Rural Residency Planning and Development Act of 2026
Sponsored By: Senator Smith, Tina [D-MN]
Introduced
Summary
Expand rural physician residency programs by creating two new Health and Human Services grant programs for rural residency planning, development, and technical assistance. The bill would fund new rural training sites and add rural tracks to existing residency programs while offering technical help to applicants and awardees.
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- Rural hospitals, clinics, and community health centers could receive grants to establish or expand accredited rural residency programs or add rural training sites. Grants for program development would have an initial 3-year term and technical assistance grants a 4-year term, each extendable by the Secretary.
- Medical residents would train more than 50 percent of their time in rural areas under programs focused on producing physicians who will practice in rural communities. Funded pathways must cover general primary care and specified high-need specialties, including maternal health and obstetrics.
- A wide range of entities are eligible to apply, including Tribal governments and organizations, graduate medical education consortia, faith-based and community groups, for-profit and nonprofit entities, and rural ambulatory centers.
*This bill would authorize $12.7 million per year from 2027 through 2031, totaling $63.5 million in new federal spending over that period, increasing federal outlays.*
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Grants to Build Rural Doctor Residencies
This bill would create two grant programs to build rural physician residency training. The Secretary would award core grants to start new rural residency programs or add rural training sites to existing rural tracks. Core grants would run three years and technical assistance grants would run four years; both could be paid in full at award and extended by the Secretary. Eligible applicants would include rural hospitals, tribal health centers, medical schools, graduate medical education consortia, community groups, and other entities. Residency programs would train residents in rural areas for more than 50 percent of total residency time and support pathways like primary care, high-need specialties (for example, family medicine, internal medicine, preventive medicine, psychiatry, general surgery), and maternal health or obstetrics. The bill would authorize $12.7 million per year for fiscal years 2027 through 2031, and amounts would remain available until expended.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Smith, Tina [D-MN]
MN • D
Cosponsors
Sen. Collins, Susan M. [R-ME]
ME • R
Sponsored 8/4/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov