HR6468-119

What This Bill Does

The bill adds section 330A-3 to the Public Health Service Act. HHS may award three-year rural residency planning and development grants, fully funded at award, to establish new rural residency programs or add rural training sites to existing rural track programs. Applications must describe a pathway in general primary care and high-need specialty care, maternal health and obstetrics, or another HHS-approved pathway. HHS may also award four-year technical-assistance grants, fully funded at award, to help awardees and potential applicants. Eligible entities include domestic public or private nonprofit or for-profit entities, Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, faith-based or community-based organizations, rural hospitals, rural clinics, Indian health centers, graduate medical education consortiums, medical schools, osteopathic schools, historically Black colleges or universities, and other HHS-approved organizations. Rural residency programs must train residents in rural areas more than 50 percent of the time and focus on producing physicians who will practice in rural areas. The bill authorizes 12.7 million dollars for each fiscal year 2026 through 2030, available until expended.

Who Benefits and How

Rural hospitals, rural clinics, Tribal health centers, medical schools, graduate medical education consortiums, and other eligible sponsors benefit from grant funding to build rural residency pipelines. Rural communities benefit if more physicians train locally and stay to practice in primary care, psychiatry, surgery, preventive medicine, maternal health, or obstetrics. Technical-assistance providers benefit from four-year grants to support applicants and awardees.

Who Bears the Burden and How

HHS must administer two grant tracks, review applications, define rural areas, approve pathways, manage fully funded awards, monitor rural training requirements, and oversee 12.7 million dollars per year in authorized funds. Applicants must prepare pathway descriptions and comply with federal grant requirements. Technical-assistance grantees must support awardees and potential applicants for up to four years.

Key Provisions

• Creates HHS rural residency planning and development grants for new rural residency programs and rural training sites.
• Authorizes technical-assistance grants for awardees and potential applicants.
• Defines eligible entities to include rural hospitals, rural clinics, Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, medical schools, HBCUs, and graduate medical education consortiums.
• Requires supported rural residency programs to train residents in rural areas more than 50 percent of the time and focus on rural practice.
• Authorizes 12.7 million dollars annually for fiscal years 2026 through 2030.