Sponsors (29)
The bill provides modest, targeted USDA technical assistance and outreach to help rural health providers stabilize operations and access capital, trading a small ongoing federal cost and added administrative burden against potentially meaningful—but limited—support for rural health access that may not reach all needy facilities.
Rural hospitals and clinics will receive tailored technical assistance (including help applying for USDA loans and grants) to improve finances and operations, reducing closure risk and increasing chances to secure capital for renovations, telehealth, and EHR upgrades.
The bill preserves and expands an existing USDA technical assistance program with dedicated funding ($2M/year FY2026–2030), supporting continuity of services for rural providers and program stability.
USDA will conduct outreach and prioritize support for facilities that already have USDA loans or grants, directing help toward financially vulnerable rural providers and increasing equity in access to assistance.
Taxpayers will fund the program at up to $2 million per year through FY2026–2030, increasing federal spending to support the initiative.
The program’s limited funding level ( $2M/year ) may be insufficient to meet technical assistance demand across many rural facilities, reducing the program’s overall impact on preventing closures and improving care.
Prioritizing existing USDA borrowers and grantees could leave other needy rural facilities without timely assistance, creating gaps in who benefits from the program.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Creates a USDA technical assistance program to help eligible rural health facilities improve operations, apply for loans/grants, and avoid closures, with $2M/year authorized FY2026–2030.
Introduced February 18, 2025 by Ronny Jackson · Last progress February 18, 2025
Creates a USDA Rural Health Care Facility Technical Assistance Program that provides tailored training, planning, and grant/loan application help to eligible rural health care facilities. The program supports operational and financial improvements, quality initiatives, and efforts to prevent facility closures. The Secretary may run the program directly or through grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements, must prioritize certain USDA borrowers and grantees, conduct outreach, and report annually to congressional agriculture committees. The bill authorizes up to $2,000,000 per year for fiscal years 2026–2030.