Title: RURAL Physicians Act
Policy area: Education

Summary:
Rural and Underserved Residencies to Attract Long-term Physicians Act or the RURAL Physicians Act
This bill makes student loan borrowers eligible for interest-free deferment on federal student loans if the borrowers are serving in medical or dental internships or residency programs that are located in areas with a shortage of health professionals, certain rural areas, or medical facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3150 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3150

To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide for interest-free 
deferment on student loans for borrowers serving in certain medical or 
               dental internships or residency programs.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              June 5, 2019

    Mr. Watkins (for himself and Mrs. Lee of Nevada) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and 
                                 Labor

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide for interest-free 
deferment on student loans for borrowers serving in certain medical or 
               dental internships or residency programs.

    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 and Underserved Residencies to 
Attract Long-term Physicians Act'' or the ``RURAL Physicians Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFERMENT DURING A MEDICAL OR DENTAL INTERNSHIP OR RESIDENCY 
              PROGRAM.

    Section 455(f) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1087e(f)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1), in the matter preceding subparagraph 
        (A), by striking ``A borrower'' and inserting ``Except as 
        provided in paragraph (6), a borrower'';
            (2) in paragraph (2)(A)--
                    (A) by striking ``or'' at the end of clause (i);
                    (B) by striking the matter following clause (ii);
                    (C) in clause (ii), by striking the comma at the 
                end and inserting ``; or''; and
                    (D) by adding at the end the following:
                            ``(iii) is serving in a medical or dental 
                        internship or residency program that--
                                    ``(I) at the beginning of such 
                                service is in--
                                            ``(aa) a health 
                                        professional shortage area 
                                        designated under section 332 of 
                                        the Public Health Service Act 
                                        (42 U.S.C. 254e); or
                                            ``(bb) a medical facility 
                                        located in a census tract with 
                                        a Rural Urban Commuting Area 
                                        code 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10; 
                                        or
                                    ``(II) is in a medical facility of 
                                the Department of Veterans Affairs;''; 
                                and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(6) Special rule for certain in school deferment.--
        Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, a borrower 
        described in paragraph (2)(A)(iii) shall be eligible for a 
        deferment, during which periodic installments of principal need 
        not be paid and interest shall not accrue on any loan made to 
        the borrower under this part.''.
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