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Rural Health Training Opportunities Act
To require geographical diversity in the provision of health profession opportunity grants under section 2008 of the Social Security Act, and to require the support services provided through the use of the grants to include a transportation assistance plan.
Summary
This bill amends the health profession opportunity grant program to prioritize support for training projects in rural areas. It requires that grant applications describing projects serving rural communities receive preference from the Secretary. The bill also requires that all grant-funded projects include a plan to provide transportation assistance to participants, through either subsidized transportation programs or direct payments for public transit or personal vehicle costs. Additionally, the Secretary must report to Congress on the number and approval rate of rural applications and assess the effectiveness of the programs in addressing rural health workforce shortages. The changes take effect on October 1, 2025.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Sponsor (1)
Money behind the sponsor
Top reported contributors to Terri A. Sewell’s campaign committee (2024 cycle) — who funds the bill’s sponsor, not a claim about this bill. Data from FEC.
- NULL $16,100
- GRAIL $15,700
- CHARTER BROKERAGE LLC $10,850
- ROCKY RESEARCH $9,900
- CHARTER BROKERAGE $8,800
Organizations whose employees gave the most — itemized individual contributions grouped by the donor’s reported employer (FEC Schedule A). Full finance for Terri A. Sewell → · Outside spending →
Actions (2)
- Sep 16, 2025 Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means. · house
- Sep 16, 2025 Introduced in House
Similar bills (6)
Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.
Text versions (1)
Bills are re-published as they move (Introduced → Reported → Engrossed → Enrolled …). Each stage below is a separate text; pick two to see what changed. Data from Congress.gov.
Full text
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 16, 2025
Ms. Sewell introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means
A BILL
To require geographical diversity in the provision of health profession opportunity grants under section 2008 of the Social Security Act, and to require the support services provided through the use of the grants to include a transportation assistance plan.
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 Health Training Opportunities Act”.
SEC. 2. GEOGRAPHICAL DIVERSITY IN PROVISION OF GRANTS; INCLUSION OF TRANSPORTATION ASSISTANCE PLAN AMONG SUPPORT SERVICES.
Section 2008 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1397g) is amended by redesignating subsections (c) and (d) as subsections (d) and
(e), respectively, and by inserting after subsection (b) the following:
“(c) Geographical Diversity; Transportation Assistance Plan.—
“(1) Preference for applications for projects to serve a rural area.—In considering applications for a grant under this section, the Secretary shall give preference to applications which describe a demonstration project that will serve a rural area in which—
“(A) the community in which the individuals to be enrolled in the project reside is located;
“(B) the project will be conducted; or
“(C) an employer partnership that has committed to hiring individuals who successfully complete all activities under the project is located.
“(2) Support required to include transportation assistance plan.—A project for which a grant is made under this section shall include a plan to provide project participants with transportation through means such as the following:
“(A) Referral to, and assistance with enrollment in, a subsidized transportation program.
“(B) If a subsidized transportation program is not reasonably available, direct payments to subsidize transportation costs. For purposes of this paragraph, the term ‘transportation’ includes public transit, or gasoline for a personal vehicle if public transit is not reasonably accessible or available.
“(3) Reports to the congress.—During each Congress, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Finance of the Senate a report—
“(A) on, with respect to the period since the period covered in the most recent prior report submitted under this paragraph—
“(i) the number of applications submitted under each subsection of this section, with a separate statement of the number of applications referred to in paragraph (1); and
“(ii) the number of the applications that were approved, with a separate statement of the number of such applications referred to in paragraph (1); and
“(B) that includes an assessment of the effectiveness of the demonstration projects conducted under this section with respect to addressing health professions workforce shortages or in-demand jobs in rural areas.”.
SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.
The amendments made by this Act shall take effect on October 1, 2025. <all>
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