Bill > S975

This bill establishes a federal grant program to support the creation, improvement, and expansion of medical and osteopathic schools in underserved areas. The Secretary of Health and Human Services can award grants to higher education institutions (including consortiums) to establish new medical schools or branch campuses, with priority given to locations that currently lack medical education institutions, especially in medically underserved communities or health professional shortage areas. Grant recipients must use the funds to recruit and retain medical students from disadvantaged, rural, low-income, and first-generation backgrounds, and develop curricula that emphasize care for underserved populations. Additionally, grant funds can be used for planning and constructing new medical schools, hiring faculty (with a focus on increasing diversity), supporting educational programs, modernizing infrastructure, and other related activities. The bill requires grant recipients to submit annual reports, and mandates that the Secretary provide a comprehensive report to Congress every five years detailing the program's outcomes, including student demographics, health care workforce impacts, and recommendations for improvement. The bill aims to address healthcare disparities by increasing medical education opportunities in underserved regions and supporting a more diverse medical workforce.

Health and Social Services

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/975/all-info