Technical Assistance for Health Grants Act
The Technical Assistance for Health Grants Act would add a formal technical assistance component to the Health Profession Opportunity Grants (HPOG) program, which operates under the Social Security Act. The bill requires the Secretary to provide tailored help to eligible entities in applying for HPOG grants and in administering grant-funded projects. This assistance would be customized to meet the needs of grantees at different stages, with particular attention to Indian tribes, tribal organizations, tribal colleges and universities, and U.S. territories. It also creates mechanisms for peer technical assistance conferences, facilitates information sharing on best and promising practices, and requires an annual report to Congress on the assistance provided. The bill would earmark $15 million for fiscal year 2026 to fund these activities and would take effect October 1, 2025. In addition, the bill reorganizes certain subsections of the existing statute to accommodate the new technical assistance provisions.
Key Points
- 1Adds a formal “Technical Assistance” subsection to Section 2008 of the Social Security Act, directing the Secretary to provide targeted support to eligible HPOG grant applicants and grantees.
- 2Technical assistance must be:
- 3- tailored to the needs of grantees at every stage of administering their projects;
- 4- specifically tailored for Indian tribes, tribal organizations, and tribal colleges/universities;
- 5- tailored for territories; and
- 6- aimed at helping with demonstration projects and facilitating information exchange on best practices.
- 7Requires the Secretary to hold peer technical assistance conferences for grant recipients.
- 8Requires an annual report to the House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Finance Committee describing the nature of the technical assistance provided.
- 9allocates $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2026 to carry out the new technical assistance provisions.
- 10Effective date: October 1, 2025.
- 11Administrative housekeeping: reorganizes the section by redesignating subsections and removing a subparagraph (D) from the current subsection (b)(4).