Rural Health Focus Act
- Bill Number
- S. 403
- Origin Chamber
- Senate
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Health
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-02-05: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- Last Updated
- 2026-01-14T16:35:57Z
Official Summary
Rural Health Focus Act
This bill provides statutory authority for the Office of Rural Health (ORH) within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC established the ORH in 2023 in response to a congressional directive, and it currently leads the CDC’s rural public health strategy.
Specifically, the bill requires the CDC to establish the ORH and select a director to head the ORH. The bill specifies the duties and authorities of the ORH director, including improving understanding of particular challenges and implementing programs to improve health care for rural populations.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (3)
Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR], Sen. Ossoff, Jon [D-GA], Sen. Capito, Shelley Moore [R-WV]
Recent Actions
- 2025-02-05: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- 2025-02-05: Introduced in Senate
Bill Versions
- Rural Health Focus Act — issued 2025-02-05 — PDF (3 pages)