text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
      This Act may be cited as the ``Professional's Access To Health 
  Workforce Integration Act of 2015''.
  
  SEC. 2. CAREER SUPPORT FOR SKILLED, INTERNATIONALLY EDUCATED HEALTH 
                PROFESSIONALS.
  
      (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
              (1) According to the Association of Schools of Public 
          Health, projections indicate a nationwide shortage of up to 
          250,000 public health workers needed by 2020.
              (2) Similar trends are projected for other health 
          professions indicating shortages across disciplines, including 
          within the fields of nursing (500,000 by 2025), dentistry 
          (15,000 by 2025), pharmacy (38,000 by 2030), mental and 
          behavioral health, primary care (46,000 by 2025), and community 
          and allied health.
              (3) A nationwide health workforce shortage will result in 
          serious health threats and more severe and costly health care 
          needs, due to, in part, a delayed response to food-borne 
          outbreaks, emerging infectious diseases, natural disasters, 
          fewer cancer screenings, and delayed treatment.
              (4) Vulnerable and underserved populations and health 
          professional shortage areas will be most severely impacted by 
          the health workforce shortage.
              (5) According to the Migration Policy Institute, over 
          2,000,000 college-educated immigrants in the United States 
          today are unemployed or underemployed in low- or semi-skilled 
          jobs that fail to draw on their education and expertise.
              (6) Approximately 2 out of every 5 internationally educated 
          immigrants are unemployed or underemployed.
              (7) According to Drexel University Center for Labor Markets 
          and Policy, underemployment for internationally educated 
          immigrant women is 28 percent higher than for their male 
          counterparts.
              (8) According to the Drexel University Center for labor 
          markets and policy, the mean annual earnings of underemployed 
          immigrants were $32,000, or 43 percent less than United States 
          born college graduates employed in the college labor market.
              (9) According to Upwardly Global and the Welcome Back 
          Initiative, with proper guidance and support, underemployed 
          skilled immigrants typically increase their income by 215 
          percent to 900 percent.
              (10) According to the Brookings Institution and the 
          Partnership for a New American Economy, immigrants working in 
          the health workforce are, on average, better educated than 
          United States-born workers in the health workforce.
      (b) Grants to Eligible Entities.--
              (1) Authority to provide grants.--The Secretary of Health 
          and Human Services acting through the Bureau of Health 
          Workforce within the Health Resources and Services 
          Administration, the National Institute on Minority Health and 
          Health Disparities, or the Office of Minority Health (in this 
          section referred to as the ``Secretary'') may award grants to 
          eligible entities to carry out activities described in 
          subsection (c).
              (2) Eligibility.--To be eligible to receive a grant under 
          this section, an entity shall--
                      (A) be a clinical, public health, or health 
                  services organization, a community-based or nonprofit 
                  entity, an academic institution, a faith-based 
                  organization, a State, county, or local government, an 
                  Area Health Education Center, or another entity 
                  determined appropriate by the Secretary; and
                      (B) submit to the Secretary an application at such 
                  time, in such manner, and containing such information 
                  as the Secretary may require.
      (c) Authorized Activities.--A grant awarded under this section 
  shall be used--
              (1) to provide services to assist unemployed and 
          underemployed skilled immigrants, residing in the United 
          States, who have legal, permanent work authorization and who 
          are internationally educated health professionals, enter into 
          the American health workforce with employment matching their 
          health professional skills and education, and advance in 
          employment to positions that better match their health 
          professional education and expertise;
              (2) to provide training opportunities to reduce barriers to 
          entry and advancement in the health workforce for skilled, 
          internationally educated immigrants;
              (3) to educate employers regarding the abilities and 
          capacities of internationally educated health professionals;
              (4) to assist in the evaluation of foreign credentials; and
              (5) to facilitate access to contextualized and accelerated 
          courses on English as a second language.
      (d) Definition.--In this section:
              (1) The term ``health professional'' means an individual 
          trained for employment or intended employment in the field of 
          public health, health management, dentistry, health 
          administration, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, psychology, social 
          work, psychiatry, other mental and behavioral health, allied 
          health, community health or wellness work, including fitness 
          and nutrition, or other fields as determined appropriate by the 
          Secretary.
              (2) The term ``underemployed'' means being employed at less 
          skilled tasks than an employee's training or abilities would 
          otherwise permit.
      (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
  appropriated to carry out this section such sums as may be necessary 
  for each of fiscal years 2016 through 2020.
target: Professional's Access To Health Workforce Integration Act of 2015 Directs the Department of Health and Human Services, acting through the Bureau of Health Workforce within the Health Resources and Services Administration, the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, or the Office of Minority Health (HHS), to award grants to eligible entities to:  provide services to assist unemployed and underemployed skilled immigrants residing in the United States, who have legal, permanent work authorization and who are internationally educated health professionals, in entering into and advancing in the American health workforce with employment matching their health professional skills, education, and expertise;  provide training opportunities to reduce barriers to entry and advancement in the health workforce for skilled, internationally educated immigrants;   educate employers regarding the abilities and capacities of internationally educated health professionals;   assist in the evaluation of foreign credentials; and   facilitate access to contextualized and accelerated courses on English as a second language.  Includes as an eligible entity a clinical, public health, or health services organization, a community-based or nonprofit entity, an academic institution, a faith-based organization, a state, county, or local government, or an Area Health Education Center that submits an application that meets HHS requirements. Defines &quot;health professional&quot; as an individual trained for employment or intended employment in specified fields, including public health, health management, dentistry, health administration, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, psychology, social work, psychiatry, and other mental and behavioral health, allied health, and community health or wellness work.
feat_title: Professional's Access To Health Workforce Integration Act of 2015