Bill > S4208

This bill, titled the Rural America Health Corps Act, establishes a demonstration program to help healthcare professionals repay their student loans if they agree to work in underserved rural areas. Specifically, it allows individuals who are eligible for, but not currently participating in, the National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program to receive payments towards their eligible student loans. In exchange for this loan repayment assistance, these individuals must commit to five years of full-time employment in a health professional shortage area that is rural. The program will pay one-fifth of the loan principal and interest each year of service, with the remainder paid after the fifth year, up to a maximum of $200,000 per individual. The bill also outlines provisions for breaches of the agreement and clarifies that failure to complete the full service period will not be considered a breach if the individual has completed the years for which payments were made in good faith. The Secretary of Health and Human Services is required to report on the program's effectiveness five years after enactment, and $50 million is authorized annually for fiscal years 2027 through 2031 to carry out this initiative.