I 
119TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 7201 
To establish a program to fill critical rural workforce shortages through 
an education assistance and loan repayment in exchange for service 
in designated rural areas, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 22, 2026 
Ms. BYNUM introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committee on Education and 
Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, 
in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the juris-
diction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To establish a program to fill critical rural workforce short-
ages through an education assistance and loan repayment 
in exchange for service in designated rural areas, and 
for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Rural Service and 
Workforce Corps Act’’. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:36 Jan 29, 2026
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H7201.IH
H7201
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
SEC. 2. RURAL SERVICE AND WORKFORCE CORPS PRO-
GRAM. 
(a) DESIGN.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Agriculture 
shall design a program to be known as the ‘‘Rural 
Service and Workforce Corps Program’’, modeled 
after the service-for-benefits framework of the Na-
tional Health Service Corps, to fill critical workforce 
shortages in targeted rural areas, through the provi-
sion of scholarships, tuition assistance, student loan 
repayment, stipends or wage support during service, 
and relocation and retention incentives in exchange 
for 3 years of service in a rural area designated by 
the Secretary. 
(2) PRIORITY EMPLOYMENT SECTORS.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The program shall be 
designed to prioritize filling workforce shortages 
in the following employment sectors, subject to 
subparagraph (B): 
(i) Health care, including primary 
care, behavioral health, dental, and emer-
gency services. 
(ii) Skilled trades, such as elec-
tricians, plumbers, heating, ventilation, 
and air conditioning, welding, and con-
struction. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:36 Jan 29, 2026
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H7201.IH
H7201
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
(iii) Energy infrastructure, such as 
lineworkers, renewable energy technicians, 
grid operators. 
(iv) Utilities and public works, such 
as water and wastewater operators and 
broadband technicians. 
(v) 
Other 
sectors 
with 
aging 
workforces, as determined by the Secretary 
of Labor. 
(B) UPDATING.—The Secretary of Agri-
culture, in consultation with the Secretary of 
Labor, shall, from time to time, update the em-
ployment sectors to be prioritized under sub-
paragraph (A), as necessary to ensure that the 
program prioritizes any sector facing an aging 
workforce and a limited recruitment pipeline. 
(3) TARGETED
RURAL
AREAS.—The program 
shall be designed to target any rural area— 
(A) categorized by the Economic Research 
Service of the Department of Agriculture as a 
persistent poverty county; 
(B) designated by the Health Resources 
and Services Administration of the Department 
of Health and Human Services as a health pro-
fessional shortage area; or 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:36 Jan 29, 2026
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H7201.IH
H7201
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
(C) in which an Indian tribal, an Alaska 
Native, or a Native Hawaiian community re-
sides. 
(4) EMPLOYER PARTICIPATION.—The program 
shall be designed to allow public, nonprofit, coopera-
tive, tribal, and private employers that meet such 
wage and training standards as the Secretary of Ag-
riculture shall establish, in consultation with the 
Secretary of Labor, to participate in the program. 
(b) ADMINISTRATION.—The Secretary of Agriculture 
shall carry out the program in consultation with— 
(1) the Secretary of Education, with respect to 
the provision of scholarships, tuition assistance, and 
student loan repayment; 
(2) the Secretary of Labor, with respect to the 
provision of stipends or wage support during service, 
and relocation and retention incentives; 
(3) the Secretary of Health and Human Serv-
ices, with respect to the health care employment sec-
tor; 
(4) the Secretary of Energy, with respect to the 
energy infrastructure and utilities employment sec-
tors; and 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:36 Jan 29, 2026
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H7201.IH
H7201
kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB