Community TEAMS Act of 2026

Overview

• Bill: S. 3989 (Community TEAMS Act of 2026)
• Purpose: Amend the Public Health Service Act to expand community-based training opportunities for medical students in rural areas and medically underserved communities, and to broaden related program provisions.
• Introduced: March 4, 2026, in the U.S. Senate (sponsored by Sen. Curtis with co-sponsors Sen. King, Sen. Booker)
• Main vehicle: Creates grants to support community-based medical student training and integrates this into existing Public Health Service Act authorities.

What the bill does (key provisions)

1) Grants for community-based training (new §330A(h))

• The Director of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) may award grants to eligible entities.
• Purpose: Expand community-based training for medical students in rural areas and medically underserved communities, including clinical rotations in health care facilities (outpatient settings) to promote long-term, sustainable physician practice in high-need areas.
• Grant period: 1 to 5 years, as determined by the Director.
• Eligibility: A consortium that includes:
  • One or more schools of osteopathic or allopathic medicine.
  • Up to (and including) a rural health clinic, a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), or a health care facility located in a medically underserved community.
• Applications: Must be submitted in coordination with appropriate State offices (e.g., State Office of Rural Health) and include:
  • Project description and goals.
  • Rationale for Federal assistance.
  • Quality improvement plan for service delivery.
  • How the project will improve access to quality health care across the continuum for the target population.
  • Sustainability plan after federal support ends.
  • Evaluation plan.
  • Any other information deemed appropriate by the Director.

2) Conforming changes to the Public Health Service Act

• Section 330A is redesigned and expanded to reflect the new focus on:

  • Replacing and expanding references to include community-based training for medical students in rural and medically underserved areas.
  • Clarifying definitions and ensuring alignment across subsections (e), (f), (g), and the new subsection (h).
  • Modifying cross-references to ensure the new community-based training authority is integrated into existing quality improvement and training provisions.
  • Extending the alignment of the program period to 2026–2030 (adjusting the prior 2021–2025 timeframe in the relevant subsection).

Who would be affected

• Medical schools (both osteopathic and allopathic) that form consortia with rural health clinics, FQHCs, or facilities in medically underserved communities.
• Rural health clinics, FQHCs, and medically underserved health care facilities that participate as training sites.
• Medical students participating in community-based clinical rotations in rural or underserved settings.
• State health offices (e.g., State Office of Rural Health) and other state entities involved in rural health planning and implementation.
• HRSA and the Director (as administrator of grant programs) regarding grant selection, administration, quality improvement, and evaluation.

Timeline and procedural notes

• Effective date: Not specified in the text provided; would follow enactment.
• Grant duration: 1–5 years per grant.
• Application process: Requires coordination with state rural health offices and submission of a comprehensive plan including sustainability, evaluation, and impact on access to care.
• Conforming changes: The bill amends multiple subsections of Section 330A to incorporate the new grant authority and to reflect expanded program scope, with adjustments to definitions and cross-references.
• Action history: As of the latest text, the bill was introduced and read twice, referred to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Potential impact

• Increased number and quality of clinical training opportunities for medical students in rural and medically underserved settings.
• Potential long-term improvement in physician workforce distribution, with more graduates entering high-need areas.
• Strengthened collaboration between medical schools, rural health clinics, and FQHCs.
• Requirement for robust project design, sustainability planning, and ongoing evaluation to demonstrate impact and continuity beyond federal support.

If you’d like, I can add a quick comparison to current law or outline potential budget implications based on typical HRSA grant scales.