Sponsors (2)
The bill directs multi-year federal grants to expand allied health training and diversify the workforce in underserved areas—improving local access to care—while creating new federal spending and administrative requirements that may limit participation and coverage of infrastructure or large regional programs.
Rural and other underserved communities will gain more allied health training spots, improving local access to medical, behavioral, and oral health services.
Multi-year funding (minimum 3 years) with funds remaining available until expended gives grantees stability to pilot, scale, and demonstrate effective training programs.
Funds can be used to form partnerships with secondary and postsecondary institutions and for training investments, building local training capacity and career pipelines.
Smaller clinics and training programs (e.g., FQHCs, certified rural clinics, nonprofit training programs) may face significant administrative and reporting burdens that deter applications or divert staff time from care.
Grant funds may not cover construction costs or fully replace existing workforce funding, limiting ability to support infrastructure or long-term salaries.
The program authorizes new federal spending for FY2027–FY2029, which could increase taxpayer costs without identified offsets.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Creates a competitive federal grant program to fund community-based training for allied health professionals, prioritizing underserved and rural areas and authorizing funding for FY2027–FY2029.
Introduced March 26, 2026 by Ronald Lee Wyden · Last progress March 26, 2026
Creates a federal grant program to fund community-driven education and training models for allied health professionals, with priority given to projects serving underserved and rural areas. Eligible applicants include federally qualified health centers, rural health clinics, state FQHC associations/consortia, and accredited nonprofit postsecondary vocational programs that train allied health workers for primary care. Grants may fund partnerships with secondary and postsecondary institutions and training-related costs (not construction) and must support multi-year models (minimum three years). The program authorizes funding for fiscal years 2027–2029 as "such sums as may be necessary," caps individual awards at $2,500,000 per grant period, and requires periodic recipient reporting. Projects that increase trainees from disadvantaged backgrounds, expand access to medical/behavioral/oral care in underserved areas, or are replicable and cost-efficient will be prioritized.