I 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 7004 

To ensure that a portion of funds appropriated to the Public Health and 

Social Services Emergency Fund for payments to eligible health care 

providers is reserved for such providers located in rural areas, and 

for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 22, 2020 

Ms. TORRES SMALL of New Mexico (for herself and Mr. HAGEDORN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy 

and Commerce 

A BILL 

To ensure that a portion of funds appropriated to the Public 

Health and Social Services Emergency Fund for payments to eligible health care providers is reserved for 

such providers located in rural areas, and for other purposes. 

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 ‘‘Save Our Rural Health 

5 Providers Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. RESERVATION OF FUNDING FOR RURAL HEALTH 

2 CARE PROVIDERS. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other provi4 sion of law, the Secretary of Health and Human Services 

5 (referred to in this section as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall re6 serve not less than 20 percent of all amounts described 

7 in subsection (b) for reimbursing, through grants or other 

8 mechanisms, eligible rural health care providers for health 

9 care related expenses or lost revenues that are attributable 

10 to coronavirus. 

11 (b) AMOUNTS.—The amounts described in this sub12 section are each of the following: 

13 (1) The unobligated balance of the appropria14 tion of $100,000,000,000 in the third paragraph 

15 under the heading ‘‘Department of Health and 

16 Human Services—Office of the Secretary—Public 

17 Health and Social Services Emergency Fund’’ in di18 vision B of the CARES Act (Public Law 116–136). 

19 (2) The unobligated balance of the appropria20 tion under the heading ‘‘Department of Health and 

21 Human Services—Office of the Secretary—Public 

22 Health and Social Services Emergency Fund’’ in di23 vision B of the Paycheck Protection Program and 

24 Health Care Enhancement Act (Public Law 116– 

25 139). 


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1 (3) Any unobligated balance of an appropria2 tion under any other provision of law enacted prior 

3 to the date of enactment of this section that is made 

4 available to the Public Health and Social Services 

5 Emergency Fund for the purpose of reimbursing, 

6 through grants or other mechanisms, health care 

7 providers for health care related expenses or lost 

8 revenues attributable to coronavirus. 

9 (4) Any appropriation under any other provi10 sion of law enacted subsequent to the date of enact11 ment of this section that is made available to the 

12 Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund 

13 for the purpose described in paragraph (3). 

14 (c) PRIORITY.—In reimbursing eligible rural health 

15 care providers under this section, the Secretary shall give 

16 priority to such providers that— 

17 (1) provide care for a disproportionately high 

18 percentage of individuals enrolled in the Medicare 

19 program under title XVIII of the Social Security Act 

20 (42 U.S.C. 1395 et seq.) or under a State Medicaid 

21 plan under title XIX of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 

22 et seq.) or under a waiver of such plan; 

23 (2) provide care for populations with a dis24 proportionately high percentage of— 

25 (A) individuals age 60 or older; or 


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1 (B) individuals who have co-morbidities 

2 that make them particularly vulnerable to com3 plications from coronavirus; or 

4 (3) provide care for populations— 

5 (A) in areas with limited access to health 

6 infrastructure; or 

7 (B) with a high population of uninsured 

8 individuals. 

9 (d) REQUIREMENTS FOR REIMBURSEMENT.— 

10 (1) IN GENERAL.—Reimbursements to eligible 

11 rural health care providers under this section shall, 

12 subject to subsection (c) and paragraph (2), be oth13 erwise provided in accordance with the applicable 

14 provisions of law described in subsection (b). 

15 (2) USE OF FUNDS.—Any reimbursements 

16 under this section may be used for any purposes re17 lated to preventing, preparing for, or responding to 

18 coronavirus, including purchasing equipment nec19 essary for such purposes or upgrading facilities for 

20 such purposes. 

21 (e) DEFINITION OF ELIGIBLE RURAL HEALTH CARE

22 PROVIDER.—In this section, the term ‘‘eligible rural 

23 health care provider’’ means— 

24 (1) any health care provider that— 


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1 (A) is eligible to receive payments under 

2 any of the provisions of law described in sub3 section (b); and 

4 (B) is located in a rural area, as defined 

5 by the Secretary; or 

6 (2) any health care provider that is— 

7 (A) a critical access hospital (as defined in 

8 section 1861(mm) of the Social Security Act 

9 (42 U.S.C. 1395x(mm))); 

10 (B) a rural health clinic (as defined in sec11 tion 1861(aa)(2) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 

12 1395x(aa)(2))); 

13 (C) a hospital that— 

14 (i) is classified as a rural referral cen15 ter under section 1886(d)(5)(C)(i) of such 

16 Act (42 U.S.C. 1395ww(d)(5)(C)(i)); and 

17 (ii) is a sole community hospital (as 

18 defined in section 1886(d)(5)(D)(iii) of 

19 such Act (42 U.S.C. 

20 1395ww(d)(5)(D)(iii))); or 

21 (D) any other health care service provider 

22 located in a rural area, as defined by the Sec23 retary. 

Æ 


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