I 
118TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 8245 
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 
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. 
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 Hospital Sta-
bilization Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. RURAL HOSPITAL STABILIZATION PILOT PROGRAM. 
Section 1820(g) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
1395i–4) is amended by adding at the end the following 
new paragraph: 
‘‘(8) RURAL
HOSPITAL
STABILIZATION
PILOT 
PROGRAM.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Beginning January 1, 
2026, the Secretary, acting through the Direc-
tor of the Office of Rural Health Policy, shall 
award grants to— 
‘‘(i) hospitals, critical access hospitals, 
and rural emergency hospitals that are lo-
cated in a rural area, as such term is used 
for purposes of section 711 of this Act (in 
this paragraph referred to as ‘rural hos-
pitals’) that have submitted applications to 
the Secretary, for purposes of assisting 
such hospitals in ensuring local access to 
services; and 
‘‘(ii) experienced technical assistance 
providers that have submitted applications 
to the Secretary, for purposes of assisting 
such rural hospitals in planning to apply 
for grants under this paragraph and using 
any amounts received under such a grant. 
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‘‘(B) PRIORITIZATION FACTORS.—In mak-
ing grants to rural hospitals under this para-
graph for a fiscal year (and determining the 
amount of each such grant), the Secretary shall 
consider the following factors: 
‘‘(i) The average daily census of the 
hospital. 
‘‘(ii) The distance between the hos-
pital and the next nearest hospital. 
‘‘(iii) The financial circumstances of 
the hospital, as determined by such hos-
pital’s most recently filed Medicare cost re-
port (or other applicable source of informa-
tion). 
‘‘(iv) The risk that the hospital will 
close. 
‘‘(v) The risk that the hospital will re-
duce or stop offering a class of services. 
‘‘(C) USE OF FUNDS.— 
‘‘(i) HOSPITALS.—Amounts received 
by a rural hospital under a grant under 
this paragraph shall be used to sustain, en-
hance, or expand the classes of services of-
fered by such hospital, or to begin offering 
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‘‘(i) INITIAL REPORT.—Not later than 
January 1, 2029, the Secretary shall sub-
mit to Congress a report on the grants 
awarded under this paragraph that in-
cludes the following information: 
‘‘(I) The names of all experienced 
technical assistance providers that re-
ceived a grant under this paragraph 
and, with respect to each such experi-
enced technical assistance provider, an 
analysis of the use of the amounts re-
ceived under such grant. 
‘‘(II) The names and locations of 
all rural hospitals that received a 
grant under this paragraph and, with 
respect to each such hospital— 
‘‘(aa) 
the 
use 
of 
the 
amounts received under such 
grant; 
‘‘(bb) an analysis of the fi-
nancial circumstances of such 
hospital, as determined by such 
hospital’s most recently filed 
Medicare cost report (or other 
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applicable source of informa-
tion)— 
‘‘(AA) at the time of 
the receipt of such grant; 
and 
‘‘(BB) at the time the 
report is submitted under 
this clause; 
‘‘(cc) an analysis of the 
classes of services offered by the 
hospital— 
‘‘(AA) prior to the re-
ceipt of such grant; and 
‘‘(BB) following such 
receipt, as determined at the 
time the report is submitted 
under this clause; and 
‘‘(dd) an analysis of any new 
classes of services offered by the 
hospital following the receipt of 
such grant. 
‘‘(ii) 
SUBSEQUENT
REPORT.—Not 
later than 2 years after the initial report 
is submitted under clause (i), the Secretary 
shall submit to Congress a subsequent re-
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port on the grants awarded under this 
paragraph that includes updates to the in-
formation described in subclauses (I) and 
(II) of such clause. 
‘‘(E) FUNDING.—There are authorized to 
be appropriated from the Federal Hospital In-
surance Trust Fund under section 1817 for 
making 
grants 
under 
this 
paragraph, 
$20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 
through 2029, to remain available until ex-
pended.’’. 
Æ 
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