A Democratic bill with 1 Republican cosponsor · See the cosponsor
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
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
The Rural Residency Planning and Development Act of 2026 aims to amend the Public Health Service Act. This bill seeks to authorize grant programs to help establish new rural residency programs. It also creates a technical assistance program to support awardees and potential applicants. These programs focus on training residents in rural areas for various medical pathways, such as primary care and maternal health. The bill authorizes specific funding amounts for each fiscal year from 2027 through 2031.
Yes· 3 of 9
- Scored +8
Would people in rural areas be better off under this?
The bill directly targets the improvement of healthcare access and physician presence in rural areas.
- Scored +7
Does this make health care easier to get in general?
The bill aims to increase the physician workforce in rural areas through new residency programs.
- Scored +6
Does this invest in rural communities?
The bill invests in the development of medical infrastructure and training in rural areas.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Establishment of new residency programs: The Secretary can award grants to entities to create new rural residency programs or add new training sites to existing ones (Section 2(a)(1)(A)). This could help increase the number of physicians training in rural locations.
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Diverse medical training pathways: The bill supports pathways for general primary care, high-need specialty care (such as family medicine, internal medicine, preventive medicine, psychiatry, or general surgery), and maternal health/obstetrics (Section 2(a)(2)(B)). This targets specific medical needs in rural areas.
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Technical support for applicants: A technical assistance program is authorized to help entities apply for and run these programs (Section 2(b)(1)(A)).
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Broad eligibility for community organizations: The bill allows various entities, including Indian Tribes, rural hospitals, and community-based organizations, to apply for grants (Section 2(c)(1)). This ensures diverse local organizations can participate in workforce development.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No specific negative impacts are explicitly mentioned in the text provided.
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 bill directly targets the improvement of healthcare access and physician presence in rural areas. Would Native Americans be better off under this? — The bill explicitly includes Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations as eligible entities for grants. Would women be better off under this? — The bill specifically supports training pathways for maternal health and obstetrics. Would Black Americans be better off under this? — The bill supports training through institutions such as historically Black colleges or universities. Would students be better off under this? — The bill creates opportunities for medical residents training in rural areas.
- Healthcare
- Does this make health care easier to get in general? — The bill aims to increase the physician workforce in rural areas through new residency programs. Does this make mental health care easier to get? — The bill supports psychiatric training as a pathway for rural residency programs.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Does this invest in rural communities? — The bill invests in the development of medical infrastructure and training in rural areas.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this narrow racial gaps in how people are treated? — The bill explicitly includes Indian Tribes and historically Black colleges or universities as eligible entities.
- 8/4/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in Senate
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.
Susan CollinsRepublican · Maine