Rural Health Transformation Program; vendors and entities selected to provide goods and services under are subject to a competitive bidding process.

HB 1067 requires that vendors providing goods or services directly to the Mississippi state government through the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) must undergo a competitive bidding process, excluding emergency purchases or exemptions. It exempts goods/services provided to subgrantees (like rural clinics or community health programs) via RHTP-funded grants from competitive bidding, but mandates priority selection for subgrantees in areas with high health needs - such as counties designated as health professional shortage areas, with high maternal mortality, low per capita income ($45,000 or less), or lacking hospital access. The bill also requires entities administering RHTP grants to be selected through competitive bidding and mandates quarterly legislative reports on fund distribution. This directly affects state agencies, healthcare providers, and rural communities receiving RHTP funding.