Rep. Sewell and Rep. Fitzpatrick Introduce Bill to Add 14,000 New Doctor Residency Spots
This bill is currently sitting in the House committees on Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means. No action has been taken on the bill since June 2025, which means it has been stalled for 12 months. It must receive a vote or approval from these committees before it can move forward.
This bill has support from both parties and addresses a problem everyone agrees on, but finding the money to pay for thousands of new residencies is often a challenge in Congress.
This bill’s path across every version that has carried it.
Reintroduced
Reintroduced from H.R. 2389 (118th), which died when its Congress ended.
H.R. 2389 (118th) →Scores run from -100 (strongly harmful) to +100 (strongly beneficial) for each group, combining impact, certainty, scope, and duration ratings of 1-5. How impact scoring works
Farmers and ranchers typically live in rural areas where doctor shortages are most severe. The bill reserves at least 10% of new residency spots for rural hospitals and funds new rural residency training programs, which could eventually bring more doctors to agricultural communities that currently lack adequate healthcare access.
“are located in a rural area (as defined in subsection (d)(2)(D))”
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Introduced in House
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
The Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2025 would add 14,000 Medicare-supported graduate medical education (GME) slots over a seven-year period, with the first round of positions becoming available in fiscal year 2026. The bill also codifies the Rural Residency Planning and Development.
Local health leaders are pointing to the newly introduced Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2025 as a vital solution. The bill would add 14,000 Medicare GME positions over seven years, targeting areas with critical shortages such as primary care and psychiatry in regions like CNY.
The AHA expressed support for the Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act (H.R. 4731 /S. 2439), which would direct new slots to rural hospitals, hospitals training above their resident caps, and those serving health professional shortage areas, with priority for Historically Black Medical Schools.
No votes recorded for this bill yet.
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2025
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