PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Congressional Research Service
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People & committees
Rep. Kustoff, David [R-TN-8] · R–TN
Legislative record
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Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We also preserved the text version used in the PlainBill explanation below.
Source last updated: Apr 14, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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PlainBill explanation
Based on the full Introduced in House · 2025-02-21 text. This explanation has not received human editorial review. This overview describes the proposal’s major provisions; it does not establish what its real-world effects would be.
This proposal would create two federal grant programs to expand health services in rural areas. One would support health centers and clinics offering walk-in urgent care, assessment of emergency needs, and transport arrangements for patients needing an emergency department. The other would help local public health departments provide emergency services, primary care, and related services. Both programs would provide grants over five years, subject to funding and award limits.
shall establish a grant program to be known as the Rural Health Center Innovation Awards program
serves individuals in a rural area as a walk-in urgent care center and as a triage center or staging facility for necessary air or ambulance transport to an emergency department
Each grant awarded under this section— (A) shall be for a period of 5 years
shall award grants, on a competitive basis, to rural health departments that submit an application in accordance with subsection (c) to enhance such departments and enable such departments to provide individuals in rural areas with emergency services, triage and transport to emergency departments, primary care services, and other services similar to services provided by emergency departments.
The funds awarded through a grant under this section to a rural health department shall be awarded on an annual basis for each of 5 years.
Section 1 would name the bill the Rural Health Innovation Act of 2025.
This Act may be cited as the Rural Health Innovation Act of 2025.
The health center program would accept existing federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics, as well as organizations agreeing to establish one. Hospitals could participate by agreeing to convert. The bill uses definitions of these facility types from the Social Security Act.
The term eligible entity means an entity that— (A) is a Federally qualified health center; (B) is a rural health clinic; or (C) agrees (as a condition of receiving a grant under this section) to establish such a center or clinic, including a hospital that agrees (as such a condition) to convert to a Federally qualified health center or rural health clinic.
The term Federally qualified health center has the meaning given such term in section 1861(aa) of the Social Security Act.
The term rural health clinic has the meaning given such term in section 1861(aa) of the Social Security Act.
Both programs would use the federal Office of Rural Health Policy's definition of a rural area. The definition expressly includes areas qualifying under its fiscal year 2025 criteria or criteria adopted for a later fiscal year.
The term rural area means any area that is rural, within the meaning of such term as used by the Office of Rural Health Policy of the Health Resources and Services Administration for purposes of determining eligibility for grants or services, including any area that is rural within such meaning as used by such Office for fiscal year 2025 or any area that is rural within such meaning as amended for a subsequent fiscal year.
The term rural area has the meaning given the term in section 330Q(a).
The Secretary would administer both programs through the Director of the Office of Rural Health Policy within the Health Resources and Services Administration.
The Secretary, acting through the Director of the Office of Rural Health Policy of the Health Resources and Services Administration, shall establish a grant program
The Secretary, acting through the Director of the Office of Rural Health Policy of the Health Resources and Services Administration, shall award grants, on a competitive basis
Funded health centers and clinics would have to offer walk-in urgent care and assess or prepare patients for necessary emergency transport. They would need professional clinical staff and resources including laboratories, x-ray machines, and cardiac monitors.
serves individuals in a rural area as a walk-in urgent care center and as a triage center or staging facility for necessary air or ambulance transport to an emergency department
professional clinical staff, including physicians, physician interns, residents, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurse midwives, or other health care providers providing walk-in urgent care and emergency triage; and (ii) resources, including laboratories, x-ray machines, and cardiac monitors.
Health center grants could pay for longer operating hours, construction, renovation, or other activities serving the program's specified purposes.
The funds of a grant awarded under this section may be used to— (A) expand the hours of operation of a Federally qualified health center or rural health clinic; (B) pay for the costs of construction and renovation of a Federally qualified health center or rural health clinic; or (C) carry out any other activity for the purposes described in paragraph (1).
Health center applicants would follow application requirements reasonably set by the Secretary. Applicants that were not already qualifying centers or clinics would also have to demonstrate the equipment and staffing costs needed to establish one.
An eligible entity seeking a grant under this section shall submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may reasonably require.
An application submitted under paragraph (1) by an eligible entity that is not a Federally qualified health center, or a rural health clinic, shall include a demonstration of the costs of the equipment and staffing needed to establish the center or clinic.
When a health center applicant proposed serving an area already served by another recipient under this program, the Secretary could consider whether unmet need justified another award. This would be discretionary consideration, rather than a prohibition on overlapping service areas.
In the case an eligible entity submits an application under paragraph (1) that proposes to serve an area that is served by another eligible entity through a grant under this section, the Secretary may consider whether an award to the eligible entity serving such same area can be justified based on the unmet need for additional services in such area.
The Secretary would have to prioritize applicants already operating as qualifying health centers or rural health clinics when they applied.
In selecting recipients of grants under this section, the Secretary shall give priority to an eligible entity that is operating as a Federally qualified health center, or a rural health clinic, on the date on which the entity submits the application under paragraph (1).
Health center grants would last five years and could be renewed. First-year awards would be capped at $500,000 for an existing qualifying center or clinic and $750,000 for an organization using the grant to establish one. Each of years two through five would have a $500,000 cap.
Each grant awarded under this section— (A) shall be for a period of 5 years; and (B) may be renewed.
The amount of a grant awarded under this section to an eligible entity shall not exceed— (i) for the first year of the grant— (I) $500,000 if the entity is a Federally qualified health center, or a rural health clinic, on the date on which the award is made; and (II) $750,000 if the entity is using the grant to establish a Federally qualified health center or a rural health clinic; and (ii) for each of the second through fifth years of the grant, $500,000.
For health center awards after the first year, the Secretary would have to consider the previous year's patient numbers and types of treatment, subject to the annual cap.
In determining the amount of a grant under this section for an eligible entity for each year after the first year in which the grant is awarded, the Secretary shall, subject to subparagraph (A)(ii), consider the number of patients treated, and the type of treatment provided, by the entity in the prior year.
Within three years after enactment, the Secretary would have to report on the health center program to the specified Senate and House committees. The report would assess performance, challenges, needed regulatory flexibility or legislative authority, and any federal health program savings or increases in access and service use. These are reporting topics, not established results.
Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this section, the Secretary shall report to the committees described in paragraph (2) on the grant program under this section, including— (A) an assessment of the success of the program, challenges with respect to the program, and any action for regulatory flexibility or legislative authority needed to improve the program; (B) any savings to Federal health care programs; (C) any increase in access to care; and (D) any increase in utilization of health services in rural areas.
the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, and the Committee on Finance, of the Senate; and (B) the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and the Committee on Ways and Means, of the House of Representatives.
A health center grant recipient could not lose its qualifying health center or rural health clinic status because it carried out activities under this program.
No entity receiving a grant under this section shall lose status as a Federally qualified health center, or a rural health clinic, on account of carrying out any activities under this section.
The second program would award competitive grants to local public health departments located in rural areas. It would support emergency services, assessment and transport of patients to emergency departments, primary care, and other services similar to those offered by emergency departments.
The term rural health department means a local public health department that is located in a rural area.
shall award grants, on a competitive basis, to rural health departments that submit an application in accordance with subsection (c) to enhance such departments and enable such departments to provide individuals in rural areas with emergency services, triage and transport to emergency departments, primary care services, and other services similar to services provided by emergency departments.
Health department applicants would have to estimate first-year equipment and staffing costs. At application, they would already need an operating rural facility, nursing staff, and medical equipment, and would have to demonstrate an intention to use that staff and equipment for the program.
including— (1) an indication of the estimated cost of the equipment and staffing needed by the department for the first year of the award to set up the activities under this section; (2) a demonstration that the department has, on the date on which the application is submitted, a facility operating in a rural area; and (3) a demonstration that, on the date on which the application is submitted, the department— (A) has a nursing staff and medical equipment; and (B) intends to use such equipment and staffing toward carrying out the activities under this section.
Health department grants would provide annual awards for five years, capped at $500,000 per year.
The funds awarded through a grant under this section to a rural health department shall be awarded on an annual basis for each of 5 years. (2) Maximum amounts The amount of a grant under this section for a year shall not exceed $500,000.
A health department's first-year award would be based on its estimated equipment and staffing costs. Awards for years two through five would be based on the previous year's patient numbers and types of treatment.
For the first year of the grant, the amount shall be based on the amount the rural health department estimates for the cost of equipment and staffing needed to establish and implement the activities and services supported under this section, as specified in the application under subsection (c). (B) For the second through fifth years of the grant, the amount shall be based on the number of patients treated, and the type of treatment provided, by the rural health department in the prior year.
Health departments would have to use grants for the program's services at a rural facility. Listed uses include additional medical equipment, hiring additional providers, and community outreach. Hiring could occur through a partnership with an academic medical center.
shall use the funds awarded through the grant to carry out the activities described in subsection (b) at a facility that is located in a rural area, including by— (A) obtaining additional medical equipment and resources necessary for carrying out the activities described in subsection (b), such as laboratories, x-ray machines, and cardiac monitors; (B) hiring additional providers to carry out the activities described in subsection (b), such as physician interns, residents, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and nurse midwives, which hiring may be through a partnership with an academic medical center; and (C) providing outreach to the community regarding the activities of the rural health department carried out using funds provided through a grant under this section.
Health departments could use no more than 3 percent of each year's grant for the additional-provider hiring provision. During each of the first two years, a separate 3 percent limit would apply to community outreach.
(B) hiring additional providers to carry out the activities described in subsection (b)
(C) providing outreach to the community regarding the activities of the rural health department carried out using funds provided through a grant under this section.
Of the funds awarded to a rural health department under this section— (A) for each year of the grant, not more than 3 percent of such funds may be used to carry out paragraph (1)(B); and (B) for each of the first two years of the grant, not more than 3 percent of such funds may be used to carry out paragraph (1)(C).
The bill would authorize Congress to provide $25 million annually for each program for fiscal years 2026 through 2030. An authorization permits future funding legislation; it does not itself provide the money.
There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030.
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030.
The supplied official-actions snapshot, updated April 14, 2026, records introduction in the House and referral to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on February 21, 2025.
Source snapshot updated 2026-04-14T13:50:32Z. 2025-02-21: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. 2025-02-21: Introduced in House
A closer look
Reviewed version: Introduced in House · 2025-02-21. These findings describe provisions and who may benefit; they are not judgments of waste, corruption, or motive.
This review covers the supplied bill text. “None identified” does not rule out provisions in later versions or accompanying reports and disclosures.
Provisions outside the bill’s main subject, or policy changes attached to appropriations.
None identified in the reviewed text
No unrelated provision or policy change attached to appropriations was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion does not establish absence in other versions or accompanying materials.
Spending directed to particular recipients or places outside ordinary competitive or formula-based allocation.
None identified in the reviewed text
No congressionally directed spending for a particular recipient or place was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This text-only conclusion does not establish formal earmark status or absence in other versions or accompanying materials.
Narrow exceptions, exemptions, or preferential treatment that warrant a closer look.
Findings to examine
The supplied introduced text contains an express selection preference within the grant program. This classification identifies preferential treatment without judging its justification or effects.
Existing federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics would receive mandatory selection priority over eligible applicants seeking to establish one. This preference favors an established-provider subgroup within the bill's main rural-care program.
The term eligible entity means an entity that— (A) is a Federally qualified health center; (B) is a rural health clinic; or (C) agrees (as a condition of receiving a grant under this section) to establish such a center or clinic, including a hospital that agrees (as such a condition) to convert to a Federally qualified health center or rural health clinic.
In selecting recipients of grants under this section, the Secretary shall give priority to an eligible entity that is operating as a Federally qualified health center, or a rural health clinic, on the date on which the entity submits the application under paragraph (1).
Full text preserved for this analysis. Legislative record snapshot: Apr 14, 2026. How PlainBill uses AI