H.R. 5428: Medical Student Education Authorization Act of 2025

This bill, known as the Medical Student Education Authorization Act of 2025, proposes to amend the Public Health Service Act by establishing a grant program aimed at enhancing medical education focused on serving primary health care needs in medically underserved communities.

Grant Program Establishment

The Secretary of Health and Human Services, through the Health Resources and Services Administration, will create a program to provide financial grants to accredited public institutions of higher education. The main goals of the program are:

1. To support education for medical students preparing to become physicians.
2. To encourage these students to serve as primary care physicians in Tribal, rural, or other underserved communities after completing their residency training.

Eligibility Criteria

Accredited public institutions must meet specific criteria to be eligible for these grants:

1. They must be located in a state projected to have a critical shortage of primary care physicians.
2. They need to submit a grant application that includes a certification of the intended use of the grant funds and a detailed plan for implementing the activities supported by the grant.

Grant Award Priority

When distributing grants, the Secretary will prioritize institutions that:

1. Are located in states with a significant number of Indian Tribes or Tribal organizations.
2. Have established or planned partnerships with organizations that promote healthcare in underserved communities.

Use of Grant Funds

Grants awarded under this program must be used for various activities, including:

1. Supporting community-based training for medical students in underserved areas.
2. Developing training programs focused on primary care services applicable to Tribal and rural communities.
3. Increasing faculty capacity to provide relevant training.
4. Establishing partnerships with health centers, clinics, and Tribal organizations to improve health outcomes.
5. Creating a follow-up plan for graduates regarding their specialties.
6. Recruiting and retaining medical students from underserved communities.
7. Training instructors to teach in underserved areas.
8. Preparing students for residency training and future practice.
9. Providing scholarships to qualified medical students.

Grant Specifics

The grants will have the following characteristics:

1. They will be awarded for a maximum of 5 years.
2. The minimum grant amount will be $1,000,000 each fiscal year.
3. A non-Federal matching fund requirement may apply, with a maximum of 10% of the total federal grant amount.

Funding Authorization

The bill authorizes $75,000,000 in funding for each fiscal year from 2026 to 2028 to support the grant program.

Relevant Companies

None found.