119-hr1775

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1775 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 1775

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to modify the criteria 
 for designation of rural emergency hospitals.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 March 3, 2025

Mr. Arrington (for himself, Ms. Tokuda, and Mr. Pfluger) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, 
 and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period 
 to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
 committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to modify the criteria 
 for designation of rural emergency hospitals.

 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 ``Second Chances for Rural Hospitals 
Act''.

SEC. 2. EXPANDING THE DEFINITION OF RURAL EMERGENCY HOSPITAL UNDER THE 
 MEDICARE PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--

Section 1861

    (kkk) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1395x

    (kkk) ) is amended--

    (1) in paragraph

    (2)
        (A) , by striking ``is enrolled under 
 

section 1866

    (j) '' and inserting ``except in the case of a 
 facility described in paragraph

    (3)
        (B) '';

    (2) in paragraph

    (3) --
        (A) in subparagraph
        (B) , by striking the period at 
 the end and inserting ``; or'';
        (B) by redesignating subparagraphs
        (A) and
        (B) as 
 clauses
            (i) and
            (ii) , respectively, and adjusting the 
 margins accordingly;
            (C) by striking ``facility that as of'' and 
 inserting ``facility--
 ``
        (A) that as of''; and
            (D) by adding at the end the following new 
 subparagraph:
 ``
        (B) that--
 ``
            (i) during the period beginning January 
 1, 2014, and ending December 26, 2020--
 ``
            (I) was a critical access 
 hospital; or
 ``
            (II) was a subsection
            (d) hospital (as defined in 

section 1886
            (d) (1)
        (B) ) located in a county (or 
 equivalent unit of local government) in 
 a rural area (as defined in 

section 1886
            (d) (2)
            (D) ); and
 ``
            (ii) as of the date of the enactment of 
 this subparagraph, had ceased operations.''; 
 and

    (3) in paragraph

    (4) --
        (A) in subparagraph
        (A)
            (i) , by striking ``An action 
 plan'' and inserting ``Except in the case of a facility 
 described in paragraph

    (3)
        (B) , an action plan''; and
        (B) in subparagraph
        (B)
            (i) , by inserting ``except 
 in the case of a facility described in paragraph

    (3)
        (B) ,'' before ``the facility''.

    (b) Amendments to Payment Rules.--

Section 1834
            (x) of the Social 
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395m
            (x) ) is amended--

    (1) in paragraph

    (1) , by inserting ``, except that, in the 
 case of a facility described in 

section 1861

    (kkk)

    (3)
        (B) that, 
 as of the date on which such facility submits an application 
 under 

section 1866

    (j) to enroll under this title as a rural 
 emergency hospital, is located less than 35 miles away from the 
 nearest hospital, critical access hospital, or rural emergency 
 hospital, such increase shall not apply'' before the period at 
 the end; and

    (2) in paragraph

    (2)
        (A) , by inserting ``(other than a 
 facility described in 

section 1861

    (kkk)

    (3)
        (B) that, as of the 
 date on which such facility submits an application under 
 

section 1866

    (j) to enroll under this title as a rural emergency 
 hospital, is located less than 10 miles away from the nearest 
 hospital, critical access hospital, or rural emergency 
 hospital)'' after ``rural emergency hospital''.
            (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply beginning January 1, 2027.
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