Rural Development Hospital Technical Assistance Program Act of 2025
This bill provides statutory authority for the Rural Hospital Technical Assistance Program within the Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Under the bill, USDA must establish and maintain (directly or by grant, contract, or cooperative agreement) a program to help eligible hospital facilities in rural areas (i.e., an area with a population of 50,000 inhabitants or less).
The program must provide tailored technical assistance and training to hospital facilities to identify development needs for maintaining essential health care services and support action plans for financial, operational, and quality improvement projects to meet these needs. Development needs include (1) constructing, expanding, and modernizing health care facilities; (2) increasing telehealth capabilities; and (3) acquiring or upgrading health care information systems (e.g., electronic health records).
The program must also provide technical assistance and training to help hospital facilities to better manage their financial and business strategies and identify, and apply for assistance from, USDA loan and grant programs.
In selecting eligible hospital facilities to participate in the program, USDA must give priority to borrowers of loans and recipients of grants from certain USDA rural assistance programs.
USDA must also submit an annual report to Congress on the progress and results of the program.
[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.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
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