inserts a new Public Health Service Act advisory committee focused on training in community health centers. HHS must appoint 15 voting members within 90 days, with no federal employees as voting members, at least 75 percent health professionals, at least one current community health center patient, geographic balance, urban-rural balance, and balanced health professions representation. HHS may add non-voting federal representatives from the Assistant Secretary for Health, CMS, HRSA, the National Health Service Corps, the Council on Graduate Medical Education, and the Veterans Health Administration. The committee must advise on community health center training policy, develop performance measures, publish longitudinal evaluation guidelines, meet at least twice each year, post agendas and meeting summaries, compensate members at Executive Schedule level IV daily-equivalent rates, reimburse travel, and report publicly to HHS and congressional committees after three years and annually afterward with recommendations and appropriation amounts.

Who Benefits and How

Community health centers benefit from a standing advisory body focused on training pipelines and workforce policy. Health professionals, community health center patients, urban communities, and rural communities benefit because the committee membership rules require professional experience, patient representation, geographic breadth, and urban-rural balance. HRSA and National Health Service Corps programs benefit from performance measures and longitudinal evaluation guidelines. Congressional health committees benefit from annual public reports and appropriation recommendations tied to community health center training needs.

Who Bears the Burden and How

HHS must appoint members within 90 days, manage vacancies and terms, compensate voting members, reimburse travel, handle FACA compliance, appoint optional federal representatives, and receive annual reports. Advisory Committee members must meet at least twice yearly, publish agendas 14 days in advance, distribute materials, publish summaries within 30 days, develop measures and guidelines, and prepare recurring public reports. Federal agency representatives may serve without extra pay while CMS, HRSA, VHA, and related offices coordinate with the committee.

Key Provisions

• Establishes the Advisory Committee on Training in Community Health Centers with 15 voting members appointed by HHS.
• Requires health professional, community health center patient, geographic, urban-rural, and health-profession balance in membership.
• Directs the committee to advise HHS, develop performance measures, and publish longitudinal evaluation guidelines for community health center training programs.
• Requires public agendas, meeting summaries, member compensation, travel reimbursement, and reports to HHS and congressional committees after three years and annually afterward.