MORE Act
The MORE Act (H.R. 5384) would change how grants under the Health Profession Opportunity Grants program (section 2008 of the Social Security Act) are awarded. Starting October 1, 2025, the Secretary would give preference to grant applications from organizations that have established partnerships with specific types of partners in three categories: (1) state/local government agencies and social service providers (including entities that administer TANF programs under Title IV-A), (2) institutions of higher education, apprenticeship programs, and local workforce development boards created under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), and (3) health care employers or health care industry partnerships, along with labor unions and labor-management partnerships. In practice, this means applicants with these kinds of partners could be more competitive in receiving HPOG funding. The bill does not authorize new funding or alter the total amount of HPOG money; it changes the criteria used to evaluate and select grant recipients by prioritizing certain partnerships.
Key Points
- 1The bill adds a new preference provision to Section 2008 of the Social Security Act, creating a new subsection (c) focused on partnerships.
- 2Eligible partners for the preference are three categories:
- 3The preference applies when considering applications for grants under this section (HPOG), guiding how applications are scored or prioritized.
- 4The act designates an effective date of October 1, 2025, meaning the preference could apply to applications after that date.
- 5The bill’s short title is the Making Opportunities Reachable for Everyone Act (MORE Act).