S. 4208

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4208 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 4208

To establish a demonstration program to provide payments on eligible 
loans for individuals who are eligible for the National Health Service 
Corps Loan Repayment Program.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

March 25, 2026

Mrs. Blackburn (for herself, Mr. Durbin, Ms. Murkowski, Mr. Peters, and 
Mrs. Capito) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, 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 Program.

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 America Health Corps Act''.

SEC. 2. NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE CORPS RURAL PROVIDER LOAN REPAYMENT 
DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM.

(a) In General.--
(1) Establishment.--The Secretary of Health and Human 
Services (referred to in this section as the ``Secretary'') 
shall establish a demonstration program to provide payments on 
the principal of and interest on any eligible loan for eligible 
individuals described in paragraph (2).
(2) Eligible individuals.--To be eligible for payments 
under the program under this section, an individual shall--
(A) be eligible to participate in the Loan 
Repayment Program under section 338B of the Public 
Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254l-1), but not be 
participating in such Loan Repayment Program; and
(B) agree to the requirements described in 
subsection (b)(1).
(b) Procedure.--
(1) Requirements.--To be eligible to receive assistance 
under this section, an eligible individual shall--
(A) comply with all rules and requirements 
described in section 338B of the Public Health Service 
Act (42 U.S.C. 254l-1), except for the period of 
obligated service described in subsection (f)(1)(B)(iv) 
of such section and as provided in paragraphs (2) and 
(3) of this subsection; and
(B) agree to a period of obligated service of 5 
years of full-time employment in a health professional 
shortage area that is a rural area.
(2) Payments.--
(A) Service in a rural area.--The Secretary shall 
pay--
(i) for each year of obligated service by 
an individual pursuant to an agreement under 
this section, \1/5\ of the principal of and 
interest on each eligible loan, as determined 
by the Secretary, which is outstanding on the 
date the individual began service pursuant to 
the agreement; and
(ii) for completion of the fifth and final 
year of such service, the remainder of such 
principal and interest.
(B) Maximum amount.--The total amount of payments 
under this section to any individual shall not exceed 
$200,000.
(3) Breach.--
(A) 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 section.
(B) Limitation.--The failure by an individual to 
complete the full period of service obligated pursuant 
to such an agreement, taken alone, shall not constitute 
a breach of such agreement, so long as the individual 
completed in good faith the years of service for which 
payments were made to the individual under this 
section.
(4) Applicability of loan repayment program provisions.--
Except as otherwise provided in this section, all provisions in 
subparts II and III of part D of title III of the Public Health 
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 241 et seq.) pertaining to the 
administration of, and other requirements with respect to, the 
Loan Repayment Program described in section 338B of such Act 
(42 U.S.C. 254l-1) shall apply to the demonstration program 
under this section.
(c) Designations.--The demonstration program under this section, 
and any providers who are selected to participate in such program, 
shall not be considered by the Secretary in the designation of health 
professional shortage areas under section 332 of the Public Health 
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254e) during fiscal years 2026 through 2030.
(d) Report.--Not later than 5 years after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Health, 
Education, Labor, 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 section, 
including the effects of such program on health care access in rural 
areas.
(e) Health Professional Shortage Area.--In this section, the term 
``health professional shortage area'' has the meaning given such term 
in section 332 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254e).
(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section, $50,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2027 through 2031.
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