SPARC Act

12/15/2023, 4:06 PM

Specialty Physicians Advancing Rural Care Act or the SPARC Act

This bill establishes student loan repayment programs to support the provision of specialty medical care in rural areas.

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) must carry out such a program for certain specialty medicine physicians who provide care in rural communities with shortages of such physicians. Physicians must agree to a period of obligated service and, for each year of such service, HRSA must pay one-sixth of the principal payment and interest on eligible loans up to a maximum cap of $250,000. Additionally, HRSA may carry out a similar loan repayment program for nonphysician specialty health care providers.

Congress
118
Number
S - 705
Introduced on
2023-03-08
# Amendments
0
Sponsors
+5
Cosponsors
+5

Variations and Revisions

3/8/2023
Text
PDF
XML

Status of Legislation

Bill Introduced
Introduced to House
House to Vote
Introduced to Senate
Senate to Vote

Purpose and Summary

Specialty Physicians Advancing Rural Care Act or the SPARC Act

This bill establishes student loan repayment programs to support the provision of specialty medical care in rural areas.

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) must carry out such a program for certain specialty medicine physicians who provide care in rural communities with shortages of such physicians. Physicians must agree to a period of obligated service and, for each year of such service, HRSA must pay one-sixth of the principal payment and interest on eligible loans up to a maximum cap of $250,000. Additionally, HRSA may carry out a similar loan repayment program for nonphysician specialty health care providers.

Alternative Names
Official Title as IntroducedA bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize a loan repayment program to encourage specialty medicine physicians to serve in rural communities experiencing a shortage of specialty medicine physicians, and for other purposes.
Policy Areas
Health

Comments

Related

Bill Update Alert:  SPARC Act

Recent Activity

Latest Summary11/21/2023

Specialty Physicians Advancing Rural Care Act or the SPARC Act

This bill establishes student loan repayment programs to support the provision of specialty medical care in rural areas.

The Health Resources and Servic...

Latest Action3/8/2023
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.