RCORP Authorization Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 5207 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 5207

     To amend the Public Health Service Act to maintain the Rural
      Communities Opioid Response Program, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             August 3, 2026

Mrs. Capito (for herself and Mr. Welch) introduced the following bill;
     which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health,
                     Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

     To amend the Public Health Service Act to maintain the Rural
      Communities Opioid Response Program, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``RCORP Authorization Act''.

SEC. 2. RURAL COMMUNITIES OPIOID RESPONSE PROGRAM.

    Subpart I of part D of title III of the Public Health Service Act
is amended by inserting after section 330A-2 (42 U.S.C. 254c-1b) the
following:

``SEC. 330A-3. RURAL COMMUNITIES OPIOID RESPONSE PROGRAM.

    ``(a) Establishment.--The Secretary, acting through the
Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (in
this section referred to as the `Administrator'), shall maintain a
program to be known as the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program to
establish and expand prevention, treatment, and recovery services in
rural areas (as defined by the Secretary) for substance use disorders
(including opioid use disorder), related behavioral health conditions,
and other related public health issues.
    ``(b) Grants and Cooperative Agreements.--
            ``(1) In general.--In carrying out the program under this
        section, the Administrator may award grants or cooperative
        agreements to eligible entities.
            ``(2) Use of funds.--An eligible entity that receives a
        grant or cooperative agreement under this section may use funds
        received through such grant or cooperative agreement to--
                    ``(A) conduct planning activities to strengthen the
                capacity of cross-sector networks and improve
                coordination of resources and care involving substance
                use disorder;
                    ``(B) identify and implement evidence-based and
                sustainable delivery models to provide direct
                prevention, treatment, and recovery services;
                    ``(C) respond to new and emerging public health
                issues involving substance use disorder;
                    ``(D) provide targeted technical assistance or
                evaluation activities with respect to grants or
                cooperative agreements awarded under this section; or
                    ``(E) engage in such other activities as the
                Secretary may determine appropriate to carry out the
                program under this section.
            ``(3) Prohibited use of funds.--An eligible entity that is
        awarded a grant or cooperative agreement under this section may
        not use funds provided through such grant or cooperative
        agreement for the acquisition or improvement of real property.
            ``(4) Eligibility.--To be eligible to receive a grant or
        cooperative agreement under this section, an entity shall be--
                    ``(A) a State;
                    ``(B) an Indian Tribe or Tribal organization (as
                such terms are defined in section 4 of the Indian Self-
                Determination and Education Assistance Act);
                    ``(C) a State office of rural health; or
                    ``(D) any other domestic entity.
            ``(5) Application.--To seek a grant or cooperative
        agreement under this section, an eligible entity shall submit
        to the Administrator an application at such time, in such
        manner, and containing such information as the Administrator
        may require, including a description of how the rural
        population in the local community or region to be served will
        be involved in the development and ongoing operations of such
        activities, as applicable.
            ``(6) Grant period.--The Administrator may not award a
        grant or cooperative agreement under this section for a period
        of more than 5 years.
            ``(7) Funding.--The Administrator may fully fund a grant or
        cooperative agreement made under this section at the time of
        the award.
    ``(c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section $165,000,000 for each of fiscal
years 2027 through 2031.''.
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