A Republican bill with 1 Republican cosponsor · See the cosponsor
Last activity — Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 764.
Cleared committee, waiting for its first floor vote
A committee approved it and it is on the calendar of the chamber it started in.
This is further than most bills get, and still no promise of a vote: the calendar is a queue, and the majority leadership decides what is called. A bill can sit here until the Congress ends.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- On Calendar
What this bill would do
This bill is known as the Reinforcing Underserved, Rural, and Local Healthcare Act or the RURAL Healthcare Act. It changes how certain temporary medical professionals are classified under federal law. Specifically, it classifies qualified locum tenens professionals and advanced care practitioners as independent contractors. This classification applies to the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 and the National Labor Relations Act. To be classified this way, the individual must provide temporary services for not more than one continuous year at a single site. They must also have a written contract stating they will not be treated as an employee. Covered individuals include physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and certified registered nurse anesthetists.
Yes· 3 of 5
- Scored +4
Does this make health care easier to get in general?
By facilitating easier hiring of locum tenens, it may help address provider shortages in underserved areas.
- Scored +4
Would people in rural areas be better off under this?
Increased provider flexibility may improve healthcare availability in rural areas.
- Scored +3
Is this likely to create jobs?
The classification may facilitate easier staffing of temporary positions in healthcare.
The opposite
- Scored -5
Does this strengthen the rights of workers to organise?
Reclassifying workers as independent contractors removes their protections under the National Labor Relations Act.
- Scored -5
Would union members be better off under this?
The bill bypasses worker protections under the National Labor Relations Act.
- Scored -2
Does this increase support for people who lose their jobs?
Classifying workers as independent contractors may reduce their access to unemployment insurance.
How the text last changed
Reported in House (11/2/2026), compared with Introduced in House. Each change is on the Text tab.
The newer version of the bill changes the rules for how certain healthcare professionals are classified as independent contractors instead of employees. It now specifies that the written contract must state the individual will not be treated as an employee specifically with respect to "the provision of" such services. Additionally, the term for a type of medical professional is updated from "physician's assistant" to "physician assistant" under Section 2.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
- Section 2: This section allows qualified locum tenens professionals and advanced care practitioners to be classified as independent contractors for scheduling flexibility or episodic staffing needs. This might be considered positive because it allows healthcare workers to have flexible work arrangements under a written contract for up to one continuous year at a single site.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Section 2: This section states that qualified locum tenens professionals and advanced care practitioners shall not be considered employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 and the National Labor Relations Act. This might be considered a burden or negative because these workers lose employee status and the specific labor protections provided under those two federal laws.
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.
- Economy And Finance
- Is this likely to create jobs? — The classification may facilitate easier staffing of temporary positions in healthcare. Does this strengthen the rights of workers to organise? — Reclassifying workers as independent contractors removes their protections under the National Labor Relations Act. Does this increase support for people who lose their jobs? — Classifying workers as independent contractors may reduce their access to unemployment insurance.
- Healthcare
- Does this make health care easier to get in general? — By facilitating easier hiring of locum tenens, it may help address provider shortages in underserved areas.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Does this invest in rural communities? — By streamlining temporary staffing, it helps bolster healthcare in rural areas.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would people in rural areas be better off under this? — Increased provider flexibility may improve healthcare availability in rural areas. Would business owners be better off under this? — Healthcare entities benefit from easier classification of temporary practitioners. Would union members be better off under this? — The bill bypasses worker protections under the National Labor Relations Act.
A committee approved it and sent it to the floor
What changed from Introduced in House
The newer version of the bill changes the rules for how certain healthcare professionals are classified as independent contractors instead of employees. It now specifies that the written contract must state the individual will not be treated as an employee specifically with respect to "the provision of" such services. Additionally, the term for a type of medical professional is updated from "physician's assistant" to "physician assistant" under Section 2.
Each change
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Section 2: Added the words "the provision of" to the requirement that a written contract must state an individual will not be treated as an employee with respect to those services.
-
Section 2: Changed the title of a medical professional from "physician's assistant" to "physician assistant".
Written by an AI model from a comparison of this version’s text with the one before it, not by a person. .
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- 11/2/2026
- Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Education and Workforce. H. Rept. 119-867.
- Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 764.
- 7/21/2026
- Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
- Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 18 - 15.
- 6/9/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 4/16/2026
- Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
- Introduced in House
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Glenn GrothmanRepublican · Wisconsin