[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1711 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1711
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 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 22, 2023
Mr. Kustoff (for himself, Ms. Budzinski, and Mrs. Harshbarger)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Energy and Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
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 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 2024 through 2028.
(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 2024 through 2028.
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