House Passes Bill to Grow Rural Health Care Practitioners

March 21, 2025

This week, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed legislation that provides grants to grow health care practitioners in rural and underserved communities.

Here are three things to know:

• Grants for Education:  House Bill 157, sponsored by House Health Committee Chairs Kathy Rapp (R-Warren) and Dan Frankel (D-Allegheny) establishes a program at the Department of Health through which hospitals, Federally Qualified Health Centers, and birthing centers in rural counties and designated medically underserved areas can apply for grants to pay the educational debt owed by licensed physicians, registered nurses, and licensed practical nurses.
• Bridging Gaps in Care:  Rural communities often face greater shortages of health care professionals, limiting access to care and services. Maternal health access is a particular challenge with 47 percent of women in rural Pennsylvania counties living more than 30 minutes from a birthing hospital, according to a 2023 report from March of Dimes.
• Next Steps:  The legislation now heads to the state Senate for consideration.

HAP is focused on policies to improve rural communities’ access to quality health care. In a letter supporting the bill when it was first introduced last session, HAP wrote that the measure “could provide a substantial boost to struggling facilities’ relentless efforts to hire and retain the doctors and nurses they need to provide high-quality care to their communities.”

See HAP’s Access Agenda to learn about our priorities to grow the health care workforce and support access to care. For more information about HAP’s state advocacy, contact Arielle Chortanoff, HAP’s vice president, state advocacy.