S. 1380 · Where this bill is now
In committee
Introduced in the Senate, Apr 9, 2025
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryLoan repayment for rural specialty doctors
Ever wondered why it's hard to find specialist doctors in rural areas. This bill creates a student loan repayment program to help attract them. Specialty doctors who agree to work in rural communities with doctor shortages can have part of their student loans paid off each year they practice there, up to a total of $250,000. The bill also allows a similar program for non-physician health care specialists.
How it affects you
If you live in a rural area with few specialty doctors available, this could help bring more specialists to your community. Doctors in those areas who join the program would see their student loan debt reduced over time. People in urban or well-served areas likely won't see a direct change.
Read the official summary (Introduced in Senate, Apr 9, 2025)
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 specialty medicine physicians (i.e., practicing in an area other than primary care) 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.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionS. 1380
A BILL
SPARC Act
Sponsor: Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) · Introduced Apr 9, 2025 · Health · 1 version of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Mar 19, 2026: “Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Hearings held.”