S. 1250 would change personnel practices of the Indian Health Service (IHS) to facilitate the recruitment and retention of employees, clarify eligibility for the IHS loan repayment program, and allow the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to appoint qualified candidates directly to vacant positions that are difficult to fill, among other requirements. CBO estimates that implementing S. 1250 would cost $114 million over the 2019-2023 period, assuming appropriation of the necessary amounts.
S. 1250 also would apply the same liability protections available to all medical professionals employed by the Public Health Service to medical professionals who volunteer their service at IHS. CBO estimates that this provision would increase direct spending by less than $500,000 over the 2019-2023 period.
Because the bill would affect direct spending, pay-as-you-go procedures apply. Enacting the bill would not affect revenues.
CBO estimates that enacting the legislation would not significantly increase net direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2029.
S. 1250 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act.
