COMMUNITIES Act

Bill: 117-hr-4285
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Rush, Bobby L. [D-IL-1]
Introduced: 2021-06-30
Policy area: Health
Latest action: action_date: 2021-07-01
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

Summaries:
action_date: 2021-06-30
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Creation of Opportunities for Medical Manpower in Underserved Neighborhoods by Indemnifying Tuition and Incentivizing Exceptional Service Act or the COMMUNITIES Act</b></p> <p>This bill increases the amount of student loan repayment available to eligible health care providers who agree to complete a five-year period of obligated service in a health professional shortage area. Specifically, for each year of service, the Department of Health and Human Services shall pay one-fifth of the total amount owed on a participating provider's qualifying student loans. Current law caps the maximum amount of student loan repayment that a provider may receive in exchange for such service.</p>

tv_txt: I 117th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 4285 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES June 30, 2021 Mr. Rush (for himself, Mr. Carson , Mr. Cohen , Mr. Danny K. Davis of Illinois , Mr. García of Illinois , Ms. Lee of California , Mr. Takano , and Mr. Thompson of Mississippi ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce A BILL To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for full repayment under National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program in case of a 5-year commitment, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Creation of Opportunities for Medical Manpower in Underserved Neighborhoods by Indemnifying Tuition and Incentivizing Exceptional Service Act or the COMMUNITIES Act . 2. Full repayment under National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program in case of 5-year commitment Section 338B(g)(2) of the Public Health Service Act ( 42 U.S.C. 254l–1(g)(2) ) is amended by adding at the end the following: (C) Full repayment in case of 5-year commitment In the case of an individual who, pursuant to subsection (f)(1)(B)(iv), agrees to serve for a period of obligated service equal to 5 years, the Secretary, for each such year of obligated service, shall pay (subject to the availability of appropriations) on behalf of the individual the total amount owed by such individual for loans described in paragraph (1), divided by 5. . 3. National Health Service Corps authorization of appropriations Section 338H of the Public Health Service Act ( 42 U.S.C. 254q ) is amended— (1) in subsection (a), in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking this section and inserting this subpart ; and (2) by adding at the end the following: (d) Additional authorization of appropriations In addition to amounts authorized to be appropriated under subsection (a), there is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this subpart $300,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026. .