S. 2954 · Where this bill is now
In committee
Introduced in the Senate, Sep 30, 2025
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryExpands health care workforce through grants and training
This bill tries to address shortages of doctors, dentists, and nurses by creating several programs. It would pay full tuition for medical, dental, and nursing students who agree to work in underserved areas or in primary care for at least 10 years after graduation. It also increases funding for medical residency training positions, particularly in psychiatry and primary care, and gives grants to help practicing doctors, dentists, and nurses relocate to rural areas where they're needed most.
How it affects you
If you're a student interested in medicine, dentistry, or nursing, this could make education more affordable if you're willing to commit to practicing in rural areas or primary care. If you're living in a rural community or a place where doctors and dentists are hard to find, this bill aims to bring more health care providers to your area. The bill doesn't directly affect most people's current health care, but it's designed to make it easier to access doctors and dental care in underserved regions over time.
Read the official summary (Introduced in Senate, Sep 30, 2025)
Health Care Workforce Expansion Act of 2025
This bill establishes grants to (1) cover the tuition of certain students at health professions schools, (2) expand enrollment at health professions schools, and (3) assist health care practitioners with relocating their practices to rural areas.
The Department of Education must provide grants to students at schools of medicine, dentistry, and nursing to fully pay their tuition and required fees. Medical students must agree to practice primary care for 10 years after graduation, and dentistry students must agree to practice in a rural area for 10 years after graduation. If recipients fail to complete such service, the grants become loans requiring repayment of up to $50,000.
Additionally, the bill increases the number of residency positions eligible for graduate medical education payments under Medicare for qualifying hospitals, with a focus on psychiatry and primary care residencies. It also reauthorizes through FY2035 the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education Program, which supports education and training of medical students in primary care residency programs in community-based ambulatory patient care centers.
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) must provide 10-year grants to schools of medicine, dentistry, and nursing to expand student enrollment, such as through educational partnerships and modernizing programs.
HRSA must also provide grants to physicians, dentists, and nurses to assist with relocating their practices to rural areas. Grant recipients must agree to practice in the new location for at least three years.
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. 2954
A BILL
Health Care Workforce Expansion Act of 2025
Sponsor: Sen. Bernard Sanders (I-VT) · Introduced Sep 30, 2025 · Health · 1 version of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Sep 30, 2025: “Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.”
Sections
Sections · 5
- Sec. 1Short titleNo change
- Sec. 2Grant programs for health professional schoolsNo change
- Sec. 3Program of payments to teaching health centers that operate graduate medical education programsNo change
- Sec. 4Distribution of additional Medicare GME residency positionsNo change
- Sec. 5Rural relocation grant programNo change