§1615. Continuing education allowances

In order to encourage scholarship and stipend recipients under sections 1613a, 1614, and 1616h of this title and health professionals, including community health representatives and emergency medical technicians, to join or continue in an Indian health program and to provide services in the rural and remote areas in which a significant portion of Indians reside, the Secretary, acting through the Service, may-

(1) provide programs or allowances to transition into an Indian health program, including licensing, board or certification examination assistance, and technical assistance in fulfilling service obligations under sections 1613a, 1614, and 1616h of this title; and

(2) provide programs or allowances to health professionals employed in an Indian health program to enable those professionals, for a period of time each year prescribed by regulation of the Secretary, to take leave of the duty stations of the professionals for professional consultation, management, leadership, and refresher training courses.

( Pub. L. 94–437, title I, §106, Sept. 30, 1976, 90 Stat. 1404 ; Pub. L. 100–713, title I, §105, Nov. 23, 1988, 102 Stat. 4787 ; Pub. L. 102–573, title I, §§104(a), 115, Oct. 29, 1992, 106 Stat. 4533 , 4543; Pub. L. 111–148, title X, §10221(a), Mar. 23, 2010, 124 Stat. 935 .)

Editorial Notes

Codification

Amendment by Pub. L. 111–148 is based on section 134(c) of title I of S. 1790, One Hundred Eleventh Congress, as reported by the Committee on Indian Affairs of the Senate in Dec. 2009, which was enacted into law by section 10221(a) of Pub. L. 111–148.

Amendments

2010-Pub. L. 111–148 amended section generally. Prior to amendment, section related to discretionary allowances to health professionals employed in the Service to take leave for professional consultation and refresher training courses and included a limitation on use of appropriations to establish postdoctoral training programs for health professionals.

1992-Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 102–573, §104(a), inserted "nurses," after "physicians, dentists,".

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 102–573, §115, amended subsec. (b) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (b) read as follows: "There are authorized to be appropriated for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this section-

"(1) $500,000 for fiscal year 1989,

"(2) $526,300 for fiscal year 1990,

"(3) $553,800 for fiscal year 1991, and

"(4) $582,500 for fiscal year 1992."

1988-Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 100–713 amended subsec. (b) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (b) read as follows: "There are authorized to be appropriated for the purpose of this section: $100,000 for fiscal year 1978, $200,000 for fiscal year 1979, and $250,000 for fiscal year 1980. For fiscal years 1981, 1982, 1983, and 1984 there are authorized to be appropriated for the purpose of this section such sums as may be specifically authorized by an Act enacted after this chapter."