I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 5989 
To authorize rural health facilities to use certain Federal agricultural credit 
assistance for the purpose of refinancing debt obligations, updating nec-
essary services, technology, and equipment, and supporting ancillary 
needs. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 19, 2023 
Ms. CARAVEO (for herself, Mr. MOOLENAAR, Mr. MOYLAN, and Ms. SALINAS) 
introduced the following bill 
OCTOBER 25, 2023 
Referred to the Committee on Agriculture 
A BILL 
To authorize rural health facilities to use certain Federal 
agricultural credit assistance for the purpose of refi-
nancing debt obligations, updating necessary services, 
technology, and equipment, and supporting ancillary 
needs. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Rural Health Care 
Facilities Revitalization Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. ASSISTANCE FOR DISTRESSED RURAL HEALTH 
CARE FACILITIES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subtitle A of the Consolidated 
Farm and Rural Development Act (7 U.S.C. 1922–1936c) 
is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘SEC. 310J. ASSISTANCE FOR DISTRESSED RURAL HEALTH 
CARE FACILITIES. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—A health care facility, including 
a hospital, behavioral health facility, health care clinic (in-
cluding a mobile health care clinic), home health agency, 
and long-term care facility, in a rural area may use assist-
ance provided under section 306(a) for a community facil-
ity, or under section 310B, to— 
‘‘(1) refinance a debt obligation; 
‘‘(2) update a telehealth, equipment, or online 
database; or 
‘‘(3) support ancillary needs, including oper-
ating expenses and reserve funds. 
‘‘(b) LIMITATIONS.—A facility may use assistance 
pursuant to subsection (a) only if doing so would— 
‘‘(1) help preserve access to a health service in 
a rural community; 
‘‘(2) meaningfully improve the financial position 
of the facility; and 
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‘‘(3) otherwise meet the financial feasibility and 
security adequacy requirements of the Rural Devel-
opment Agency. 
‘‘(c) WAIVER.—In the case of an application from a 
facility referred to in subsection (a) of this section for as-
sistance under section 306(a) for a community facility, or 
under section 310B, the Secretary may waive the require-
ment of section 302(a)(1)(D) if the facility that is insol-
vent or located in a persistent poverty area, socially vul-
nerable community (as determined by the Secretary), or 
distressed area (as determined by the Secretary). 
‘‘(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) PERSISTENT POVERTY AREA.—The term 
‘persistent poverty area’ means an area with a pov-
erty rate of 20 percent or more for 4 consecutive 
time periods, approximately 10 years apart, span-
ning approximately 30 years. 
‘‘(2) RURAL
AREA.—The term ‘rural area’ 
means an area with a population of 50,000 or fewer 
inhabitants that is not an urbanized area adjacent 
or contiguous to a city with a population of more 
than 50,000 inhabitants.’’. 
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(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by 
subsection (a) shall take effect 6 months after the date 
of the enactment of this Act. 
Æ 
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