[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 705 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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118th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 705
To amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize a loan repayment
program to encourage specialty medicine physicians to serve in rural
communities experiencing a shortage of specialty medicine physicians,
and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 8, 2023
Ms. Rosen (for herself and Mr. Wicker) introduced the following bill;
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health,
Education, Labor, and Pensions
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize a loan repayment
program to encourage specialty medicine physicians to serve in rural
communities experiencing a shortage of specialty medicine physicians,
and for other purposes.
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 ``Specialty Physicians Advancing Rural
Care Act'' or the ``SPARC Act''.
SEC. 2. SPECIALTY MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS WORKFORCE IN RURAL COMMUNITIES.
Title VII of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 292 et seq.)
is amended--
(1) by redesignating part G (42 U.S.C. 795j et seq.) as
part H; and
(2) by inserting after part F (42 U.S.C. 295h) the
following new part:
``PART G--SPECIALTY MEDICINE WORKFORCE IN RURAL COMMUNITIES
``SEC. 782. LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAM.
``(a) In General.--
``(1) Program for specialty medicine physicians.--The
Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Health
Resources and Services Administration, shall carry out a
program under which--
``(A) the Secretary enters into agreements with
specialty medicine physicians to make payments in
accordance with subsection (b) on the principal of and
interest on any eligible loans described in subsection
(c); and
``(B) the specialty medicine physicians each agree
to complete a period of obligated service described in
subsection (d) as a specialty medicine physician in the
United States in a rural community experiencing a
shortage of specialty medicine physicians.
``(2) Program for non-physician specialty health care
providers.--The Secretary, acting through the Administrator of
the Health Resources and Services Administration, may carry out
a program under which--
``(A) the Secretary enters into agreements with
non-physician specialty health care providers to make
payments in accordance with subsection (b) on the
principal of and interest on any eligible loans
described in subsection (c); and
``(B) the non-physician specialty health care
providers each agree to complete a period of obligated
service described in subsection (d) as a non-physician
specialty health care provider in the United States in
a rural community experiencing a shortage of such
providers.
``(b) Payments.--For each year of obligated service by a specialty
medicine physician pursuant to an agreement under subsection (a)(1) or
by a non-physician specialty health care provider pursuant to an
agreement under subsection (a)(2), the Secretary shall make a payment
to such physician or provider as follows:
``(1) Service in shortage area.--The Secretary shall pay--
``(A) for each year of obligated service by a
specialty medicine physician or non-physician specialty
health care provider pursuant to an agreement under
paragraph (1) or (2) of subsection (a), \1/6\ of the
principal of and interest on each eligible loan of the
physician or provider which is outstanding on the date
the physician or provider began service pursuant to the
agreement; and
``(B) for completion of the sixth and final year of
such service, the remainder of such principal and
interest.
``(2) Maximum amount.--The total amount of payments under
this section to any specialty medicine physician or non-
physician specialty health care provider shall not exceed
$250,000.
``(c) Eligible Loans.--The loans eligible for repayment under this
section are each of the following:
``(1) Any loan for education in specialty medicine or
specialty health care.
``(2) Any Federal Direct Stafford Loan, Federal Direct PLUS
Loan, Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan, or Federal
Direct Consolidation Loan (as such terms are used in section
455 of the Higher Education Act of 1965).
``(3) Any Federal Perkins Loan under part E of title I of
the Higher Education Act of 1965.
``(4) Any other Federal loan as determined appropriate by
the Secretary.
``(d) Period of Obligated Service.--Any specialty medicine
physician or non-physician specialty health care provider receiving
payments under this section as required by an agreement under paragraph
(1) or (2) of subsection (a) shall agree to a 6-year commitment to
full-time employment, with no more than 1 year passing between any 2
years of covered employment, as a specialty medicine physician or non-
physician specialty health care provider, as applicable, in the United
States in a rural community experiencing a shortage of specialty
medicine physicians or non-physician specialty health care providers,
as applicable.
``(e) Ineligibility for Double Benefits.--No borrower may, for the
same service, receive a reduction of loan obligations or a loan
repayment under both--
``(1) this section; and
``(2) any federally supported loan forgiveness program,
including under section 338B, 338I, or 846 of this Act, or
section 428J, 428L, 455(m), or 460 of the Higher Education Act
of 1965.
``(f) Breach.--
``(1) 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 paragraph (1) or
(2) of subsection (a).
``(2) Limitation.--The failure by a specialty medicine
physician or a non-physician specialty health care provider to
complete the full period of service obligated pursuant to such
an agreement, taken alone, shall not constitute a breach of the
agreement, so long as the physician or provider completed in
good faith the years of service for which payments were made to
the physician or provider under this section.
``(g) Special Rules for Non-Physician Specialty Health Care
Providers.--Non-physician specialty health care providers participating
in the program under this section are not eligible for other Federal
loan forgiveness programs specific to health care providers. Not more
than 15 percent of amounts made available to carry out this section for
a fiscal year may be allocated to awards to non-physician specialty
health care providers.
``(h) Reports to Congress.--Not later than 5 years after the date
of enactment of this section, and not less than every other year
thereafter through fiscal year 2031, the Secretary shall report to
Congress on--
``(1) the practice location of special medicine physicians
and non-physician specialty health care providers
participating, or who have participated, in the loan repayment
program under this section; and
``(2) the impact of the loan repayment program under this
section on the availability of specialty medicine or specialty
health care services in the United States in rural communities
experiencing a shortage of specialty medicine physicians or
non-physician specialty health care providers.
``(i) Data Updates.--The Administrator of the Health Resources and
Services Administration shall update publicly available data on the
supply of specialty medicine physicians and non-physician specialty
health care providers, as appropriate.
``(j) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Non-physician specialty health care provider.--The
term `non-physician specialty health care provider' means a
health professional other than a physician who is licensed to
provide patient care other than primary care services.
``(2) Specialty medicine physician.--The term `specialty
medicine physician' means a physician practicing in--
``(A) a specialty identified in the report of the
Health Resources and Services Administration, titled
`Projecting the Supply of Non-Primary Care Specialty
and Subspecialty Clinicians: 2010-2025';
``(B) hospice and palliative medicine;
``(C) geriatric medicine; or
``(D) another medical specialty, if the Secretary
determines that there is evidence demonstrating a
significant shortage of providers in the medical
specialty and limited patient access to care.
``(k) Authorization of Appropriations.--To carry out this section,
there are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary
for fiscal years 2023 through 2032.''.
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