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Title 42, The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-102

§912 Office of Rural Health Policy

Title 42 › CHAPTER 7 — SOCIAL SECURITY › SUBCHAPTER VII — ADMINISTRATION › § 912

Last updated Aug 21, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Department of Health and Human Services must create an Office of Rural Health Policy led by a Director. The Director must advise the Secretary about how current and proposed laws, rules, and budgets for the programs under subchapters XVIII and XIX affect small rural hospitals’ finances, rural areas’ ability to attract and keep doctors and other health workers, and access to and quality of health care in rural places. The Director must also make sure the Department follows section 1302(b) and section 4403 of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987 for rural health matters; run a clearinghouse of information on rural health topics (like mental health, infant mortality prevention, workplace safety, research, and new care models such as community mental health and prenatal services); coordinate rural health work across the Department; share information about other federal agencies’ rural health activities; and manage grants, agreements, and contracts to give technical help and support improving rural health care.

Full Legal Text

Title 42, §912

The Public Health and Welfare, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)There shall be established in the Department of Health and Human Services (in this section referred to as the “Department”) an Office of Rural Health Policy (in this section referred to as the “Office”). The Office shall be headed by a Director, who shall advise the Secretary on the effects of current policies and proposed statutory, regulatory, administrative, and budgetary changes in the programs established under subchapters XVIII and XIX on the financial viability of small rural hospitals, the ability of rural areas (and rural hospitals in particular) to attract and retain physicians and other health professionals, and access to (and the quality of) health care in rural areas.
(b)In addition to advising the Secretary with respect to the matters specified in subsection (a), the Director, through the Office, shall—
(1)oversee compliance with the requirements of section 1302(b) of this title and section 4403 of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987 (as such section pertains to rural health issues),
(2)establish and maintain a clearinghouse for collecting and disseminating information on—
(A)rural health care issues, including rural mental health, rural infant mortality prevention, and rural occupational safety and preventive health promotion,
(B)research findings relating to rural health care, and
(C)innovative approaches to the delivery of health care in rural areas, including programs providing community-based mental health services, pre-natal and infant care services, and rural occupational safety and preventive health education and promotion,
(3)coordinate the activities within the Department that relate to rural health care,
(4)provide information to the Secretary and others in the Department with respect to the activities, of other Federal departments and agencies, that relate to rural health care, including activities relating to rural mental health, rural infant mortality, and rural occupational safety and preventive health promotion, and
(5)administer grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts to provide technical assistance and other activities as necessary to support activities related to improving health care in rural areas.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

section 4403 of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987, referred to in subsec. (b)(1), is section 4403 of Pub. L. 100–203, which is set out as a note under section 1395b–1 of this title.

Amendments

2003—Subsec. (b)(5). Pub. L. 108–173 added par. (5). 1989—Subsec. (b)(2)(A). Pub. L. 101–239, § 6213(g)(1), substituted “health care issues, including rural mental health, rural infant mortality prevention, and rural occupational safety and preventive health promotion” for “health care issues”. Subsec. (b)(2)(C). Pub. L. 101–239, § 6213(g)(2), substituted “health care in rural areas, including programs providing community-based mental health services, pre-natal and infant care services, and rural occupational safety and preventive health education and promotion” for “health care in rural areas”. Subsec. (b)(4). Pub. L. 101–239, § 6213(g)(3), substituted “rural health care, including activities relating to rural mental health, rural infant mortality, and rural occupational safety and preventive health promotion” for “rural health care”. 1988—Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 100–360 substituted “section 4403 of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987 (as such section pertains to rural health issues)” for “section 4083 of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1988 AmendmentExcept as specifically provided in section 411 of Pub. L. 100–360, amendment by Pub. L. 100–360, as it relates to a provision in the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987, Pub. L. 100–203, effective as if included in the enactment of that provision in Pub. L. 100–203, see section 411(a) of Pub. L. 100–360, set out as a Reference to OBRA;

Effective Date

note under section 106 of Title 1, General Provisions.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

42 U.S.C. § 912

Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare

Last Updated

Aug 21, 2026

Release point: 119-102