119-s1282

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1282 Introduced in Senate

    (IS) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 S. 1282

 To codify the Rural Hospital Technical Assistance Program of the 
 Department of Agriculture.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 April 3, 2025

 Mr. Rounds (for himself and Mr. Welch) introduced the following bill; 
 which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, 
 Nutrition, and Forestry

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To codify the Rural Hospital Technical Assistance Program of the 
 Department of Agriculture.

 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 Development Hospital Technical 
Assistance Program Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. CODIFICATION OF THE RURAL HOSPITAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM 
 OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.

    (a) 

=== Definitions. ===
-In this section:

    (1) Development needs.--The term ``development needs'' 
 means--
        (A) constructing, expanding, renovating, or 
 otherwise modernizing health care facilities;
        (B) increasing telehealth capabilities;
            (C) acquiring or upgrading health care information 
 systems, such as electronic health records; and
            (D) such other needs as the Secretary determines to 
 be critical to maintaining health care services in the 
 community in which an eligible hospital facility is 
 located.

    (2) Eligible hospital facility.--The term ``eligible 
 hospital facility'' means a facility that is--
        (A)
            (i) a hospital (as defined in 

section 1861

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

    (e) ));
            (ii) a psychiatric hospital (as defined in 

section 1861

    (f) of that Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x

    (f) ));
            (iii) a long-term care hospital (as defined in 
 

section 1861
            (ccc) of that Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x
            (ccc) ));
            (iv) a critical access hospital (as defined in 
 

section 1861
            (mm) (1) of that Act (42 U.S.C. 
 1395x
            (mm) (1) ));
            (v) a religious nonmedical health care institution 
 (as defined in 

section 1861

    (ss)

    (1) of that Act (42 
 U.S.C. 1395x

    (ss)

    (1) ));
            (vi) a rural health clinic (as defined in 

section 1861

    (aa)

    (2) of that Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x

    (aa)

    (2) ));
            (vii) a sole community hospital (as defined in 
 

section 1886
            (d) (5)
            (D) 
            (iii) of that Act (42 U.S.C. 
 1395ww
            (d) (5)
            (D) 
            (iii) ));
            (viii) a rural emergency hospital (as defined in 
 

section 1861

    (kkk)

    (2) of that Act (42 U.S.C. 
 1395x

    (kkk)

    (2) ));
            (ix) a community health center receiving funding 
 under 

section 330 of the Public Health Service Act (42 
 U.S.C. 254b); or
            (x) any other rural hospital, as determined by the 
 Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Health 
 and Human Services; and
        (B) located in a rural area.

    (3) Health professional shortage area.--The term ``health 
 professional shortage area'' has the meaning given the term in 
 

section 332

    (a)

    (1)
        (A) of the Public Health Service Act (42 
 U.S.C. 254e

    (a)

    (1)
        (A) ).

    (4) Medically underserved area.--The term ``medically 
 underserved area'' has the meaning given the term in 

section 330I

    (a)

    (4) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254c-
 14

    (a)

    (4) ).

    (5) Medically underserved population.--The term ``medically 
 underserved population'' has the meaning given the term in 
 

section 330

    (b)

    (3) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
 254b

    (b)

    (3) ).

    (6) Program.--The term ``Program'' means the Rural Hospital 
 Technical Assistance Program established under subsection

    (b) .

    (7) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
 of Agriculture.

    (8) Rural area.--The term ``rural area'' has the meaning 
 given the term in 

section 343

    (a)

    (13)
        (A) of the Consolidated 
 Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1991

    (a)

    (13)
        (A) ).

    (b) Establishment.--In lieu of any other authority under which the 
Secretary may provide technical assistance to any eligible hospital 
facility, the Secretary shall establish, and maintain, directly or by 
grant, contract, or cooperative agreement, a Rural Hospital Technical 
Assistance Program to provide technical assistance and training, 
tailored to the capacity and needs of each eligible hospital facility, 
to help eligible hospital facilities--

    (1) identify development needs for maintaining essential 
 health care services, and support action plans for financial, 
 operational, and quality improvement projects to meet the 
 development needs;

    (2) better manage the financial and business strategies of 
 the eligible hospital facilities; and

    (3) identify, and apply for assistance from, loan and grant 
 programs of the Department of Agriculture for which the 
 eligible hospital facilities are eligible.
            (c) Goals.--The goals of the Program shall be--

    (1) to improve the long-term financial position and 
 operational efficiency of eligible hospital facilities;

    (2) to prevent the closure of eligible hospital facilities;

    (3) to strengthen the delivery of health care in rural 
 areas; and

    (4) to help eligible hospital facilities better access and 
 compete for loans and grants from programs administered by the 
 Department of Agriculture.
            (d) Program Participation.--

    (1) In general.--The Secretary shall engage in outreach and 
 engagement strategies to encourage eligible hospital facilities 
 to participate in the Program.

    (2) Hospital selection.--In selecting eligible hospital 
 facilities to participate in the Program, the Secretary--
        (A) shall give priority to borrowers of loans and 
 recipients of grants from the Rural Housing Service, 
 the Rural Business-Cooperative Service, and the Rural 
 Utilities Service; and
        (B) may consider--
            (i) the age and physical state of the 
 hospital or clinic facilities involved;
            (ii) the financial vulnerability of the 
 hospital or clinic facilities, and the ability 
 of the hospital or clinic facilities to meet 
 debt obligations;
            (iii) the electronic health record 
 implementation needs of the hospital or clinic 
 facilities;
            (iv) whether the hospital or clinic is 
 located in a health professional shortage area 
 or a medically underserved area;
            (v) whether the hospital serves a medically 
 underserved population; and
            (vi) such other criteria and priorities as 
 are determined by the Secretary.

    (e) Reporting Requirements.--Not later than 1 year after the date 
of enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall 
submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives 
and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate 
a written report describing the progress and results of the Program, 
including--

    (1) a brief description of each project to provide 
 technical assistance to an eligible hospital facility, 
 including--
        (A) the name and location of the facility;
        (B) a description of the assistance provided;
            (C) a description of the outcomes for completed 
 projects;
            (D) the cost of the technical assistance; and
        (E) any other information the Secretary determines 
 to be appropriate;

    (2) a summary of the technical assistance projects 
 completed;

    (3) a summary of the outcomes of the technical assistance 
 projects;

    (4) an assessment of the effectiveness of the Program; and

    (5) recommendations for improving the Program.

    (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section not more than 
$2,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2029.
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