Federal · 119th Congress
SPARC Act
Policy areaHealth
Summary
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.
Sponsor
Cosponsors5
Other titles3
A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize a loan repayment program to encourage specialty medicine physicians to serve in rural communities experiencing a shortage of specialty medicine physicians, and for other purposes.Official Title as Introduced
SPARC ActShort Title(s) as Introduced
Specialty Physicians Advancing Rural Care ActShort Title(s) as Introduced
Legislative history2
Mar 19, 2026
Senate · CommitteeCommittee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Hearings held.
Apr 9, 2025
SenateRead twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.