H.R. 10007
Environmental Health Workforce Act of 2026
Sponsor: Shri Thanedar · 0 cosponsors
Official summary
Written by the Congressional Research Service.
Environmental Health Workforce Act of 2026
This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to carry out certain activities related to the environmental-health workforce. It also requires the Government Accountability Office to report on state-based practices for training and credentialing environmental-health workers.
Specifically, HHS must develop model standards and guidelines for credentialing environmental-health workers and a plan to ensure its programs and activities meet the future needs of the environmental-health workforce.
The bill also specifies that environmental-health workers are eligible for public-service loan forgiveness for educational loans.
Text of the bill
(a) In general. Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall examine and identify best practices in 6 States (as described in subsection (b)) related to training and credentialing requirements for environmental health workers and submit to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives a report that includes information concerning—
(1) types of environmental health workers employed at State, local, and city health departments and independent environmental health agencies;
(2) educational backgrounds of environmental health workers;
(3) whether environmental health workers are credentialed or registered, and what type of credential or registration each worker has received;
(4) State requirements for continuing education for environmental health workers;
(5) whether State, local, and city health departments and independent environmental health agencies track continuing education units for their environmental health workers; and
(6) how frequently any exam required to qualify environmental health workers is updated and reviewed to ensure that the exam is consistent with current law.
(b) Selection of States. The report described in subsection (a) shall be based upon the examination of such best practices with respect to 3 States that have credentialing requirements for environmental health workers (such as Maryland, Ohio, and Washington) and 3 States that do not have such requirements (such as Indiana, Iowa, and Pennsylvania).