District of Columbia2025Active
B26-0756
Health Professional Loan Repayment Amendment Act of 2026
Last scannedAug 25, 2026, 4:28 AM
In one sentence
This bill adds certified addiction counselors to the Health Professional Loan Repayment Program and sets new maximum loan repayment amounts based on a worker's license, specialty, location, and hours worked.
What it does
- Adds certified addiction counselors to the list of health professionals eligible for the program.
- Sets specific maximum total debt limits that can be repaid: $165,000 for full-time physicians/dentists; $200,000 for certain specialists in Wards 7 or 8; $90,000 for other full-time health professionals.
- Sets specific maximum total debt limits for part-time workers: $82,000 for physicians/dentists; $100,000 for certain specialists in Wards 7 or 8; and $45,000 for other part-time health professionals.
- Allows the Mayor to increase these maximum amounts each year based on changes in consumer prices.
- Requires that annual repayment limits be set by rule so no more than 30% of a participant's total debt or the program's maximum amount is paid back in one year.
Who it affects
- Certified addiction counselors working full-time or part-time
- Physicians and dentists, including those specializing in obstetrics/gynecology, psychiatry, oncology, cardiology, neurology, infectious diseases, pulmonary diseases, nephrology, endocrinology, podiatry, ophthalmology, or other Director-identified specialties
- Other health professionals such as physician assistants participating full-time or part-time
- The Department of Health and the Mayor
Limits and unknowns
- The bill does not take effect until after the Mayor approves it and a 30-day Congressional review period passes.
- Specific annual repayment schedules are set by contract or rule rather than fixed in this law text.
- Certain medical specialties eligible for higher limits may be identified later by the Director of Health.
Plain language
Terms to know
- Health Professional Loan Repayment Program (HPLRP)
- A District program that pays off student loans for health workers who agree to work in specific areas.
- Certified addiction counselors
- Trained professionals helping people with substance use disorders, now eligible for the loan repayment program.
- Consumer price index
- A measure of how prices change over time, used here to adjust maximum loan amounts annually.
Official record
Sources
Official summary
Health Professional Loan Repayment Amendment Act of 2026
Official activity
Bill history
- Under Council Review