RCRC, together with the Association of California Healthcare Districts (ACHD), is co-sponsoring Assembly Bill 1811 authored by Assemblymember Chris Rogers (D-Santa Rosa). This measure seeks to preserve Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) designations.
Specifically, AB 1811 will preserve HPSA designations held as of January 1, 2025, through January 1, 2035, for purposes of state benefits, incentives, and resource prioritization, and would authorize the Department of Health Care Access and Information to authorize new HPSAs.
HPSA designations, determined by the federal Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), identify areas and populations with critical workforce shortages and enable access to key recruitment and retention tools, including loan repayment programs, scope-of-practice flexibilities, and enhanced Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements. Although HPSA determinations are made at the federal level, many state-administered workforce programs rely on these designations for prioritization.
In 2026, 285 of the approximately 5,000 California HPSA designations are proposed for withdrawal. RCRC supports AB 1811 because it will preserve those designations that are essential to the state’s ability to identify and support high-need communities.
Introduced on February 10th, AB 1811 has been referred to the Assembly Health Committee. RCRC’s most recent letter can be found HERE.
RCRC encourages counties to send support letters to the Assembly Health Committee. A template is available here.
Counties are encouraged to submit the letter through the legislative portal (see here). For assistance or additional information, please contact RCRC Senior Policy Advocate, Sarah Dukett.