On September 10, 2025, the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee held a markup of 7 public health reauthorization bills. Many of these bills were discussed at the Subcommittee in a legislative hearing on July 9, 2025. It is expected that most if not all these rather non-controversial bills will be voted on at the full committee in the next week or so.
Opening Statements
- Health Subcommittee Chairman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) emphasized that the markup represents a pivotal step toward securing reauthorization of essential public health programs before they expire at the end of the fiscal year. Expert testimony from the July hearing helped inform the subcommittee’s understanding of their impact on communities and health systems. Among the measures under review, Chairman Griffith highlighted the importance of reauthorizing Title VII and Title VIII programs, which play critical roles in bolstering the nation’s health care workforce.
- In his opening remarks, Ranking Member Frank Pallone (D-NJ) highlighted seven bills to strengthen key public health programs. He emphasized reauthorizing HRSA’s Title VII and VIII workforce programs to address provider shortages and boost diversity. He also underscored the Healthy Start Program to improve maternal and infant health, and newborn screening programs that save thousands of lives annually. Ranking Member Pallone also called for restoring expert guidance on newborn screening and ensuring parental leave parity for U.S. Public Health Service officers to support recruitment and retention.
Legislation Included in the Markup
H.R. 4262. This legislation would reauthorize through FY 2030 health care workforce education and training programs in Title VII of the Public Health Service Act (PHSA). Passed by voice vote with amendment.
H.R. 3593. This legislation would reauthorize through FY 2030 nursing workforce development programs from Title VIII of the PHSA. Passed by voice vote.
H.R. 2493, Improving Care in Rural America Reauthorization Act of 2025. This legislation would reauthorize through FY 2030 grant programs for rural health care services outreach, rural health network development, and small health care provider improvement. Passed by voice vote.
H.R. 3419. This legislation would reauthorize the telehealth network and telehealth resource centers grant programs through FY 2030. Passed by voice vote.
H.R. 3302, the Healthy Start Reauthorization Act of 2025. This legislation would reauthorize the Healthy Start program through FY 2030. Passed by voice vote.
H.R. 2846, to allow commissioned Public Health Service offices to access leave as commissioned officers of the Army do. Passed by voice vote.
H.R. 4709, the Newborn Screening Saves Lives Reauthorization Act of 2025. This legislation would reauthorize through FY 2030 certain programs and activities related to newborn screening of heritable disorders. Passed by voice vote.