1.This Act may be cited as the
Hospital Emergency Assistance Act of
2005
.
2.Federal assistance to
for-profit hospitalsTitle IV
of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act is
amended by inserting after section 408 (42 U.S.C. 5174) the following:
409.Federal assistance
to for-profit hospitals
(a)Notwithstanding any
other provision of this Act, the President may provide, from any funds made
available to carry out this Act, reimbursement to a for-profit hospital for
damage to, or an expense incurred by, the hospital during a major disaster or
emergency, as declared under this Act, in accordance with this section.
(b)A for-profit hospital shall be eligible to
receive reimbursement under subsection (a) if, as determined by the President,
in consultation with the Governor of a State—
(1)the damage to, or expense incurred by, the
for-profit hospital was a result of a declared major disaster;
(2)during the declared major disaster, all
public hospitals and private nonprofit facilities located within 30 miles of
the for-profit hospital met or exceeded the capacity of the public hospitals
and private nonprofit facilities; and
(3)during the declared major disaster, the
for-profit hospital acted in accordance with any requirement that would apply
to a private nonprofit facility seeking, and eligible for, reimbursement under
this Act.
(c)The amount of reimbursement provided to a
for-profit hospital under this section shall be not greater than the amount of
reimbursement available under this Act for a public hospital or private
nonprofit facility to reimburse the hospital or facility for similar damage or
incurred
expenses.
.