[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8245 Reported in House (RH)]
<DOC>
Union Calendar No. 803
118th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8245
[Report No. 118-954]
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to establish the Rural
Hospital Stabilization Pilot Program to provide grants to rural
hospitals for purposes of ensuring local access to services.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 6, 2024
Mr. Feenstra introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Ways and Means
December 27, 2024
Additional sponsor: Mr. Fong
December 27, 2024
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed
in italic]
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on May 6,
2024]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to establish the Rural
Hospital Stabilization Pilot Program to provide grants to rural
hospitals for purposes of ensuring local access to services.
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 ``Rural Hospital Stabilization Act''.
SEC. 2. RURAL HOSPITAL STABILIZATION PILOT PROGRAM.
Section 1820(g) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395i-4(g))
is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
``(8) Rural hospital stabilization pilot program.--
``(A) In general.--Beginning January 1, 2026, the
Secretary, acting through the Director of the Office of
Rural Health Policy, shall award grants to--
``(i) hospitals, critical access hospitals,
and rural emergency hospitals that are located
in a rural area, as such term is used for
purposes of section 711 of this Act (in this
paragraph referred to as `rural hospitals')
that have submitted applications to the
Secretary, for purposes of assisting such
hospitals in ensuring local access to services;
and
``(ii) experienced technical assistance
providers that have submitted applications to
the Secretary, for purposes of assisting such
rural hospitals in planning to apply for grants
under this paragraph and using any amounts
received under such a grant.
``(B) Prioritization factors.--In making grants to
rural hospitals under this paragraph for a fiscal year
(and determining the amount of each such grant), the
Secretary shall consider the following factors:
``(i) The average daily census of the
hospital.
``(ii) The distance between the hospital
and the next nearest hospital.
``(iii) The financial circumstances of the
hospital, as determined by such hospital's most
recently filed Medicare cost report (or other
applicable source of information).
``(iv) The risk that the hospital will
close.
``(v) The risk that the hospital will
reduce or stop offering a class of services.
``(C) Use of funds.--
``(i) Hospitals.--Amounts received by a
rural hospital under a grant under this
paragraph shall be used to sustain, enhance, or
expand the classes of services offered by such
hospital, or to begin offering a new class of
service, and may be used for--
``(I) minor renovations to
buildings;
``(II) training with respect to the
delivery of new or existing services;
``(III) recruiting or hiring new
staff or supplementing compensation of
existing staff; and
``(IV) equipment acquisition or
refurbishment.
``(ii) Experienced technical assistance
providers.--Amounts received by an experienced
technical assistance provider under a grant
under this paragraph shall be used to assist
rural hospitals--
``(I) in applying for a grant under
this paragraph; and
``(II) with respect to a rural
hospital that has been awarded a grant
under this paragraph, in using amounts
received under such grant in accordance
with the requirements of clause (i).
``(D) Reports to congress.--
``(i) Initial report.--Not later than
January 1, 2029, the Secretary shall submit to
Congress a report on the grants awarded under
this paragraph that includes the following
information:
``(I) The names of all experienced
technical assistance providers that
received a grant under this paragraph
and, with respect to each such
experienced technical assistance
provider, an analysis of the use of the
amounts received under such grant.
``(II) The names and locations of
all rural hospitals that received a
grant under this paragraph and, with
respect to each such hospital--
``(aa) the use of the
amounts received under such
grant;
``(bb) an analysis of the
financial circumstances of such
hospital, as determined by such
hospital's most recently filed
Medicare cost report (or other
applicable source of
information)--
``(AA) at the time
of the receipt of such
grant; and
``(BB) at the time
the report is submitted
under this clause;
``(cc) an analysis of the
classes of services offered by
the hospital--
``(AA) prior to the
receipt of such grant;
and
``(BB) following
such receipt, as
determined at the time
the report is submitted
under this clause; and
``(dd) an analysis of any
new classes of services offered
by the hospital following the
receipt of such grant.
``(ii) Subsequent report.--Not later than 2
years after the initial report is submitted
under clause (i), the Secretary shall submit to
Congress a subsequent report on the grants
awarded under this paragraph that includes
updates to the information described in
subclauses (I) and (II) of such clause.
``(E) Funding.--There are authorized to be
appropriated from the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust
Fund under section 1817 for making grants under this
paragraph, $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026
through 2029, to remain available until expended.''.
Union Calendar No. 803
118th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8245
[Report No. 118-954]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to establish the Rural
Hospital Stabilization Pilot Program to provide grants to rural
hospitals for purposes of ensuring local access to services.
_______________________________________________________________________
December 27, 2024
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed