Proposed Legislation Would Add Medical Laboratory Professionals to the National Health Service Corps

October 01, 2024

Rep. Deborah Ross (D-N.C.) introduced legislation last week that aims to address the nationwide shortage of medical laboratory professionals. The Medical Laboratory Personnel Shortage Relief Act of 2024 – led by American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science (ASCLS) – proposes to add medical laboratory personnel to the National Health Service Corps. If enacted, the legislation would provide incentives for training, recruitment and retention of clinical lab professionals. In addition, the bill will provide grants to accredited colleges and universities to train more clinical lab staff.