H.R. 5875 — Introduced in House

I 117th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 5875 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES November 4, 2021Mr. McKinley (for himself and Mr. O'Halleran) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce A BILL To amend title VII of the Public Health Service Act to increase retention of the rural health care workforce, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Rural Health Training Act of 2021. 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: 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. .