Senate panel clears Tester’s THE PATH Act

Bill will create jobs, improve health care and education in Indian Country

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – The Senate Indian Affairs Committee today cleared the path for Senator Jon Tester’s legislation to create jobs and improve health care and education in Indian Country.

Tester introduced his Through Higher Education, Promoting the Advancement of Tribal Health Act, known as THE PATH Act, with input he received during a summit of education leaders he hosted in Browning, Mont., in 2007.

The Indian Affairs Committee passed THE PATH Act this afternoon.

“This bill will create jobs, new opportunities and better health in Indian Country,” said Tester, a member of the Indian Affairs Committee.  “We wrote THE PATH Act with a lot of feedback from folks who understand that training students in health care leads to good jobs, better education, healthy families and self-sufficient tribes.”

THE PATH Act:

• Authorizes funding to create jobs through nursing and other health care education initiatives at tribal colleges and universities.
• Creates jobs by better staffing Indian clinics and community wellness centers.
• Allows tribal colleges to start community outreach to manage key concerns like diabetes, at-risk youth and substance abuse in Indian Country.

Tester’s legislation has support from educators and many American Indian organizations.

THE PATH Act is available online HERE.  The bill now goes to the full Senate for debate.