Rural Health Training Act of 2021
Bill: H.R.5875 | Sponsor: Rep. McKinley, David B. (R-WV)
Policy area: Health

Summary:
Rural Health Training Act of 2021
This bill requires the Health Resources and Services Administration to establish a grant program for rural hospitals, health clinics, and community health centers to provide training to employees who are nonphysician clinicians or health care support staff. As a condition of receiving grant-funded training, a trainee must continue working for the grantee for at least five years.
The bill also expands the allowable uses of funding to include a trainee's childcare or transportation expenses.
The Government Accountability Office must report on the impact of the grants on health care workforce retention at rural health care facilities.

To amend title VII of the Public Health Service Act to increase 
 retention of the rural health care workforce, and for other purposes.

    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 ``Rural Health Training Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. INCREASING RETENTION OF RURAL HEALTH CARE WORKFORCE.

    Subpart II of part C of title III of the Public Health Service Act 
(42 U.S.C. 293m) is amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 749C. INCREASING RETENTION OF RURAL HEALTH CARE WORKFORCE.

    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary, acting through the Administrator 
of the Health Resources and Services Administration, shall establish a 
grant program for the purposes of assisting eligible entities in 
providing training to the existing health care workforce of such 
entities.
    ``(b) Eligible Entities.--In order to be eligible to receive a 
grant under this section, an entity shall be a rural hospital, rural 
health clinic, or community health center under section 330.
    ``(c) Use of Funds.--In addition to the purposes specified in 
section 797, grants awarded under this section may be used to provide 
trainee support with respect to childcare and transportation.
    ``(d) Conditions.--As a condition on the receipt of a grant under 
this section, an eligible entity shall agree to--
            ``(1) limit enrollment in training provided pursuant to 
        this section to health care professionals who are non-physician 
        clinicians and health care support staff; and
            ``(2) require trainees to serve, as a condition on support 
        received through the grant, a period of obligated service at 
        the eligible entity of not less than 5 years, beginning on the 
        date on which the trainee first receives the training referred 
        to in subsection (a).
    ``(e) Report.--Not later than 10 years after the date on which the 
first grant is awarded under this section, the Comptroller General of 
the United States shall submit to the Congress a report assessing the 
impact of grants awarded under this section on health care workforce 
retention at eligible entities.
    ``(f) Trainee Defined.--For purposes of this section, the term 
`trainee' means an individual that is a member of an eligible entity's 
existing workforce that is receiving training. Such term does not 
include students.
    ``(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $100,000,000 for the period of 
fiscal years 2022 through 2032.''.
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