House Bill 602 Alabama 2026 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Pebblin W. WarrenRepresentative

Democrat

Session

2026 Regular Session

Title

Health care; allied health professionals, training; tuition grants and loan forgiveness; Rural Clinical Training Partnership Fund created

Summary

HB602 would create a Rural Allied Health Professional Workforce Expansion program to train and place allied health workers in rural Alabama, with tuition grants, loan forgiveness, internship stipends, and a dedicated fund for rural training and rotations.

What This Bill Does

The bill would establish the Rural Allied Health Professional Work Force Expansion Act and create the Rural Clinical Training Partnership Fund in the state treasury to support training, rotations, and rural placements. It would provide tuition grants or loan forgiveness for eligible students and graduates who commit to serving in medically underserved areas, with priority given to applicants from rural backgrounds. It would fund satellite training centers or mobile simulation units, internships with stipends up to $5,000, and preceptor recruitment and interprofessional rural training modules. It would require annual reporting on enrollment, placements, workforce shortages, and future planning, and set an effective date of October 1, 2026.

Who It Affects

• Allied health professionals in rural areas who will have expanded training opportunities and placement in rural settings
• Students enrolled in eligible allied health training programs who may receive tuition grants or loan forgiveness (priority for those with rural backgrounds)
• Medically underserved rural communities that may gain more health services through expanded training, rotations, and internships
• Accredited health profession programs, rural clinics, and preceptors/host facilities that would receive funding to establish rotations, recruit preceptors, and deliver rural-focused training modules

Key Provisions

• Creates the Rural Allied Health Professional Work Force Expansion Act to address shortages by expanding training capacity, funding tuition, and incentivizing rural placements via education-to-employment pipelines.
• Establishes the Rural Clinical Training Partnership Fund in the State Treasury, administered by the Department of Public Health, to fund grants for programs to establish/expand rural rotations, recruit/train rural preceptors, and deliver interprofessional rural training modules; may cover faculty stipends, travel, and coordination.
• Defines allied health professionals as non-physician, non-nurse roles with specified degrees/training in health-related fields.
• Provides tuition grants for eligible training programs and loan forgiveness for licensed graduates who commit to at least two years of practice in medically underserved areas; priority to applicants with rural backgrounds.
• Funds satellite training centers or mobile simulation units to reach rural learners and supports a Paid Rural Health Internships Program offering stipends up to $5,000 per student with structured mentorship.
• Department must annually report disbursements, uses of the fund, enrollment, placements, workforce shortages, and projected demand; reporting due before the 15th legislative day of each regular session.
• Effective date is October 1, 2026.

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano-2025-08-07 on Mar 10, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Health