Medical Laboratory Personnel Shortage Relief Act of 2025

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [H.R. 5444 Introduced in House (IH)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 5444 To amend the Public Health Service Act to address the shortage of medical laboratory personnel, and for other purposes. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES September 17, 2025 Ms. Ross (for herself and Mrs. Kiggans of Virginia) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To amend the Public Health Service Act to address the shortage of medical laboratory personnel, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Medical Laboratory Personnel Shortage Relief Act of 2025''. SEC. 2. INCLUDING MEDICAL LABORATORY PERSONNEL AND SERVICES IN NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE CORPS PROGRAMS. (a) Definition.--Section 331(a) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254d(a)) is amended-- (1) in paragraph (3)(D), by striking ``or mental health'' and inserting ``mental health, or medical laboratory services''; and (2) by adding at the end the following: ``(F) The term `medical laboratory personnel'-- ``(i) means individuals-- ``(I) seeking or receiving training in an accredited medical laboratory science program; or ``(II) employed in a position in which the individual examines materials derived from the human body for the purpose of providing information for the diagnosis, prevention, or treatment of a disease or impairment of human beings; and ``(ii) includes phlebotomists, medical laboratory assistants, histotechnologists, laboratory scientists, laboratory technicians, and genetic counselors.''. (b) Medical Laboratory Health Professional Target Areas.--Section 332 of the Public Health Service Act