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S. 1659: Ensuring Children’s Access to Specialty Care Act of 2019

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S. 1659: Ensuring Children’s Access to Specialty Care Act of 2019

116th Congress · introduced 2019-05-23 · Health · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S3112-3113)

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2019-05-23 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Sen. Blunt, Roy [R-MO] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S3112-3113) Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
  5. If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Ensuring Children’s Access to Specialty Care Act of 2019

Plain summary

Ensuring Children's Access to Specialty Care Act of 2019 This bill expands the scope of the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) to include pediatric subspecialists, including psychiatrists. Currently, the NHSC provides scholarships and student loan repayment awards to primary care, dental care, and mental health care providers who agree to work in areas that face a shortage of these types of providers. In addition, the bill provides that an underserved population of children and adolescents may be designated as a health professional shortage area. (This designation confers eligibility for, and priority preferences with respect to, NHSC placements, grants, and other activities to address shortages of health care professionals.)

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Ensuring Children’s Access to Specialty Care Act of 2019

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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The strongest published arguments

Arguments for (supporters)

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Arguments against (opponents)

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Blunt, Roy [R-MO] · 2 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Jack Reed (D-RI), Kevin Cramer (R-ND)

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (1)
Bill
A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong116-s1659 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong116 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong116