Purpose of the Bill

The purpose of the bill is to address the shortage of oncology care professionals in rural areas by providing financial support for a workforce development pilot program. This initiative aims to increase the number of trained cancer care clinicians in these underserved regions.

Main Provisions

• Funding Allocation: The bill proposes allocating $300,000 for fiscal year 2026 and $300,000 for fiscal year 2027 from the workforce development fund.
• Grant Recipient: The financial support will be given as a grant to the Rural Cancer Institute.
• Program Goals: The grant will support a pilot program intended to:
  • Expand the oncology workforce in rural districts.
  • Equip healthcare students with necessary skills for rural oncology care.
  • Utilize a community-based model to enhance the training of new clinicians.

Significant Changes

There are no explicit changes to existing laws; rather, the bill introduces a new initiative to overcome workforce shortages in rural cancer care through targeted financial support and program development.

Relevant Terms

rural cancer care, oncology workforce, clinical workforce, workforce development, community-based model, healthcare students, pilot program, grant funding