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[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 659 Engrossed Amendment Senate (EAS)]

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

                  In the Senate of the United States,

                                                     September 2, 2003.
    Resolved, That the bill from the House of Representatives (H.R. 
659) entitled ``An Act to amend section 242 of the National Housing Act 
regarding the requirements for mortgage insurance under such Act for 
hospitals.'', do pass with the following

                               AMENDMENT:

            Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert:

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Hospital Mortgage Insurance Act of 
2003''.

SEC. 2. STANDARDS FOR DETERMINING NEED AND FEASIBILITY FOR HOSPITALS.

    (a) In General.--Paragraph (4) of section 242(d) of the National 
Housing Act (12 U.S.C. 1715z-7) is amended to read as follows:
    ``(4)(A) The Secretary shall require satisfactory evidence that the 
hospital will be located in a State or political subdivision of a State 
with reasonable minimum standards of licensure and methods of operation 
for hospitals and satisfactory assurance that such standards will be 
applied and enforced with respect to the hospital.
    ``(B) The Secretary shall establish the means for determining need 
and feasibility for the hospital, if the State does not have an 
official procedure for determining need for hospitals. If the State has 
an official procedure for determining need for hospitals, the Secretary 
shall require that such procedure be followed before the application 
for insurance is submitted, and the application shall document that 
need has also been established under that procedure.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--
            (1) In general.--The amendment made by this subsection (a) 
        shall take effect and apply as of the date of the enactment of 
        this Act.
            (2) Effect of regulatory authority.--Any authority of the 
        Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to issue regulations 
        to carry out the amendment made by subsection (a) may not be 
        construed to affect the effectiveness or applicability of such 
        amendment under paragraph (1) of this subsection.

SEC. 3. EXEMPTION FOR CRITICAL ACCESS HOSPITALS.

    (a) In General.--Section 242 of the National Housing Act (12 
U.S.C.1715z-7) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (b)(1)(B), by inserting ``, unless the 
        facility is a critical access hospital (as that term is defined 
        in section 1861(mm)(1) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
        1395x(mm)(1)))'' after ``tuberculosis''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(i) Termination of Exemption for Critical Access Hospitals.--
            ``(1) In general.--The exemption for critical access 
        hospitals under subsection (b)(1)(B) shall have no effect after 
        July 31, 2006.
            ``(2) Report to Congress.--Not later than 3 years after 
        July 31, 2003, the Secretary shall submit a report to Congress 
        detailing the effects of the exemption of critical access 
        hospitals from the provisions of subsection (b)(1)(B) on--
                    ``(A) the provision of mortgage insurance to 
                hospitals under this section; and
                    ``(B) the General Insurance Fund established under 
                section 519.''.

SEC. 4. STUDY OF BARRIERS TO RECEIPT OF INSURED MORTGAGES BY FEDERALLY 
              QUALIFIED HEALTH CENTERS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development 
shall conduct a study on the barriers to the receipt of mortgage 
insurance by Federally qualified health centers (as defined in section 
1905(l)(2)(B) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396d(l)(2)(B))) 
under section 1101 of the National Housing Act (12 U.S.C. 1749aaa), or 
other programs under that Act.
    (b) Report.--Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall submit a 
report regarding any appropriate legislative and regulatory changes 
needed to enable Federally qualified health centers to access mortgage 
insurance under section 1101 of the National Housing Act (12 U.S.C. 
1749aaa), or other programs under that Act to--
            (1) the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of 
        the Senate; and
            (2) the Committee on Financial Services of the House of 
        Representatives.

            Attest:

                                                             Secretary.
108th CONGRESS

  1st Session

                               H. R. 659

_______________________________________________________________________

                               AMENDMENT
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