Bill · S. 4208· Senate(119-S-4208)
Rural America Health Corps Act
- Introduced
- 3/25/2026
- Last activity
- 3/25/2026 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- Sponsored by
- Marsha Blackburn
- Cosponsors
- - 2 - 2
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Rural America Health Corps Act establishes a demonstration program to help pay off eligible loans for specific individuals. The Secretary of Health and Human Services will manage these payments on the principal and interest of eligible loans. To participate, individuals must be eligible for the National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program but not currently participating in it. Participants must agree to five years of full-time employment in a rural health professional shortage area. The program provides annual payments for each year of service, with the remainder paid upon completion of the fifth year.
Yes· 3 of 8
Does this reduce what student borrowers owe or repay?+7
The bill provides a mechanism for the repayment of principal and interest on eligible loans through service requirements.
Would people in their twenties and thirties be better off under this?+5
The bill targets individuals with student loans, who are predominantly in the young adult demographic.
Would people in rural areas be better off under this?+5
The bill increases the likelihood of healthcare providers serving in rural shortage areas.
The opposite
Does this reduce what the federal government spends?-1
The bill authorizes $50,000,000 in annual appropriations for the demonstration program.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Loan Relief for Health Professionals: The program provides payments on the principal and interest of eligible loans to help individuals manage their debt (Section 2(a)(1), Section 2(b)(1)(A)).
-
Financial Incentive for Rural Service: Individuals receive one-fifth of their outstanding loan principal and interest for each year of service, with the final remainder paid after the fifth year (Section 2(b)(2)(A)).
-
Predictable Service Terms: The act specifies that failing to complete the full service period does not constitute a breach of agreement as long as the individual completed the years for which they received payments in good faith (Section 2(b)(3)(B)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
-
Service Obligations: To receive assistance, individuals must commit to a period of 5 years of full-time employment in a rural health professional shortage area (Section 2(b)(1)(B)).
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Financial Risk of Breach: The Secretary has the authority to establish a liquidated damages formula that may be used if an individual breaches their agreement (Section 2(b)(3)(A)).
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Payment Caps: The total amount of payments an individual can receive under this program is limited to $200,000 (Section 2(b)(2)(B)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Rural Residents+5Good For Young Adults+5Good For Low Income Households+3
- Education And Technology
- Improves Student Loan Relief+7
- Healthcare
- Improves Healthcare Access+5
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Improves Rural Development+3
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Poverty Reduction+2
- Economy And Finance
- Increases Job Creation+2Reduces Government Spending-1
- 3/25/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- 4 Cosponsors 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.
Shelley CapitoRepublican · West Virginia
Richard DurbinDemocrat · Illinois
Lisa MurkowskiRepublican · Alaska
Gary PetersDemocrat · Michigan