,,ii  #aaith ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #dbjh  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,march #be1    
#bjbf,mrs4 ,blackburn 7for herself1 ,mr4
 ,durbin1 ,ms4 ,murkowski1 ,mr4 ,peters1
 and ,mrs4 ,capito7 introduced the      
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on ,health1 
,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions  ,a   
,,bill  ,to establish a demonstration   
program to provide payments on eligible 
loans for individuals who are eligible  
for the ,national ,health ,service      
,corps ,loan ,repayment ,program4  #a4  
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,rural ,america ,health ,corps ,act4
  #b4 ,national health service corps    
rural provider loan repayment           
demonstration program  7a7 ,in general  
7#a7 ,establishment ,the ,secretary of  
,health and ,human ,services 7referred  
to in this section as the ,secretary7   
shall establish a demonstration program 
to provide payments on the principal of 
and interest on any eligible loan for   

eligible individuals described in       
paragraph 7#b74  7#b7 ,eligible         
individuals ,to be eligible for payments
 under the program under this section1  
an individual shall-- 7,a7 be eligible  
to participate in the ,loan ,repayment  
,program under section #cch;,b of the   
,public ,health ,service ,act 7#db      
,u4,s4,c4 #bedl-#a71 but not be         
participating in such ,loan ,repayment  
,program2 and  7,b7 agree to the        
requirements described in subsection    
7b77#a74  7b7 ,procedure  7#a7          
,requirements ,to be eligible to receive
 assistance under this section1 an      
eligible individual shall-- 7,a7 comply 
with all rules and requirements         
described in section #cch;,b of the     
,public ,health ,service ,act 7#db      
,u4,s4,c4 #bedl-#a71 except for the     
period of obligated service described in
 subsection 7f77#a77;,b77iv7 of such    
section and as provided in paragraphs   
7#b7 and 7#c7 of this subsection2 and   
7,b7 agree to a period of obligated     

service of #e years of full-time        
employment in a health professional     
shortage area that is a rural area4     
7#b7 ,payments  7,a7 ,service in a rural
 area ,the ,secretary shall pay-- 7i7   
for each year of obligated service by an
 individual pursuant to an agreement    
under this section1 #a_/e of the        
principal of and interest on each       
eligible loan1 as determined by the     
,secretary1 which is outstanding on the 
date the individual began service       
pursuant to the agreement2 and  7ii7 for
 completion of the fifth and final year 
of such service1 the remainder of such  
principal and interest4  7,b7 ,maximum  
amount ,the total amount of payments    
under this section to any individual    
shall not exceed #bjj1jjj4  7#c7 ,breach
  7,a7 ,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 section4  7,b7 ,limitation  
,the failure by an individual to        

complete the full period of service     
obligated pursuant to such an agreement1
 taken alone1 shall not constitute a    
breach of such agreement1 so long as the
 individual completed in good faith the 
years of service for which payments were
 made to the individual under this      
section4  7#d7 ,applicability of loan   
repayment program provisions ,except as 
otherwise provided in this section1 all 
provisions in subparts ,,ii and ,,iii of
 part ,d of title ,,iii of the ,public  
,health ,service ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4    
#bda et seq47 pertaining to the         
administration of1 and other            
requirements with respect to1 the ,loan 
,repayment ,program described in section
 #cch;,b of such ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4    
#bedl-#a7 shall apply to the            
demonstration program under this        
section4  7c7 ,designations ,the        
demonstration program under this        
section1 and any providers who are      
selected to participate in such program1
 shall not be considered by the         

,secretary in the designation of health 
professional shortage areas under       
section #ccb of the ,public ,health     
,service ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bed;e7    
during fiscal years #bjbf through #bjcj4
  7d7 ,report ,not later than #e years  
after the date of enactment of this     
,act1 the ,secretary shall submit to the
 ,committee on ,health1 ,education1     
,labor1 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 section1 
including the effects of such program on
 health care access in rural areas4  7e7
 ,health professional shortage area ,in 
this section1 the term health           
professional shortage area has the      
meaning given such term in section #ccb 
of the ,public ,health ,service ,act    
7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bed;e74  7f7            
,authorization of appropriations ,there 
is authorized to be appropriated to     
carry out this section1 #ej1jjj1jjj for 

each of fiscal years #bjbg through      
#bjca4