Current status is Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

119th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 1380

1. Short title
2. Specialty medical practitioners workforce in rural communities
782. Loan repayment program

1. Short title

This Act may be cited as the "Specialty Physicians Advancing Rural Care Act" or the "SPARC Act".

2. Specialty medical practitioners workforce in rural communities

Title VII of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 292 et seq.) is amended—

(1) - by redesignating part G (42 U.S.C. 795j et seq.) as part H; and

(2) Specialty medicine workforce in rural communities - by inserting after part F (42 U.S.C. 295h) the following new part:

782. Loan repayment program

(a) In general

(1) Program for specialty medicine physicians - The Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, shall carry out a program under which—

(A) - the Secretary enters into agreements with specialty medicine physicians to make payments in accordance with subsection (b) on the principal of and interest on any eligible loans described in subsection (c); and

(B) - the specialty medicine physicians each agree to complete a period of obligated service described in subsection (d) as a specialty medicine physician in the United States in a rural community experiencing a shortage of specialty medicine physicians.

(2) Program for non-physician specialty health care providers - The Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, may carry out a program under which—

(A) - the Secretary enters into agreements with non-physician specialty health care providers to make payments in accordance with subsection (b) on the principal of and interest on any eligible loans described in subsection (c); and

(B) - the non-physician specialty health care providers each agree to complete a period of obligated service described in subsection (d) as a non-physician specialty health care provider in the United States in a rural community experiencing a shortage of such providers.

(b) Payments - For each year of obligated service by a specialty medicine physician pursuant to an agreement under subsection (a)(1) or by a non-physician specialty health care provider pursuant to an agreement under subsection (a)(2), the Secretary shall make a payment to such physician or provider as follows:

(1) Service in shortage area - The Secretary shall pay—

(A) - for each year of obligated service by a specialty medicine physician or non-physician specialty health care provider pursuant to an agreement under paragraph (1) or (2) of subsection (a), of the principal of and interest on each eligible loan of the physician or provider which is outstanding on the date the physician or provider began service pursuant to the agreement; and

(B) - for completion of the sixth and final year of such service, the remainder of such principal and interest.

(2) Maximum amount - The total amount of payments under this section to any specialty medicine physician or non-physician specialty health care provider shall not exceed $250,000.

(1) - Any loan for education in specialty medicine or specialty health care.

(2) - Any Federal Direct Stafford Loan, Federal Direct PLUS Loan, Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan, or Federal Direct Consolidation Loan (as such terms are used in section 455 of the Higher Education Act of 1965).

(3) - Any Federal Perkins Loan under part E of title I of the Higher Education Act of 1965.

(4) - Any other Federal loan as determined appropriate by the Secretary.

(d) Period of obligated service - Any specialty medicine physician or non-physician specialty health care provider receiving payments under this section as required by an agreement under paragraph (1) or (2) of subsection (a) shall agree to a 6-year commitment to full-time employment, with no more than 1 year passing between any 2 years of covered employment, as a specialty medicine physician or non-physician specialty health care provider, as applicable, in the United States in a rural community experiencing a shortage of specialty medicine physicians or non-physician specialty health care providers, as applicable.

(e) Ineligibility for double benefits - No borrower may, for the same service, receive a reduction of loan obligations or a loan repayment under both—

(1) - this section; and

(2) - any federally supported loan forgiveness program, including under section 338B, 338I, or 846 of this Act, or section 428J, 428L, 455(m), or 460 of the Higher Education Act of 1965.

(f) Breach

(1) Liquidated damages formula - The Secretary may establish a liquidated damages formula to be used in the event of a breach of an agreement entered into under paragraph (1) or (2) of subsection (a).

(2) Limitation - The failure by a specialty medicine physician or a non-physician specialty health care provider to complete the full period of service obligated pursuant to such an agreement, taken alone, shall not constitute a breach of the agreement, so long as the physician or provider completed in good faith the years of service for which payments were made to the physician or provider under this section.

(g) Special rules for non-Physician specialty health care providers - Non-physician specialty health care providers participating in the program under this section are not eligible for other Federal loan forgiveness programs specific to health care providers. Not more than 15 percent of amounts made available to carry out this section for a fiscal year may be allocated to awards to non-physician specialty health care providers.

(h) Reports to Congress - Not later than 5 years after the date of enactment of this section, and not less than every other year thereafter through fiscal year 2033, the Secretary shall report to Congress on—

(1) - the practice location of special medicine physicians and non-physician specialty health care providers participating, or who have participated, in the loan repayment program under this section; and

(2) - the impact of the loan repayment program under this section on the availability of specialty medicine or specialty health care services in the United States in rural communities experiencing a shortage of specialty medicine physicians or non-physician specialty health care providers.

(i) Data updates - The Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration shall update publicly available data on the supply of specialty medicine physicians and non-physician specialty health care providers, as appropriate.

(j) Definitions - In this section:

(1) Non-physician specialty health care provider - The term non-physician specialty health care provider means a health professional other than a physician who is licensed to provide patient care other than primary care services.

(2) Specialty medicine physician - The term specialty medicine physician means a physician practicing in an area of medicine other than primary care.

(k) Authorization of appropriations - To carry out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary for fiscal years 2025 through 2034.