Rural America Health Corps Act
Bill: S.924 | Sponsor: Sen. Blackburn, Marsha (R-TN)
Policy area: Health

Summary:
Rural America Health Corps Act
This bill establishes a student loan repayment demonstration program for eligible providers who agree to work for five years in a rural area with a shortage of primary, dental, or mental health care providers. For each year of this service, the Department of Health and Human Services must pay one-fifth of the principal and interest on a provider's qualifying loans, up to a maximum of $200,000.

To establish a demonstration program to provide payments on eligible 
loans for individuals who are eligible for the National Health Service 
                     Corps Loan Repayment Program.

    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 America Health Corps Act''.

SEC. 2. NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE CORPS RURAL PROVIDER LOAN REPAYMENT 
              DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--
            (1) Establishment.--The Secretary of Health and Human 
        Services (referred to in this section as the ``Secretary'') 
        shall establish a demonstration program to provide payments on 
        the principal of and interest on any eligible loan for eligible 
        individuals described in paragraph (2).
            (2) Eligible individuals.--To be eligible for payments 
        under the program under this section, an individual shall--
                    (A) be eligible to participate in the Loan 
                Repayment Program under section 338B of the Public 
                Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254l-1), but not be 
                participating in such Loan Repayment Program; and
                    (B) agree to the requirements described in 
                subsection (b)(1).
    (b) Procedure.--
            (1) Requirements.--To be eligible to receive assistance 
        under this section, an eligible individual shall--
                    (A) comply with all rules and requirements 
                described in section 338B of the Public Health Service 
                Act (42 U.S.C. 254l-1), except for the period of 
                obligated service described in subsection (f)(1)(B)(iv) 
                of such section and as provided in paragraphs (2) and 
                (3) of this subsection; and
                    (B) agree to a period of obligated service of 5 
                years of full-time employment in a health professional 
                shortage area that is a rural area.
            (2) Payments.--
                    (A) Service in a rural area.--The Secretary shall 
                pay--
                            (i) for each year of obligated service by 
                        an individual pursuant to an agreement under 
                        this section, \1/5\ of the principal of and 
                        interest on each eligible loan, as determined 
                        by the Secretary, which is outstanding on the 
                        date the individual began service pursuant to 
                        the agreement; and
                            (ii) for completion of the fifth and final 
                        year of such service, the remainder of such 
                        principal and interest.
                    (B) Maximum amount.--The total amount of payments 
                under this section to any individual shall not exceed 
                $200,000.
            (3) Breach.--
                    (A) Liquidated damages formula.--The Secretary may 
                establish a liquidated damages formula to be used in 
                the event of a breach of an agreement entered into 
                under this section.
                    (B) Limitation.--The failure by an individual to 
                complete the full period of service obligated pursuant 
                to such an agreement, taken alone, shall not constitute 
                a breach of such agreement, so long as the individual 
                completed in good faith the years of service for which 
                payments were made to the individual under this 
                section.
            (4) Applicability of loan repayment program provisions.--
        Except as otherwise provided in this section, all provisions in 
        subparts II and III of title III of the Public Health Service 
        Act (42 U.S.C. 241 et seq.) pertaining to the administration 
        of, and other requirements with respect to, the Loan Repayment 
        Program described in section 338B of such Act (42 U.S.C.254l-1) 
        shall apply to the demonstration program under this section.
    (c) Designations.--The demonstration program under this section, 
and any providers who are selected to participate in such program, 
shall not be considered by the Secretary in the designation of health 
professional shortage areas under section 332 of the Public Health 
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254e) during fiscal years 2022 through 2026.
    (d) Report.--Not later than 5 years after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Health, 
Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on 
Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives a report that 
evaluates the demonstration program established under this section, 
including the effects of such program on health care access in rural 
areas.
    (e) Health Professional Shortage Area.--In this section, the term 
``health professional shortage area'' has the meaning given such term 
in section 332 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254e).
    (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section, $50,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2022 through 2026.
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