Rural Hospital Enhancement and Long Term Health Act of 2016
This bill revises the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act by increasing the maximum grant amount for hospitals under the community facilities grant program. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) may not condition grants on the inability of applicants to finance their projects.
The bill amends the Public Health Service Act by reauthorizing through FY2021 and revising the grant program for state offices of rural health, including by requiring HHS to make the grants, thus removing HHS' discretion to make them.
HHS must report annually to Congress and each state office of rural health on rural hospitals' closures.
[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5133 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
114th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 5133
To improve rural health services, including by requiring the Department
of Health and Human Services to conduct an annual study on such
services, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 29, 2016
Mr. Hardy (for himself and Ms. Sewell of Alabama) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and
Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, 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 improve rural health services, including by requiring the Department
of Health and Human Services to conduct an annual study on such
services, and for other purposes.
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 Enhancement and Long
Term Health Act of 2016''.
SEC. 2. GREATER AVAILABILITY OF COMMUNITY FACILITIES GRANTS FOR RURAL
HOSPITALS.
(a) In General.--Section 306(a)(19) of the Consolidated Farm and
Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1926(a)(19)) is amended by adding at
the end the following:
``(C) Special rules applicable to grants for
hospitals.--In the case of a grant under this paragraph
for a hospital:
``(i) Maximum grant.--The maximum amount of
such a grant shall be $100,000.
``(ii) No financing requirement.--The
Secretary may not condition the provision of
such a grant on the inability of the applicant
to finance the proposed project, in whole or in
part, from the resources of the applicant,
through commercial credit at reasonable rates
and terms, or from any other funding source.
``(iii) Federal share.--The amount of such
a grant shall not exceed 50 percent of the cost
of developing the hospital.''.
(b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) shall
take effect on the date that is 90 days after the date of the enactment
of this Act.
SEC. 3. REAUTHORIZATION OF PROGRAM OF GRANTS TO STATE OFFICES OF RURAL
HEALTH.
Section 338J of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254r) is
amended to read as follows:
``SEC. 338J. GRANTS TO STATE OFFICES OF RURAL HEALTH.
``(a) In General.--The Secretary, acting through the Director of
the Office of Rural Health Policy (established in section 711 of the
Social Security Act), shall make grants to each State Office of Rural
Health for the purpose of improving health care in rural areas.
``(b) Requirement of Matching Funds.--
``(1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), the Secretary
may not make a grant under subsection (a) unless the State
Office of Rural Health involved agrees, with respect to the
costs to be incurred in carrying out the purpose described in
such subsection, to provide non-Federal contributions toward
such costs in an amount equal to $3 for each $1 of Federal
funds provided in the grant.
``(2) Waiver or reduction.--The Secretary may waive or
reduce the non-Federal contribution if the State Office of
Rural Health can demonstrate that requiring matching funds
would limit its ability to carry out the purpose described in
subsection (a).
``(3) Determination of amount of non-federal
contribution.--Non-Federal contributions required in paragraph
(1) may be in cash or in kind, fairly evaluated, including
plant, equipment, or services. Amounts provided by the Federal
Government, or services assisted or subsidized to any
significant extent by the Federal Government, may not be
included in determining the amount of such non-Federal
contributions.
``(c) Certain Required Activities.--Activities for which grant
dollars shall be awarded under subsection (a) include--
``(1) maintaining within the State Office of Rural Health a
clearinghouse for collecting and disseminating information on--
``(A) rural health care issues;
``(B) research findings relating to rural health
care; and
``(C) innovative approaches to the delivery of
health care in rural areas;
``(2) coordinating the activities carried out in the State
that relate to rural health care, including providing
coordination for the purpose of avoiding redundancy in such
activities; and
``(3) identifying Federal and State programs regarding
rural health, and providing technical assistance to public and
nonprofit private entities regarding participation in such
programs.
``(d) Requirement Regarding Annual Budget for Office.--The
Secretary may not make a grant under subsection (a) unless the State
Office of Rural Health involved agrees that, for any fiscal year for
which the State Office of Rural Health receives such a grant, the
office operated pursuant to subsection (a) will be provided with an
annual budget of not less than $50,000.
``(e) Certain Uses of Funds.--
``(1) Restrictions.--The Secretary may not make a grant
under subsection (a) unless the State Office of Rural Health
involved agrees that the grant will not be expended--
``(A) to provide health care (including providing
cash payments regarding such care);
``(B) to conduct activities for which Federal funds
are expended--
``(i) within the State to provide technical
and other nonfinancial assistance under
subsection (f) of section 330;
``(ii) under a memorandum of agreement
entered into with the State Office of Rural
Health under subsection (h) of such section; or
``(iii) under a grant under section 338I;
``(C) to purchase medical equipment, to purchase
ambulances, aircraft, or other vehicles, or to purchase
major communications equipment;
``(D) to purchase or improve real property; or
``(E) to carry out any activity regarding a
certificate of need.
``(2) Authorities.--Activities for which a State Office of
Rural Health may expend a grant under subsection (a) include--
``(A) paying the costs of maintaining such Office
for the purpose described in subsection (a);
``(B) subject to paragraph (1)(B)(iii), paying the
costs of any activity carried out with respect to
recruiting and retaining health professionals to serve
in rural areas of the State; and
``(C) providing grants and contracts to public and
nonprofit private entities to carry out activities
authorized in this section.
``(f) Reports.--The Secretary may not make a grant under subsection
(a) unless the State Office of Rural Health involved agrees--
``(1) to submit to the Secretary reports or performance
data containing such information as the Secretary may require
regarding activities carried out under this section; and
``(2) to submit such a report or performance data not later
than the close of the fiscal year immediately following any
fiscal year for which the State Office of Rural Health has
received such a grant.
``(g) Requirement of Application.--The Secretary may not make a
grant under subsection (a) unless an application for the grant is
submitted to the Secretary and the application is in such form, is made
in such manner, and contains such agreements, assurances, and
information as the Secretary determines to be necessary to carry out
such subsection.
``(h) Noncompliance.--The Secretary may not make payments under
subsection (a) to a State Office of Rural Health for any fiscal year
subsequent to the first fiscal year of such payments unless the
Secretary determines that, for the immediately preceding fiscal year,
the State Office of Rural Health has complied with each of the
agreements made by the State Office of Rural Health under this section.
``(i) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) The term `State' means each of the several States.
``(2) The term `State Office of Rural Health' means, with
respect to a State, the agency or office that is primarily
responsible for improving health care in rural areas.
``(j) Authorization of Appropriations.--
``(1) In general.--For the purpose of making grants under
subsection (a), there are authorized to be appropriated,
$15,000,000 for fiscal year 2017 and such sums as may be
necessary for fiscal years 2018 through 2021.
``(2) Availability.--Amounts appropriated under paragraph
(1) shall remain available until expended.''.
SEC. 4. ANNUAL STUDY AND REPORT ON RURAL HOSPITALS.
(a) Study.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall, with
respect to the first fiscal year beginning after the date of the
enactment of this Act and each fiscal year thereafter, conduct an
annual study on the following:
(1) The number of rural hospitals that closed in such
fiscal year.
(2) With respect to the rural hospitals that so closed in
such fiscal year, the reasons for such closures.
(3) With respect to the rural hospitals that so closed in
such fiscal year, the effect such closure had on patient access
to care for the given area.
(4) With respect to each category of rural hospitals
described in subsection (b), the financial well-being of the
rural hospitals in such category during such fiscal year.
(b) Categories Described.--The categories of rural hospitals
described in this subsection are the following:
(1) Rural hospitals that are critical access hospitals (as
defined in section 1861(mm)(1) of the Social Security Act (42
U.S.C. 1395x(mm)(1))).
(2) Rural hospitals that are sole community hospitals (as
defined in section 1886(d)(5)(D)(iii) of such Act (42 U.S.C.
1395ww(d)(5)(D)(iii))).
(3) Rural hospitals that are a medicare-dependent, small
rural hospital (as defined in section 1886(d)(5)(G) of such Act
(42 U.S.C. 1395ww(d)(5)(G))).
(4) Any other such category of rural hospitals that the
Secretary of Health and Human Services determines appropriate.
(c) Definition of Rural Hospital.--For purposes of this section,
the term ``rural hospital'' means a hospital located in a rural area
(as defined in section 1886(d)(2)(D) of the Social Security Act (42
U.S.C. 1395ww(d)(2)(D))).
(d) Report.--With respect to each study conducted pursuant to
subsection (a) with respect to a fiscal year, the Secretary of Health
and Human Services shall, not later than December 31 of the following
fiscal year, submit to Congress and to each State office of rural
health (as described in section 338J(a) of the Public Health Service
Act (42 U.S.C. 254r(a))) a report on such study.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR H2114)
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, 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.
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, 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.
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, 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.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Commodity Exchanges, Energy, and Credit.
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