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Rural Health Information Hub
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
News by Topic: Policy

May 19, 2026 - Congresswoman Kim Schrier of Washington, along with representatives Randy Feenstra of Iowa, Jill Tokuda of Hawaii, and Darin LaHood of Illinois have reintroduced the Rural Maternity Options for Medical Support Act. This legislation would allow Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) to count labor and delivery beds separate from acute care rooms, allowing hospitals to offer these services without putting their CAH status in jeopardy.
Source: Office of Congresswoman Kim Schrier (WA)
May 19, 2026 - Notice from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) seeking comments on an information collection regarding applications from those wishing to serve as reviewers for HRSA competitive grants, including two changes to questions about reviewer attributes to ensure compliance with administration priorities. There were no comments submitted during the first comment period and the Office of Management and Budget will continue to accept comments until June 18, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
May 19, 2026 - The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is establishing a new system of records, Graduate Medical Education (GME) Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) Resident Assessment Records. The system will contain records about medical and dental residents training in children's hospitals and teaching health centers, which are used to justify the number of residents counted in calculated GME payments to the hospitals and health centers and avoid duplicate reimbursements. This notice is effective May 19, 2026, except for routine uses described in detail in this notice. Comments on this notice and the routine uses are due by June 18, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
May 19, 2026 - Notice from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority) announcing a public meeting of the FirstNet Authority Board and Board Committees on June 2, 2026, from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. Eastern. Agenda items are being finalized and will be published on the FirstNet Authority website. Public attendance will be available online only.
Source: Federal Register
May 18, 2026 - Notice from the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) delegating the authority to provide day-to-day administrative oversight of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) to the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).
Source: Federal Register
May 15, 2026 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announcing a 6-month nationwide moratorium on the Medicare enrollment of home health agencies. The moratorium takes effect on May 13, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
May 15, 2026 - Notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announcing a 6-month nationwide moratorium on the Medicare enrollment of hospices. The moratorium takes effect on May 13, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
May 15, 2026 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBCS) is accepting applications for grants under the Rural Business Development Grant Program for fiscal year 2026. Program guidance and application forms are available on USDA's website.
Source: Federal Register
Related funding: Rural Business Development Grants
May 15, 2026 - Notice from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) seeking comments on forms related to the VA Health Professional Scholarship Program (HPSP) and Visual Impairment and Orientation and Mobility Professionals Scholarship Program (VIOMPSP). The information collected is used for VA to determine an applicant's eligibility to receive a scholarship award and compliance with program requirements. Comments are due by July 14, 2026.
Source: Federal Register
May 14, 2026 - Notice from the U.S. Census Bureau providing an additional 30 days for comments on the December 19, 2025, notice regarding the extension of forms related to the American Community Survey (ACS) and Puerto Rico Community Survey. Comments are due within 30 days of this notice.
Source: Federal Register