Rural Health Training Opportunities Act
Bill: H.R.5240 | Sponsor: Rep. Sewell, Terri A. (D-AL)
Policy area: Social Welfare

Summary:
Rural Health Training Opportunities Act
This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to prioritize projects in rural areas when awarding grants for demonstration projects that provide education and training to low-income individuals for health care occupations.
Specifically, HHS must give preference to projects that (1) serve a rural area where project participants reside, the project is conducted, or an employer partnership commits to hiring project participants; and (2) provide project participants with transportation assistance.

To require geographical diversity in the provision of health profession 
 opportunity grants under section 2008 of the Social Security Act, and 
to require the support services provided through the use of the grants 
              to include a transportation assistance plan.

    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 Opportunities 
Act''.

SEC. 2. GEOGRAPHICAL DIVERSITY IN PROVISION OF GRANTS; INCLUSION OF 
              TRANSPORTATION ASSISTANCE PLAN AMONG SUPPORT SERVICES.

    Section 2008 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1397g) is 
amended by redesignating subsections (c) and (d) as subsections (d) and 
(e), respectively, and by inserting after subsection (b) the following:
    ``(c) Geographical Diversity; Transportation Assistance Plan.--
            ``(1) Preference for applications for projects to serve a 
        rural area.--In considering applications for a grant under this 
        section, the Secretary shall give preference to applications 
        which describe a demonstration project that will serve a rural 
        area in which--
                    ``(A) the community in which the individuals to be 
                enrolled in the project reside is located;
                    ``(B) the project will be conducted; or
                    ``(C) an employer partnership that has committed to 
                hiring individuals who successfully complete all 
                activities under the project is located.
            ``(2) Support required to include transportation assistance 
        plan.--A project for which a grant is made under this section 
        shall include a plan to provide project participants with 
        transportation through means such as the following:
                    ``(A) Referral to, and assistance with enrollment 
                in, a subsidized transportation program.
                    ``(B) If a subsidized transportation program is not 
                reasonably available, direct payments to subsidize 
                transportation costs.
        For purposes of this paragraph, the term `transportation' 
        includes public transit, or gasoline for a personal vehicle if 
        public transit is not reasonably accessible or available.
            ``(3) Reports to the congress.--During each Congress, the 
        Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Ways and Means of 
        the House of Representatives and the Committee on Finance of 
        the Senate a report--
                    ``(A) on, with respect to the period since the 
                period covered in the most recent prior report 
                submitted under this paragraph--
                            ``(i) the number of applications submitted 
                        under each subsection of this section, with a 
                        separate statement of the number of 
                        applications referred to in paragraph (1); and
                            ``(ii) the number of the applications that 
                        were approved, with a separate statement of the 
                        number of such applications referred to in 
                        paragraph (1); and
                    ``(B) that includes an assessment of the 
                effectiveness of the demonstration projects conducted 
                under this section with respect to addressing health 
                professions workforce shortages or in-demand jobs in 
                rural areas.''.

SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    The amendments made by this Act shall take effect on October 1, 
2021.
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