August 1, 2025
Ms. Ernst (for herself and Ms. Klobuchar) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide for the reallocation of unused waivers of the foreign residency requirement for certain J-visa holders.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Directing Our Country’s Transfer of Residency Slots
or the DOCTORS Act
.
Sec. 2. Reallocation of unused waivers of foreign residency requirement for certain J-visa holders
Section 214(l) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1184(l)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
(4)
(A)
Beginning on September 30, 2026, and every September 30 thereafter, each State agency that received a waiver under section 212(e) during the fiscal year that ends on that date shall report to the Secretary of State the total number of such waivers that the State agency did not use during such fiscal year.
(B)
(i)
For fiscal year 2026, and each fiscal year thereafter, the Secretary of State shall—
(I)
calculate the total number of unused waivers reported by all State agencies under subparagraph (A); and
(II)
subject to clause (ii), reallocate such waivers for equal distribution among eligible State agencies for use during the subsequent fiscal year as waivers subject to paragraph (1)(D)(ii) (referred to in this paragraph as
supplemental waivers).(ii)
The total number of supplemental waivers that may be reallocated for use during a subsequent fiscal year shall be the number that is 1/3 of the difference between—
(I)
the total number of waivers under section 212(e) available for the fiscal year; and
(II)
the total number of waivers under section 212(e) distributed during such fiscal year.
(C)
In reallocating waivers under subparagraph (B), on January 1, 2026, and every January 1 thereafter, the Secretary of State shall inform each eligible State agency of—
(i)
the number of supplemental waivers available to the State agency for the subsequent fiscal year; and
(ii)
the manner in which the supplemental waivers will be distributed.
(D)
Ten percent of supplemental waivers distributed in a fiscal year shall be used to support positions in 1 or more facilities that serve patients who reside in medically underserved communities (as defined in section 799B of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 295p)).
(E)
In this paragraph, the term eligible State agency means a State agency that, in the preceding fiscal year, used not fewer than 30 waivers under section 212(e).