{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://cole.house.gov/media/press-releases/cole-introduces-medical-student-education-authorization-act", "Cole Introduces the Medical Student Education Authorization Act", "2026-02-04", "2026", "2026-02", "Republican", "House", "OK", "Tom Cole", "C001053", "cole.house.gov", "cole", "https://cole.house.gov/media-center/press-releases", "scraper", "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | CONTACT: Olivia Porcaro 202-225-6165\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2013 Congressman Tom Cole (R-OK) introduced H.R. 5428, the Medical Student Education Authorization Act, along with Congresswoman Dina Titus (D-NV). This legislation would authorize the Medical Student Education (MSE) Program, which provides grants to public institutions of higher education to expand or support graduate education for physicians in states with the most severe primary care provider shortages, through the Fiscal Year 2028.\n\nAfter introducing the legislation, the members of Congress released the following statements:\n\n\u201cData shows that medical students and residents often decide to practice in the same community where they completed their training. Therefore, by providing medical education in rural, tribal, or underserved areas \u2013 and increasing recruitment in these places \u2013 we can make a difference by increasing the likelihood of access to quality care in these communities in the long term. The Medical Student Education Authorization Act will help to do just that,\u201d said Congressman Cole. \u201cI am grateful for Congresswoman Titus for her collaboration on this vital legislation, and I look forward to continuing to work together to ensure relief for communities struggling with shortages of healthcare providers.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe need a whole-of-government approach to address the physician shortages plaguing communities here in Nevada and across the country. By supporting medical student training in underserved areas, we can invest in the next generation of providers while improving care access to patient outcomes,\u201d said Congresswoman Titus.\n\nThis legislation is also endorsed by several stakeholders, who offered praise for the bill:\n\n\u201cThe American Associations of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM) applauds Representatives Cole and Titus for reintroducing the Medical Student Education Authorization Act,\u201d said Robert A. Cain, President and CEO of AACOM. \u201cOsteopathic medical schools lead the nation in graduating physicians who practice primary care in rural and medically underserved areas. The MSE Program expands opportunities for osteopathic graduates to train in the communities that need them most. AACOM is proud to support this bipartisan bill, which will strengthen the physician workforce and increase access to care in tribal, rural, and underserve communities.\u201d\n\n\u201cHealth care professionals continue to provide dedicated, high-quality care to our patients and communities. However, ongoing staffing shortages have contributed to increased stress and burnout of care teams. The Medical Student Education Authorization Act would help remedy this by providing grants to public institutions on behalf of higher education to support areas with severe primary care provider shortages. We thank Representatives Cole and Titus for their leadership on behalf of the nation\u2019s health workforce,\u201d said Lisa Kidder Hrobsky, Senior Vice President of Federal Relations, Advocacy, and Political Affairs of the American Hospital Association.\n\n\u201cThere is a critical shortage of physicians in rural America, where limited access to care continues to drive poorer health outcomes. The Medical Student Education Authorization Act is a smart, bipartisan investment in the future of our nation\u2019s critical health care workforce \u2013 one that would expand the pipeline of primary care providers serving tribal, rural, and medically underserved communities,\u201d said American Medical Association President, Bobby Mukkamala, M.D. \u201cWe commend Chairman Cole and Rep. Titus for sponsoring this bipartisan bill and look forward to supporting it as it moves through the legislative process.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe Oklahoma State Medical Association (OSMA) strongly supports the Medical Student Education Authorization Act, which will help address Oklahoma\u2019s physician shortages by expanding training opportunities in rural, Tribal, and underserved communities. We commend Representative Cole for his leadership in securing the future of Oklahoma\u2019s healthcare workforce,\u201d said OSMA President Dr. Sumit Nanda.\n\nBackground:\n\nThe Medical Student Education (MSE) Program, which is administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and was first authorized in an Appropriations bill in 2019, provides grants to public institutions of higher education to expand or support graduate education for physicians. This program specifically focuses these grants on institutions in states with the most severe primary care provider shortages, as it is widely recognized that the training experience in medically underserved communities increases the likelihood that a physician will practice there.\n\nSince the program\u2019s inception, MSE has been a success. In fact, through the program, nearly $337,000,000 in grants has been provided to train the next generation of providers and mitigate these shortages.\n\nHowever, unfortunately, the MSE Program, because it was first authorized through the appropriations process, has no long-term authorization. As such, the program must be reauthorized annually through the appropriations process. If it is not reauthorized, funded institutions will be subject to financial uncertainty and the risk of sudden funding cutoffs.\n\nThe MSE Authorization Act, introduced in the House by Representatives Cole and Titus, would ensure the program remains funded through the Fiscal Year 2028. This legislation is endorsed by the American Associations of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM), the American Hospital Association (AHA), the American Medical Association (AMA), and the Oklahoma State Medical Association (OSMA).\n\n###", 1, "2026-04-04T05:28:40Z", "2026-04-04T05:30:10Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://cole.house.gov/media/press-releases/cole-introduces-medical-student-education-authorization-act"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.027850830927491, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}