Bipartisan senators introduce legislation to rebuild public health workforce

U.S. Sens. Tina Smith (D-MN), Susan Collins (R-ME), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) introduced legislation Friday that would reinforce and expand the U.S. public health workforce in light of current shortages.

The legislation, Strengthening the Public Health Workforce Act, would help restore the public health workforce at the state, local and Tribal levels. According to Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there is a shortage of 80,000 public health professionals nationwide.

“Improving the health of our nation and our economy depends on a robust public health workforce,” Smith said. “The pandemic has stretched public health departments thin in Minnesota and across the country, leaving us less prepared to address the COVID-19 pandemic and future public health emergencies. This bipartisan legislation would help rebuild our public health capacity, mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and future pandemics, and provide much-needed relief to health care workers who have shouldered the burden of understaffing throughout the pandemic.”

The legislation would reauthorize the Public Health Workforce Loan Repayment Program that provides education loan repayment assistance of up to $35,000 for each year of service to individuals who work in a state, local, or Tribal public health department. The legislation would also shorten the obligated service time period from three years to two years and expand the eligibility requirements to include those with degrees in public health, epidemiology, data systems, data science, data analytics, informatics, and statistics.

The legislation also directs the Comptroller General to evaluate the public health workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Our nation’s public health workers are the true heroes of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the severe shortage of these skilled professionals has taken a toll,” Collins said. “As we continue to respond to this persistent pandemic, it is imperative that we take steps to alleviate the many burdens on our public health infrastructure and support the development and expansion of this workforce so that we are better prepared for the next crisis. Reauthorizing and strengthening the bipartisan Public Health Workforce Loan Repayment program would help attract more young people to the field, support our state and local health departments, and preserve access to critical activities like testing and contact tracing.”

The legislation is endorsed by the National Association of County and City Officials (NACCHO), the Minnesota Local Public Health Association, and the Association of Minnesota Counties.