WHAT THE LAW DOINCongress, in plain words

The law › Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare › Chapter 6A

42 U.S.C. 254l-1: National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program

Created in 1987 by Public Law 100-177. Changed by 6 later laws. 1 bill in this Congress would change it.

This Congress

  • H.R. 5621 Physical Therapist Workforce and Patient Access Act of 2025 · introduced · would change (a), (b), (i)

How it got here

2010

  • Pub. L. 111–148 substituted "$50,000, plus, beginning with fiscal year 2012, an amount determined by the Secretary on an annual basis to reflect inflation," for "$35,000" in introductory provisions. (Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act) Law text · (g)

2003

  • Pub. L. 108–163 made technical amendment. (Health Care Safety Net Amendments Technical Corrections Act of 2003) Law text · (e)

2002

  • Pub. L. 107–251, §310(1)(A), inserted "behavioral and mental health professionals," after "dentists,". (Health Care Safety Net Amendments of 2002) Law text · (a)
  • Pub. L. 107–251, §310(1)(B), struck out "(including mental health professionals)" before period at end. (Health Care Safety Net Amendments of 2002) Law text · (a)
  • Pub. L. 107–251, §310(2), added subpar. (A) and struck out former subpar. (A) which read as follows: "must have a degree in medicine, osteopathic medicine, dentistry, or other health profession, or be certified as a nurse midwife, nurse practioner, or physician assistant;". (Health Care Safety Net Amendments of 2002) Law text · (b)
  • Pub. L. 107–251, §310(3), struck out par. (1) designation and heading. (Health Care Safety Net Amendments of 2002) Law text · (e)
  • Pub. L. 107–251, §310(4), struck out subsec. (i), which required an annual report to Congress about the Loan Repayment Program. (Health Care Safety Net Amendments of 2002) Law text · (i)

1998

  • Pub. L. 105–392 substituted "behavioral and mental health, or other health profession" for "or other health profession". (Health Professions Education Partnerships Act of 1998) Law text · (b)

1990

  • Pub. L. 101–597, §202(a)(1), substituted "Corps Loan Repayment Program to assure, with respect to the provision of primary health services pursuant to section 254d(a)(2) of this title—" and pars. (1) and (2) for "Corps Loan Repayment Program (hereinafter in this subpart referred to as … · (a)
  • Pub. L. 101–597, §202(b)(1)(A), amended par. (1) generally. Prior to amendment, par. (1) read as follows: · (b)
  • Pub. L. 101–597, §202(b)(2)(A), inserted "and" at end of par. (2), added par. (3), and struck out former pars. (3) and (4) which read as follows: · (b)
  • Pub. L. 101–597, §401(b)[(a)], substituted reference to health professional shortage area for reference to health manpower shortage area in subpars. (B) and (C). · (c)
  • Pub. L. 101–597, §202(c), added par. (4). · (c)
  • Pub. L. 101–597, §401(b)[(a)], substituted reference to health professional shortage area for reference to health manpower shortage area in par. (2)(B). · (d)
  • Pub. L. 101–597, §202(d), amended subsec. (d) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (d) read as follows: "In determining which applications under the Loan Repayment Program to approve (and which contracts to accept), the Secretary shall give priority to applications made by— · (d)
  • Pub. L. 101–597, §202(b)(2)(B), substituted "only upon the Secretary and the individual entering into a written contract described in subsection (f)." for "only on the Secretary's approval of the individual's application submitted under subsection (b)(3) of this section and the Secreta… · (e)
  • Pub. L. 101–597, §202(b)(1)(B), substituted "subsection (b)(1)(C)" for "subsection (b)(1)(A)". · (f), (iii)
  • Pub. L. 101–597, §401(b)[(a)], substituted reference to health professional shortage area for reference to health manpower shortage area. · (f)
  • Pub. L. 101–597, §202(a)(2), inserted "as a provider of primary health services" before "in a health". · (f)
  • Pub. L. 101–597, §202(e), inserted before semicolon at end ", including extensions resulting in an aggregate period of obligated service in excess of 4 years". · (f)
  • Pub. L. 101–597, §202(f)(1), inserted "regarding the undergraduate or graduate education of the individual (or both), which loans were made" after "loans received by the individual". · (g)
  • Pub. L. 101–597, §401(b)[(a)], substituted reference to health professional shortage area for reference to health manpower shortage area in cls. (ii) and (iii). · (g)
  • Pub. L. 101–597, §202(f)(2)(A), substituted "For each year" for "Except as provided in subparagraph (B) and paragraph (3), for each year" and "$35,000" for "$20,000", inserted at end "In making a determination of the amount to pay for a year of such service by an individual, the Secretary shall con… · (g)
  • Pub. L. 101–597, §202(f)(2)(B), redesignated subpar. (C) as (B) and struck out former subpar. (B) which read as follows: "For each year of obligated service that an individual contracts under subsection (f) of this section to serve in the Indian Health Service, or to serve i… · (g), (C)
  • Pub. L. 101–597, §202(g)(1), amended par. (3) generally. Prior to amendment, par. (3) read as follows: "In addition to payments made under paragraph (2), in any case in which payments on behalf of an individual under the Loan Repayment Program result in an increase in Federal, State… · (g)
  • Pub. L. 101–597, §401(b)[(a)], substituted reference to health professional shortage area for reference to health manpower shortage area in par. (8). · (i)
  • Pub. L. 101–597, §202(h), amended subsec. (i) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (i) read as follows: "The Secretary shall, not later than March 1 of each year, submit to the Congress a report specifying— · (i)

1988

  • Pub. L. 100–607 substituted "osteopathic medicine" for "osteopathy" wherever appearing. · (b)

Text, outline and history from the official U.S. Code (2024 edition) on GovInfo, published by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel. Changes made after that edition appear under This Congress.