A Democratic bill with 1 Republican cosponsor · See the cosponsor
Last activity — Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, the Judiciary, Agriculture, Education and Workforce, and Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill, known as the Revitalize Rural America Act, aims to strengthen various services and infrastructure in rural areas across the United States. It focuses heavily on expanding telehealth coverage by removing geographic and site limitations and allowing more types of practitioners to provide these services. The legislation also promotes access to physicians by extending the Conrad State 30 Program and providing employment protections for doctors in underserved communities. Additionally, it offers tax credits for rural hospitals, grant-writing assistance for communities, tax relief for farmers and essential rural workers, and programs for local law enforcement and disaster mitigation. Finally, the bill sets a uniform definition for rural areas to be used throughout the legislation.
Yes· 3 of 26
- Scored +9
Would people in rural areas be better off under this?
The entire Act is dedicated to revitalizing rural areas through healthcare expansion, infrastructure support, and economic incentives.
- Scored +8
Does this make health care easier to get in general?
The legislation significantly expands telehealth access, extends the Conrad 30 program for physicians, and provides retention credits for rural hospitals.
- Scored +8
Does this invest in rural communities?
The legislation focuses extensively on rural development, providing federal grant-writing assistance, agricultural tax relief, and infrastructure support.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Removal of Telehealth Geographic Limits (Section 1001): This provision removes geographic requirements for telehealth services, which could benefit individuals in remote locations by allowing them to receive virtual medical care from anywhere without needing to travel to specific originating sites.
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Conrad State 30 Program Extension (Section 1301): By extending this program, the bill helps medically underserved communities retain foreign physicians who have completed their service requirements, improving access to doctors for people living in these areas.
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Employee Retention Credit for Rural Hospitals (Section 1401): This section provides an employment tax credit to eligible rural hospital employers for qualified wages paid to healthcare and support staff, which could help keep rural hospitals open and retain essential medical workers.
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Federal Grant-Writing Services for Rural Communities (Section 2001): This provision directs the provision of grant-writing services and technical assistance to entities seeking federal grants or loans in impoverished, low-income, or tribal rural areas, helping them secure federal funding.
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Exclusion of Gain from Sale of Qualified Farmland (Section 3002): This allows individuals to exclude up to $500,000 ($1,000,000 for joint returns) of gain from the sale of qualified farmland to beginning farmers or qualified family members, making it easier to keep farmland within families or pass it to new farmers.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Additional Oversight and Potential Audits on Telehealth (Section 1102 and Section 1103): The bill allocates $3,000,000 annually to the Inspector General for telehealth oversight and establishes tracking for outlier billing patterns. While intended to prevent fraud, increased scrutiny and audits could potentially burden healthcare providers with extra compliance work and discourage some from offering telehealth services.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would people in rural areas be better off under this? — The entire Act is dedicated to revitalizing rural areas through healthcare expansion, infrastructure support, and economic incentives. Would farmers be better off under this? — The bill provides tax relief on farmland sales to beginning farmers and mandates studies on agricultural regulatory costs. Would immigrants be better off under this? — Streamlined visa waivers and employment protections for physicians improve immigration pathways for medical professionals. Would Native Americans be better off under this? — The bill includes specific provisions for Native American health facilities, tribal areas, and housing allocations. Would business owners be better off under this? — Rural hospital employers and beginning farmers benefit from dedicated tax credits and farmland sale gain exclusions. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — Targeted assistance for areas of persistent poverty and disadvantaged communities helps low-income households. Would people over 65 be better off under this? — Expanded telehealth access and rural hospital retention credits benefit older adults living in rural areas. Would students be better off under this? — The enhanced loan repayment program rewards public service employment in rural areas with student debt relief. Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together? — Improvements to rural healthcare access and physician availability directly benefit veterans living in non-urban areas. Would middle-income households be better off under this? — Tax deductions for essential rural employees and disaster mitigation incentives benefit middle-income residents.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this make it easier for immigrants already here to become citizens? — The bill extends the Conrad 30 program and provides clearer immigration retention pathways for foreign physicians serving in underserved areas. Does this make housing cost less? — Changes to qualified allocation plans and housing provisions help prioritize tribal and rural affordable housing needs. Does this expand the rights of people with disabilities? — The bill includes specific provisions and guidance to ensure telehealth services are accessible for individuals with disabilities. Is this likely to lift people out of poverty? — Technical assistance and grants for areas of persistent poverty support economic uplift in distressed communities. Does this narrow racial gaps in how people are treated? — Targeted assistance for tribal areas and communities of persistent poverty helps address socioeconomic disparities.
- Economy And Finance
- Is this likely to create jobs? — The legislation supports hiring incentives and retention credits for rural healthcare workers and law enforcement. Does this make it easier to run a small business? — Grant-writing assistance and regulatory studies aim to ease burdens on small entities and rural communities. Does this cut taxes for small businesses? — The bill provides tax credits and deductions to support rural employers and essential workers. Is this likely to grow the economy? — Investments in rural infrastructure, health services, and agriculture help stimulate local economic activity.
- Healthcare
- Does this make health care easier to get in general? — The legislation significantly expands telehealth access, extends the Conrad 30 program for physicians, and provides retention credits for rural hospitals. Does this put more money into Medicare, the health coverage for people over 65? — The bill expands telehealth coverage and flexibilities under Medicare for rural and underserved areas. Does this help veterans get medical care? — Enhancements to physician immigration and health services improve overall medical availability in underserved areas.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Does this invest in rural communities? — The legislation focuses extensively on rural development, providing federal grant-writing assistance, agricultural tax relief, and infrastructure support. Does this improve help for people hit by a disaster? — The bill establishes an individual household disaster mitigation program and tax credits for hazard mitigation expenditures.
- Education And Technology
- Does this reduce what student borrowers owe or repay? — The bill introduces a rural service incentive loan forgiveness program for public service workers in rural and impoverished areas.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill mandates regular reporting, studies, and oversight mechanisms regarding telehealth utilization and rural program accessibility.
- 9/17/2026
- Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, the Judiciary, Agriculture, Education and Workforce, and Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in House
James GallagherRepublican · California