# 119-s-403: Rural Health Focus Act

119-s-403, Rural Health Focus Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Hyde-Smith, Cindy [R-MS] (R-MS); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-04-21).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-403
- As of: 2026-04-21
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-403
- Congress: 119
- Title: Rural Health Focus Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-02-05
- Sponsor: Sen. Hyde-Smith, Cindy [R-MS] (R-MS)
- Cosponsors: 3
- Policy area: Health
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-04-21

## Summary

**This bill would create a statutory Office of Rural Health inside the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention** to coordinate research, programs, and telehealth aimed at improving health in rural communities. A director chosen by the CDC Director would lead work on research, grants, and interagency coordination. - Rural residents: Would get better-targeted programs and evidence-based interventions to prevent disease, improve access, and support telehealth in underserved areas. - Rural providers and clinics: Could receive grants, cooperative agreements, and technical assistance to strengthen care delivery and expand successful practices. - Researchers and public health staff: Would see more coordinated rural health research and wider dissemination of findings and best practices across CDC programs. - Federal partners: The Office would coordinate with the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Federal Office of Rural Health Policy to align efforts and reduce duplication.

## Cosponsors (3)

- Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] (D-OR), 2025-02-05T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Ossoff, Jon [D-GA] (D-GA), 2025-03-13T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Capito, Shelley Moore [R-WV] (R-WV), 2025-07-15T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- New CDC office for rural health: benefit, medium. This bill would create an Office of Rural Health inside the CDC. The office would be led by a director chosen by the CDC Director. It would be CDC's main contact on rural health and would help run and share research, including work on telehealth. The office would be able to award grants, cooperativ…

## Related bills

- 119-s-4744: Take Care of America’s Veterans Act
- 119-s-2465: Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026
- 119-s-1552: Living Donor Protection Act of 2025
- 119-s-1241: Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025
- 119-s-410: Love Lives On Act of 2025
- 119-s-237: Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act of 2025

## Sources
- [119-s-403 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/403)

## Related
- [119-s-4744: Take Care of America’s Veterans Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4744)
- [119-s-2465: Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriati…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2465)
- [119-s-1552: Living Donor Protection Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1552)
- [119-s-1241: Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1241)
- [119-s-410: Love Lives On Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-410)
- [119-s-237: Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-237)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-403 (as of 2026-04-21).