• Browse By Topic
• Primary Care
• Racial/Ethnic Diversity
• Geographic Distribution
• Related Topics
• Browse MEFS Items
• New School Tracking
• Policy Briefs
• Publications
• Related Events and Links
• Newsletter Archive
• MEFS Blog
• Featured Programs

Geographic Distribution: Legislation

House Subcommittee Examines Rural Health Care Disparities
July 23, 2008 Washington, D.C. - The House Agriculture Subcommittee on Specialty Crops, Rural Development and Foreign Agriculture held a hearing to review the state of health care in rural areas and the role of federal programs in addressing rural health care needs. Read More...

Senate Votes to Approve the Health Care Safety Net Act of 2007
July 21, 2008 Washington, D.C. - The Senate unanimously voted to approve the Health Care Safety Net Act of 2007 which reauthorizes the Community Health Centers program, the National Health Service Corps and rural health care programs. Read More...

Association of American Medical Colleges Congressional Testimony
May 2006, Washington, D.C. - Testimony submitted at the House Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security, and Claims in reponse to H.R. 4997 "Physicians for Underserved Areas Act". Read More...

House passes H.R. 2583
September 23, 2008 Washingtron, D.C. - On September 23, 2008, the House passed by a voice vote HR 2583. The bill would provide $44.2 million from FY 2010 to FY 2014 to provide loans to public and not-for-profit hospitals to create residency training programs for physicians. The bill specifies preference for training programs in family medicine, internal medicine, emergency medicine and hospitals in rural areas or small cities.  Read More...

House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health holds hearing on Access to Health Care
March 24, 2009 - Washington, D.C.
The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health held a hearing on "Making Health Care Work for American Families: Improving Access to Care".  Witnesses included Dr. Fitzhugh Mullan, Dr. Brian Smedley, Dr. John Kitchell, Dr. Michael Sitorius, Dr. Lavizzo-Mourey, Dr. Jeffrey Harris, Dr. James Bean, and Dr. Diane Rowland.
To read the witness testimonies and listen to an audio recording of the hearing, click here.

House Majority Whip Clyburn Introduces Bill To Quadruple Number of Community Health Centers in U.S.
February 27, 2009 – Washington, D.C.
House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-SD) introduced a $26 billion bill to quadruple the number of community health centers that now treat 16 million uninsured and low-income Americans, including 300,000 in South Carolina.  Senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT) introduced a similar bill (S. 486) in the Senate.
To read H.R. 1296, click here.
To read S. 486, click here.

Senate HELP Committee Holds Hearing on Primary Health Care Access Reform: Community Health Centers and the National Health Service Corps
April 30, 2009 - Washington, D.C.
The Senate HELP Committee held a hearing on reforming access to primary health care.  Witnesses included Fitzhugh Mullan, Dan Hawkins, Cynthia Baschetta and others.  To read the statements of the witnesses, or to watch a video of the hearing, click here.

Secretary Sebelius Makes Recovery Act Funding Available to Bolster Health Care in Needy Communities, Relieve Providers' Student Debt
June 5, 2009 - Washington, D.C.
"HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced the availability of nearly $200 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to support student loan repayments for primary care medical, dental and mental health clinicians who want to work at National Health Service Corps (NHSC) sites.  In exchange for the loan repayments, clinicians serve for two years with the Corps.  The new funds are expected to double the number of Corps clinicians and make 3,300 awards to clinicians that serve in health centers, rural health clinics and other health care facilities that care for uninsured and underserved people. "  Read More…

North Dakota Senator Introduces Rural Health Bill
May 21, 2009 – Washington, D.C.
On May 21, 2009, Senator Kent Conrad (D-ND) introduced the Craig Thomas Rural Hospital and Provider Equity Act of 2009.  Read More…

House Introduces the Access to Frontline Health Care Act of 2009
June 16, 2009 – Washington, D.C.
On June 16, Bruce Braley (D-IA) introduced H.R. 2891, the Access to Frontline Health Care Act of 2009.  The bill will create a new loan repayment program, help place health care personnel in underserved areas, and allow flexibility for States to help bring health care providers to specific areas of need.  Read More…

House and Senate Introduce Rural Veterans Health Care Improvement Act of 2009
July 1, 2009 – Washington, D.C.
The House recently introduced a bill that will give rural veterans better access health care and services, and is a companion bill to the Senate version introduced in March.  The House version (H.R. 2879) was introduced by Ann Kirkpatrick (D-AZ) and the Senate Version (S. 658) was introduced by Jon Tester (D-MT).
To read the House bill, click here.
To read the Senate bill, click here.

Senate Introduces Rural Physician Pipeline Act of 2009 (S. 1628)
August 6, 2009 – Washington, D.C.
On August 6, 2009, Senator Mark Udall (D-CO) introduced the Rural Physician Pipeline Act of 2009.

Sibelius Makes Recovery Act Funding Available to Expand Health Professions Training
July 28, 2009 – Washington, D.C.
"HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced the availability of $200 million to support grants, loans, loan repayment, and scholarships to expand the training of health care professionals.  The funds are expected to train approximately 8,000 students and credentialed health professionals by the end of fiscal year 2010.  Today's funds are part of the $500 million allotted to HHS' Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), to address workforce shortages under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)."  Read More…

Top Obama Administration Officials Hold Rural Health Community Forum
July 20, 2009 – Business Wire and United States Department of Agriculture Newsroom
"Four Cabinet Secretaries hosted a rural health community forum today in St. John Parish, La., to share information about the federal government's efforts to rebuild and revitalize rural America."  Read More…

Secretary Sebelius Releases $7.6 Million in Recovery Act Funds to Support Health Professionals Serving in High Need Areas
September 30, 2009 – Washington, D.C.

President Obama Announces Recovery Act Awards to Build, Renovate, Community Health Centers in More Than 30 States
December 9, 2009 – Washington, DC