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S403119th CongressWALLET

Rural Health Focus Act

Sponsored By: Senator Hyde-Smith, Cindy [R-MS]

Introduced

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.

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  • 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.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.

New CDC office for rural health

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, cooperative agreements, and contracts to support rural health services and technical help. It would also coordinate with HRSA's Federal Office of Rural Health Policy to avoid duplicating efforts.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Hyde-Smith, Cindy [R-MS]

MS • R

Cosponsors

  • Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR]

    OR • D

    Sponsored 2/5/2025

  • Sen. Ossoff, Jon [D-GA]

    GA • D

    Sponsored 3/13/2025

  • Sen. Capito, Shelley Moore [R-WV]

    WV • R

    Sponsored 7/15/2025

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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