```

[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8246 Reported in House (RH)]

<DOC>

                                                 Union Calendar No. 806
118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 8246

                          [Report No. 118-957]

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to modify the criteria 
             for designation of rural emergency hospitals.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 6, 2024

Mr. Arrington introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Ways and Means

                           December 27, 2024

              Additional sponsors: Ms. Tokuda and Mr. Rose

                           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]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 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.
                                                 Union Calendar No. 806

118th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                               H. R. 8246

                          [Report No. 118-957]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to modify the criteria 
             for designation of rural emergency hospitals.

_______________________________________________________________________

                           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
```