Congress dedicates health-training funds to overlooked U.S. territories
H.R. 5409 — Territory Health Revitalization Act · Filed by Stacey Plaskett (D-VI) · 4 cosponsors · Introduced Sep 16, 2025 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill reserves 5% of annual Health Profession Opportunity Grant (HPOG) funds for U.S. territories, makes the Northern Mariana Islands newly eligible for those grants, and guarantees that at least 2 grants per year go to territory-based organizations if qualified applications exist. The territories—Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and Northern Mariana Islands—gain dedicated funding and eligibility to train workers in health professions.
Why we flagged it
The bill's operative mechanism is a straightforward appropriations set-aside and eligibility expansion for a federal health-training grant program. It is a targeted geographic equity measure, not a tax provision, deregulation, or private carve-out.
What the text implies
- The 5% set-aside reduces the pool available to the 50 states and D.C., though the total HPOG appropriation is not specified in this bill—the actual dollar impact depends on annual HPOG funding levels set elsewhere.
- The guarantee of 'at least 2 grants' to territories may create a floor that, if territories submit fewer than 2 qualifying applications, could leave grants unawarded or require reallocation—implementation depends on application volume.
The full analysis lists 3 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
Health profession training organizations in U.S. territories; Educational institutions in Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, Northern Mariana