MEDIC Careers Act of 2026
- Bill Number
- H.R. 9140
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Armed Forces and National Security
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-06-04: Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.
- Last Updated
- 2026-06-25T19:42:30Z
AI-Generated Summary
## Purpose The legislation aims to facilitate the transition of military medics into civilian health care roles, such as certified nurse aides, licensed practical nurses, or medical assistants. It addresses barriers in credential recognition and provides targeted support through a grant program to improve access to quality health care in underserved areas.
## Key Provisions
- Section 2: Requires the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Homeland Security (for the Coast Guard) to develop recommendations, in consultation with states, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of Labor. These focus on identifying barriers to credential translation, standardizing military medic credentials, enabling accelerated civilian credentialing programs, and enhancing the SkillBridge and Transition Assistance Programs. A report with recommendations and an implementation plan must be submitted to relevant congressional committees within 180 days.
- Section 3: Amends 10 U.S.C. § 1153 to create the Health Care Workforce Preparedness and Response Pilot Program. This awards grants to eligible nonprofit health care providers in medically underserved areas (including rural health clinics, nursing homes, and facilities in health professional shortage areas) to hire, train, and retain separating service members. Grants last up to three years (with possible one-year renewals), capped at $600,000 initially and $200,000 thereafter. Providers must submit applications detailing project plans, sustainability, and expected improvements in health care access. The program allocates funds to ensure rural representation and requires periodic reports.
- Authorizes $5 million annually for fiscal years 2027 through 2031, with up to 10% for administrative costs.
## Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Replaces the prior content of 10 U.S.C. § 1153 with the new pilot grant program, shifting from any previous focus to a structured initiative for hiring and training military medics in civilian settings.
- Introduces requirements for federal coordination with states on credentialing barriers and mandates tracking/reporting by the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Labor on employment outcomes in the health care sector.
- Expands eligibility criteria for grant recipients to include specific types of facilities in underserved areas and adds detailed application and reporting obligations.
## Potential Impacts
- On government agencies: Increases coordination among the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Health and Human Services, and Department of Labor; may require updates to transition programs like SkillBridge.
- On citizens: Could improve employment opportunities for separating service members and enhance health care access and quality in rural and medically underserved communities.
- On international relations: No direct impacts identified.
## Main Stakeholders Affected
- Separating members of the Armed Forces with medic credentials (including Coast Guard personnel).
- Health care providers in rural and underserved areas, such as rural health clinics, nursing homes, and federally qualified health centers.
- Federal agencies including the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, Veterans Affairs, Health and Human Services, and Labor.
- State governments and licensing/credentialing boards.
- Congressional committees on armed services, health, education, labor, and veterans' affairs.
## Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Promotes federal-state collaboration on professional licensing and credentialing, which may influence state-level legislation or board actions without preempting state authority.
- Establishes a time-limited pilot program with specific funding caps and renewal limits, requiring congressional oversight through reports.
- Focuses on workforce development in health care, potentially raising questions about the scope of military-to-civilian transition assistance under existing statutes like sections 1142, 1143, and 1144 of title 10, United States Code.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (1)
Rep. Hamadeh, Abraham J. [R-AZ-8]
Recent Actions
- 2026-06-04: Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.
- 2026-06-04: Introduced in House
- 2026-06-04: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Medic Education and Deployment Into Civilian Careers Act of 2026 — issued 2026-06-04 — PDF (13 pages)