Ross, Kiggans Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Address Shortage of Clinical Lab Professionals

Today, Congresswomen Deborah Ross (NC-02) and Jen Kiggans (VA-02) introduced the Medical Laboratory Personnel Shortage Relief Act of 2025, legislation designed to address the nationwide shortage of clinical laboratory professionals. The bill would expand eligibility for the National Health Service Corps to include medical laboratory personnel and establish federal grants for accredited colleges and universities to train the next generation of lab workers.

Across the country, clinical laboratories face vacancy rates as high as 25%. These shortages strain healthcare delivery, lead to longer wait times for patients, and contribute to burnout among existing lab staff. At the same time, doctors depend on the diagnostic work done by laboratory professionals for nearly 70% of their medical decisions. By extending federal incentives for recruitment and retention and creating new training pathways, the bill seeks to strengthen this essential sector of the health care system.

"In North Carolina and nationwide, clinical lab professionals were on the frontlines during the COVID-19 pandemic, and their expertise remains essential today in areas like opioid and fentanyl testing, drug screening in social service programs, and criminal forensics," said Congresswoman Ross. "This legislation will create more high-skilled, good paying jobs by increasing support for training, recruitment, and retention of clinical lab professionals. This important proposal will also reduce diagnostic wait times, improve preventative care, and lower the risk of errors. While there are some leaders in Washington who attack the vital work that public health workers do every day, this legislation represents a needed, bipartisan investment in our public health and our invaluable laboratory workforce."

"As a nurse practitioner, I know that access to quality health care depends on having the right professionals in place at every level," said Congresswoman Kiggans. "That's why I'm proud to join Congresswoman Deborah Ross on the Medical Laboratory Personnel Shortage Relief Act. This important legislation will add medical laboratory professionals to the National Health Service Corps and provide grants to accredited institutions to train more laboratory scientists and technicians.

"Our nation faces a severe shortage of clinical laboratory professionals-a problem that will only worsen as our population ages. Without enough trained experts, our clinical labs cannot keep pace with the growing demand and complexity of medical testing, which is essential for diagnosing and treating patients. Investing in our medical laboratory workforce strengthens our health system, supports patients, and ensures we are prepared to meet future challenges."

Congresswoman Ross previously introduced the Medical Laboratory Personnel Shortage Relief Act in the 118^th Congress.

Full text of the bill is available here.

Permalink: https://ross.house.gov/2025/9/ross-kiggans-introduce-bipartisan-legislation-to-address-shortage-of-clinical-lab-professionals