Sponsors (4)
The bill provides predictable federal funding to expand community health workers and culturally appropriate preventive services in underserved areas—creating jobs and improving access—while using taxpayer dollars and eligibility/prioritization rules that may exclude some providers and reduce the funds reaching front-line programs.
Low-income, rural, and urban residents in medically underserved areas gain expanded access to preventive services and screenings through federally funded grants delivered by local faith- and community-based organizations.
Community members—particularly racial and ethnic minorities and people with disabilities—receive more culturally and linguistically appropriate care because trusted local faith- and community-based organizations are funded to deliver services.
Nonprofits and faith-based groups expand capacity and create jobs by funding and growing community health worker roles, strengthening local workforce and social-services delivery.
Taxpayers fund $50M–$70M annually to support these grants, which represents a recurring federal expense that could crowd out other priorities or add to deficit pressures.
Limiting grant eligibility to faith- and community-based organizations in underserved areas and prioritizing groups with prior emergency-era operations may exclude other capable providers, reduce competition, and disadvantage newer or nonfaith-based innovators.
Allowing up to 5% for HHS administrative costs reduces the portion of appropriated funds that reach community programs, shrinking direct program impact.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Authorizes HHS to fund faith- and community-based organizations to expand culturally appropriate care, preventive services, workforce diversity, capacity, and address social determinants with specified annual funding.
Introduced September 16, 2025 by Nikema Williams · Last progress September 16, 2025
Authorizes the HHS Secretary to award grants to faith- or community-based organizations to expand culturally and linguistically appropriate care, increase access to preventive services, strengthen community health workforce diversity and roles, expand organizational capacity, and address social determinants of health in medically underserved areas and Health Professional Shortage Areas. Grants give priority to organizations that demonstrated ability to address chronic disparities and those that operated health workforce or access programs during a public health emergency. Specifies eligibility requirements and references a statutory definition of community-based organization; limits up to 5% of appropriated funds for administrative costs; and authorizes annual appropriations for FY2026–FY2029 (amounts listed in the text include $50M, $55M, $60M, $65M, and $70M for the listed fiscal years).