Official text as published. Use Ctrl+F / Cmd+F to search within the document.
[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.
<all>