Rural Health Care Facility Technical Assistance Program Act

Bill Number

H.R. 1417

Origin Chamber

House

Congress

119th Congress, Session 1

Policy Area

Agriculture and Food

Status

Introduced

Latest Action

2025-03-28: Referred to the Subcommittee on Commodity Markets, Digital Assets, and Rural Development.

Last Updated

2026-04-28T08:06:01Z

AI-Generated Summary

Purpose

The legislation aims to expand and make permanent (codify) an existing U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) program that provides technical help to rural health care providers. It renames the program the "Rural Health Care Facility Technical Assistance Program" and broadens its scope beyond just hospitals to include various types of rural health facilities, helping them operate more effectively and access federal funding.

Key Provisions

• Program Establishment: The USDA Secretary must create and run the program, either directly or through grants, contracts, or partnerships. It offers customized technical assistance and training to eligible rural health facilities to:
• Identify needs for maintaining essential services and create plans for improvements in operations and quality.
• Improve financial and business management, including long-term financial planning.
• Help facilities apply for USDA loans and grants they qualify for.
• Goals: The program focuses on enhancing financial stability and efficiency, preventing facility closures, improving rural health care delivery, increasing access to USDA funding, and continuing prior program activities.
• Participation and Selection: USDA will conduct outreach to encourage involvement. Priority goes to facilities that are current or past recipients of loans or grants from USDA's Rural Housing Service, Rural Business-Cooperative Service, or Rural Utilities Service. Other selection factors include:
• Facility age and physical condition.
• Financial risks and ability to pay debts.
• Needs for electronic health records (digital systems for patient records).
• Location in areas with shortages of health professionals or medically underserved regions/populations.
• Other factors set by the Secretary.
• Reporting: Starting one year after enactment and annually thereafter, USDA must report to House and Senate agriculture committees on program progress, including details on individual projects (e.g., facility names, assistance provided, outcomes, costs), summaries of completed work, effectiveness assessments, and improvement suggestions.
• Funding: Authorizes up to $2 million annually for fiscal years 2026 through 2030 to implement the program.
• Definitions:
• Rural area: Areas outside cities and towns with populations under 50,000, as defined in existing farm and rural development law.
• Development needs: Includes building or upgrading facilities, expanding telehealth (remote medical services), improving health information systems, financial planning, and other essentials for community health care.
• Eligible health care facility: Rural-based hospitals (general, psychiatric, long-term care, critical access, sole community, rural emergency), rural health clinics, religious nonmedical institutions, home health agencies, or community health centers (as defined in Social Security Act and Public Health Service Act).
• Health professional shortage area: Regions lacking enough doctors, nurses, or other providers (per Public Health Service Act).
• Medically underserved area/population: Places or groups with limited access to primary care due to shortages or barriers (per Public Health Service Act).

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• Codifies (makes into permanent law) what was previously an administrative USDA initiative called the Rural Hospital Technical Assistance Program, replacing any prior temporary authority.
• Expands eligibility from only rural hospitals to a wider range of facilities, such as clinics, home health agencies, and community health centers.
• Introduces formal goals, selection priorities, annual reporting requirements, and dedicated funding authorization, which were not previously specified in statute.
• Shifts focus to broader "health care facilities" in the program name and scope, emphasizing financial aid access and preventive measures against closures.

Potential Impacts

• Government Agencies: Places new duties on USDA to manage the program, conduct outreach, and report to Congress, potentially increasing administrative workload but with capped funding. It strengthens USDA's role in rural health beyond agriculture.
• Citizens: Improves health care access in rural areas by helping facilities stay open and modernize, reducing risks of service disruptions for underserved populations. Could lower financial burdens on rural communities through better grant access.
• International Relations: No direct impacts, as the bill focuses on domestic rural U.S. health infrastructure.

Main Stakeholders Affected

• Rural Health Care Facilities: Primary beneficiaries, gaining tailored support to address financial, operational, and technological challenges.
• Rural Communities and Residents: Especially those in shortage or underserved areas, who rely on these facilities for essential medical services.
• USDA Agencies: Including Rural Housing, Business-Cooperative, and Utilities Services, which must prioritize their borrowers/grantees and integrate the program with existing loan/grant processes.
• Congress: Receives ongoing reports to oversee program effectiveness.
• Health Professional Groups: Indirectly affected through improved facility capabilities in shortage areas, potentially aiding recruitment and retention of providers.

Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications

• Legal: Builds on existing definitions from the Social Security Act and Public Health Service Act without altering them, ensuring consistency with federal health laws. The $2 million annual cap limits fiscal exposure while authorizing appropriations (requiring future congressional funding approval).
• Constitutional: Aligns with Congress's spending power under Article I to support general welfare, particularly in rural development; no apparent conflicts with federalism, as it aids state/local facilities without mandating state action.
• Political: Addresses rural health disparities, a bipartisan concern in agriculture-focused legislation, potentially boosting support in rural districts. By preventing closures, it could mitigate economic ripple effects in underserved areas, though effectiveness depends on implementation and funding renewal post-2030.

This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.

Sponsor

Rep. Jackson, Ronny [R-TX-13]

Cosponsors (28)

Rep. Tokuda, Jill N. [D-HI-2], Rep. Zinke, Ryan K. [R-MT-1], Rep. Budzinski, Nikki [D-IL-13], Rep. Pfluger, August [R-TX-11], Rep. Golden, Jared F. [D-ME-2], Rep. Riley, Josh [D-NY-19], Rep. Grijalva, Raúl M. [D-AZ-7], Rep. Davis, Donald G. [D-NC-1], Rep. Feenstra, Randy [R-IA-4], Rep. Finstad, Brad [R-MN-1], Rep. Miller, Carol D. [R-WV-1], Rep. Steube, W. Gregory [R-FL-17], Rep. Mann, Tracey [R-KS-1], Rep. Westerman, Bruce [R-AR-4], Rep. Graves, Sam [R-MO-6], Rep. Scott, Austin [R-GA-8], Rep. Baumgartner, Michael [R-WA-5], Rep. Crow, Jason [D-CO-6], Rep. Vindman, Eugene Simon [D-VA-7], Rep. McClain Delaney, April [D-MD-6], Rep. Davids, Sharice [D-KS-3], Rep. Bishop, Sanford D. [D-GA-2], Rep. Perez, Marie Gluesenkamp [D-WA-3], Rep. Bost, Mike [R-IL-12], Del. Moylan, James C. [R-GU-At Large], Rep. Harder, Josh [D-CA-9], Rep. Neguse, Joe [D-CO-2], Rep. Guest, Michael [R-MS-3]

Recent Actions

• 2025-03-28: Referred to the Subcommittee on Commodity Markets, Digital Assets, and Rural Development.
• 2025-02-18: Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture.
• 2025-02-18: Introduced in House
• 2025-02-18: Introduced in House

Bill Versions

• Rural Health Care Facility Technical Assistance Program Act — issued 2025-02-18 — PDF (8 pages)