Rural Health Training Opportunities Act

I 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 3347 To require geographical diversity in the provision of health profession oppor- tunity grants under section 2008 of the Social Security Act, and to require the support services provided through the use of the grants to include a transportation assistance plan. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES JUNE 19, 2019 Ms. SEWELL of Alabama introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means A BILL To require geographical diversity in the provision of health profession opportunity grants under section 2008 of the Social Security Act, and to require the support services provided through the use of the grants to include a transportation assistance plan. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Rural Health Training 4 Opportunities Act’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:20 Jun 22, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3347.IH H3347 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 2 •HR 3347 IH SEC. 2. GEOGRAPHICAL DIVERSITY IN PROVISION OF 1 GRANTS; INCLUSION OF TRANSPORTATION 2 ASSISTANCE PLAN AMONG SUPPORT SERV- 3 ICES. 4 Section 2008 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 5 1397g) is amended by redesignating subsections (c) and 6 (d) as subsections (d) and (e), respectively, and by insert- 7 ing after subsection (b) the following: 8 ‘‘(c) GEOGRAPHICAL DIVERSITY; TRANSPORTATION 9 ASSISTANCE PLAN.— 10 ‘‘(1) PREFERENCE FOR APPLICATIONS FOR 11 PROJECTS TO SERVE A RURAL AREA.—In consid- 12 ering applications for a grant under this section, the 13 Secretary shall give preference to applications which 14 describe a demonstration project that will serve a 15 rural area in which— 16 ‘‘(A) the community in which the individ- 17 uals to be enrolled in the project reside is lo- 18 cated; 19 ‘‘(B) the project will be conducted; or 20 ‘‘(C) an employer partnership that has 21 committed to hiring individuals who successfully 22 complete all activities under the project is lo- 23 cated. 24 ‘‘(2) SUPPORT REQUIRED TO INCLUDE TRANS- 25 PORTATION ASSISTANCE PLAN.—A project for which 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:20 Jun 22, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3347.IH H3347 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 3 •HR 3347 IH a grant is made under this section shall include a 1 plan to provide project participants with transpor- 2 tation through means such as the following: 3 ‘‘(A) Referral to, and assistance with en- 4 rollment in, a subsidized transportation pro- 5 gram. 6 ‘‘(B) If a subsidized transportation pro- 7 gram is not reasonably available, direct pay- 8 ments to subsidize transportation costs. 9 For purposes of this paragraph, the term ‘transpor- 10 tation’ includes public transit, or gasoline for a per- 11 sonal vehicle if public transit is not reasonably ac- 12 cessible or available. 13 ‘‘(3) REPORTS TO THE CONGRESS.—During 14 each Congress, the Secretary shall submit to the 15 Committee on Ways and Means of the House of 16 Representatives and the Committee on Finance of 17 the Senate a report— 18 ‘‘(A) on, with respect to the period since 19 the period covered in the most recent prior re- 20 port submitted under this paragraph— 21 ‘‘(i) the number of applications sub- 22 mitted under each subsection of this sec- 23 tion, with a separate statement of the 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:20 Jun 22, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3347.IH H3347 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 4 •HR 3347 IH number of applications referred to in para- 1 graph (1); and 2 ‘‘(ii) the number of the applications 3 that were approved, with a separate state- 4 ment of the number of such applications 5 referred to in paragraph (1); and 6 ‘‘(B) that includes an assessment of the ef- 7 fectiveness of the demonstration projects con- 8 ducted under this section with respect to ad- 9 dressing health professions workforce shortages 10 or in-demand jobs in rural areas.’’. 11 SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE. 12 The amendments made by this Act shall take effect 13 on October 1, 2019. 14 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:20 Jun 22, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H3347.IH H3347 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS