IB 

Union Calendar No. 803 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 8245 

[Report No. 118–954] 

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to establish the Rural 

Hospital Stabilization Pilot Program to provide grants to rural hospitals 

for purposes of ensuring local access to services. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 6, 2024 

Mr. FEENSTRA introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Ways and Means 

DECEMBER 27, 2024 

Additional sponsor: Mr. FONG

DECEMBER 27, 2024 

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 

House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 

[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on May 6, 2024] 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
2 

•HR 8245 RH

A BILL 

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to establish 

the Rural Hospital Stabilization Pilot Program to provide 

grants to rural hospitals for purposes of ensuring local 

access to services. 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
3 

•HR 8245 RH

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Rural Hospital Sta5 bilization Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. RURAL HOSPITAL STABILIZATION PILOT PROGRAM. 

7 Section 1820(g) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 

8 1395i–4(g)) is amended by adding at the end the following 

9 new paragraph: 

10 ‘‘(8) RURAL HOSPITAL STABILIZATION PILOT

11 PROGRAM.— 

12 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Beginning January 1, 

13 2026, the Secretary, acting through the Director 

14 of the Office of Rural Health Policy, shall award 

15 grants to— 

16 ‘‘(i) hospitals, critical access hospitals, 

17 and rural emergency hospitals that are lo18 cated in a rural area, as such term is used 

19 for purposes of section 711 of this Act (in 

20 this paragraph referred to as ‘rural hos21 pitals’) that have submitted applications to 

22 the Secretary, for purposes of assisting such 

23 hospitals in ensuring local access to services; 

24 and 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
4 

•HR 8245 RH

1 ‘‘(ii) experienced technical assistance 

2 providers that have submitted applications 

3 to the Secretary, for purposes of assisting 

4 such rural hospitals in planning to apply 

5 for grants under this paragraph and using 

6 any amounts received under such a grant. 

7 ‘‘(B) PRIORITIZATION FACTORS.—In mak8 ing grants to rural hospitals under this para9 graph for a fiscal year (and determining the 

10 amount of each such grant), the Secretary shall 

11 consider the following factors: 

12 ‘‘(i) The average daily census of the 

13 hospital. 

14 ‘‘(ii) The distance between the hospital 

15 and the next nearest hospital. 

16 ‘‘(iii) The financial circumstances of 

17 the hospital, as determined by such hos18 pital’s most recently filed Medicare cost re19 port (or other applicable source of informa20 tion). 

21 ‘‘(iv) The risk that the hospital will 

22 close. 

23 ‘‘(v) The risk that the hospital will re24 duce or stop offering a class of services. 

25 ‘‘(C) USE OF FUNDS.— 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
5 

•HR 8245 RH

1 ‘‘(i) HOSPITALS.—Amounts received by 

2 a rural hospital under a grant under this 

3 paragraph shall be used to sustain, enhance, 

4 or expand the classes of services offered by 

5 such hospital, or to begin offering a new 

6 class of service, and may be used for— 

7 ‘‘(I) minor renovations to build8 ings; 

9 ‘‘(II) training with respect to the 

10 delivery of new or existing services; 

11 ‘‘(III) recruiting or hiring new 

12 staff or supplementing compensation of 

13 existing staff; and 

14 ‘‘(IV) equipment acquisition or 

15 refurbishment. 

16 ‘‘(ii) EXPERIENCED TECHNICAL AS17 SISTANCE PROVIDERS.—Amounts received 

18 by an experienced technical assistance pro19 vider under a grant under this paragraph 

20 shall be used to assist rural hospitals— 

21 ‘‘(I) in applying for a grant 

22 under this paragraph; and 

23 ‘‘(II) with respect to a rural hos24 pital that has been awarded a grant 

25 under this paragraph, in using 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
6 

•HR 8245 RH

1 amounts received under such grant in 

2 accordance with the requirements of 

3 clause (i). 

4 ‘‘(D) REPORTS TO CONGRESS.— 

5 ‘‘(i) INITIAL REPORT.—Not later than 

6 January 1, 2029, the Secretary shall submit 

7 to Congress a report on the grants awarded 

8 under this paragraph that includes the fol9 lowing information: 

10 ‘‘(I) The names of all experienced 

11 technical assistance providers that re12 ceived a grant under this paragraph 

13 and, with respect to each such experi14 enced technical assistance provider, an 

15 analysis of the use of the amounts re16 ceived under such grant. 

17 ‘‘(II) The names and locations of 

18 all rural hospitals that received a 

19 grant under this paragraph and, with 

20 respect to each such hospital— 

21 ‘‘(aa) the use of the amounts 

22 received under such grant; 

23 ‘‘(bb) an analysis of the fi24 nancial circumstances of such hos25 pital, as determined by such hosVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:35 Dec 27, 2024 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\H8245.RH H8245

kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
7 

•HR 8245 RH

1 pital’s most recently filed Medi2 care cost report (or other applica3 ble source of information)— 

4 ‘‘(AA) at the time of the 

5 receipt of such grant; and 

6 ‘‘(BB) at the time the 

7 report is submitted under 

8 this clause; 

9 ‘‘(cc) an analysis of the class10 es of services offered by the hos11 pital— 

12 ‘‘(AA) prior to the re13 ceipt of such grant; and 

14 ‘‘(BB) following such re15 ceipt, as determined at the 

16 time the report is submitted 

17 under this clause; and 

18 ‘‘(dd) an analysis of any new 

19 classes of services offered by the 

20 hospital following the receipt of 

21 such grant. 

22 ‘‘(ii) SUBSEQUENT REPORT.—Not later 

23 than 2 years after the initial report is sub24 mitted under clause (i), the Secretary shall 

25 submit to Congress a subsequent report on 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
8 

•HR 8245 RH

1 the grants awarded under this paragraph 

2 that includes updates to the information de3 scribed in subclauses (I) and (II) of such 

4 clause. 

5 ‘‘(E) FUNDING.—There are authorized to be 

6 appropriated from the Federal Hospital Insur7 ance Trust Fund under section 1817 for making 

8 grants under this paragraph, $20,000,000 for 

9 each of fiscal years 2026 through 2029, to re10 main available until expended.’’. 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB

kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
Union Calendar No. 803 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 8245 

[Report No. 118–954] 

A BILL 

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to 

purposes of ensuring local access to services. Program to provide grants to rural hospitals for establish the Rural Hospital Stabilization Pilot 

DECEMBER 27, 2024 

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Comand ordered to be printed mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB