Analyst Brief September 14, 2026

H.R. 2846 — To amend title II of the Public Health Service Act to include as an additional right or privilege of commissioned officers of the Public Health Service (and their beneficiaries) certain leave provided under title 10, United States Code to commissioned officers of the Army (or their beneficiaries).

Current Status

Reported by Committee on Energy and Commerce

Executive Summary

Currently, the Commissioned Corps of the Public Health Service (PHS) operates under a separate leave statute than the Armed Forces, which can create disparities in benefits such as parental or convalescent leave. This bipartisan bill repeals the separate PHS leave statute and amends the Public Health Service Act to explicitly grant PHS commissioned officers the exact same leave rights and privileges provided to Army commissioned officers under Chapter 40 of Title 10. By aligning these statutes, Congress ensures benefit parity for all uniformed servicemembers, aiding in the retention and recruitment of critical medical and public health professionals.

Bill Data

Primary Sponsor

Ms. Houlahan

Bill Number

H.R. 2846

Session

119th

Co-Sponsors

Mr. Bacon
View on Congress.gov ↗

Arguments For

  • Ensures benefit parity for the PHS Commissioned Corps, boosting morale and aiding in the recruitment and retention of highly trained public health and medical professionals.
  • Streamlines administrative processes by aligning PHS leave policies directly with the established Title 10 framework used by the Department of Defense, reducing bureaucratic friction.
  • Provides a clean, bipartisan legislative win that supports uniformed servicemembers without wading into controversial policy areas.

Likely Supporters

Commissioned Officers Association of the U.S. Public Health Service (COA)Military Officers Association of America (MOAA)Veterans and Uniformed Services advocacy groups

Arguments Against

  • May result in minor, unforeseen administrative costs or transition hurdles as the Department of Health and Human Services adapts its payroll and HR systems to DoD's Title 10 leave framework.
  • Could inadvertently alter specific, niche leave accrual or usage rules that were historically tailored to the unique deployment and operational tempo of the PHS compared to the Army.

Likely Opponents

None specified

📋 Key Provisions

  • Amends Section 221(a) of the Public Health Service Act to apply Chapter 40 (Leave) of Title 10, United States Code, to members of the Public Health Service.
  • Repeals Section 219 of the Public Health Service Act, which previously governed leave for the PHS Commissioned Corps, to conform with the new Title 10 alignment.
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Claim Analysis Page 3, Line 9

Applies Title 10, Chapter 40 leave provisions to the Public Health Service.

Verify Text

""(22) Chapter 40, Leave.""

Claim Analysis Page 3, Line 10

Repeals the existing, separate leave statute for the Public Health Service.

Verify Text

"Section 219 of the Public Health Service Act"