[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8504 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8504
To authorize affordable financing assistance for rural health centers
facing financial distress, and to protect access to essential health
services in rural communities.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 27, 2026
Mr. Figures (for himself, Ms. Bynum, Ms. Sewell, Mr. Thompson of
Mississippi, and Mrs. Beatty) introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on Agriculture
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To authorize affordable financing assistance for rural health centers
facing financial distress, and to protect access to essential health
services in rural communities.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Rural Health Resilience Act of
2026''.
SEC. 2. RURAL HEALTH CARE FACILITY STABILIZATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
Subtitle D of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act (7
U.S.C. 1981-2008w) is amended by inserting after section 374 the
following:
``SEC. 375. RURAL HEALTH CARE FACILITY STABILIZATION ASSISTANCE
PROGRAM.
``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall provide loans and loan
guarantees to help prevent rural health centers from closing or
reducing essential services.
``(b) Eligible Borrowers.--
``(1) In general.--A health center shall be eligible for a
loan or loan guarantee under this section if--
``(A)(i) the health center--
``(I) is located in a rural area; or
``(II) serves a rural community with a
hospital at least 60 percent of the patients of
which have their primary residence in a rural
area; or
``(ii) at least 30 percent of the patients of the
health center reside in a rural area; and
``(B) the health center demonstrates financial
distress through objective indicators such as operating
margin of less than 5 percent, low cash reserves, risk
of service loss, or such other indicators as may be
determined by the Secretary.
``(2) Definitions.--In this section:
``(A) Health center.--The term `health center'
means the following:
``(i) A subsection (d) hospital (as defined
in paragraph (1)(B) of section 1886(d) of the
Social Security Act).
``(ii) A critical access hospital (as
defined in section 1861(mm)(1) of the Social
Security Act).
``(iii) A sole community hospital (as
defined in section 1886(d)(5)(D)(iii) of the
Social Security Act).
``(iv) A Medicare-dependent, small rural
hospital (as defined in section
1886(d)(5)(G)(iv) of the Social Security Act).
``(v) A low-volume hospital (as defined in
section 1886(d)(12)(C) of the Social Security
Act).
``(vi) A rural emergency hospital (as
defined in section 1861(kkk)(2) of the Social
Security Act).
``(vii) A rural health clinic (as defined
in section 1861(aa)(2) of the Social Security
Act).
``(viii) A Federally qualified health
center (as defined in section 1861(aa)(4)) of
the Social Security Act.
``(ix) A community mental health center (as
defined in section 1861(ff)(3)(B) of the Social
Security Act).
``(x) A health center that is receiving a
grant under section 330 of the Public Health
Service Act.
``(xi) An opioid treatment program (as
defined in section 1861(jjj)(2) of the Social
Security Act).
``(xii) A certified community behavioral
health clinic (as defined in section
1905(jj)(2) of the Social Security Act).
``(B) Rural area.--The term `rural area' has the
meaning given the term in subparagraph (A) of section
343(a)(13), including an area described in clause (ii)
of such subparagraph that the Secretary determines
under subparagraph (D) of such section is a rural area.
``(3) Priority.--
``(A) In general.--In carrying out this section,
the Secretary may prioritize the provision of
assistance to health centers that are--
``(i) sole community providers, as
determined by the Secretary;
``(ii) providers in a high poverty area or
an area designated by the Secretary as having a
shortage of personal health services; and
``(iii) hospitals delivering critical
emergency and safety-net services, as
determined by the Secretary.
``(B) High poverty area defined.--In subparagraph
(A), the term `high poverty area' means an area with an
areawide poverty rate of 20 percent or more, based on
the Official Poverty Measure of the Bureau of the
Census.
``(c) Use of Funds.--Notwithstanding any other provision of this
subtitle, a health center to which a loan or loan guarantee is provided
under this section may use the loan or loan guarantee to prevent the
closure of, or the reduction of the provision of essential services by
the health center, and to restore the provision of essential services
by the health center, by using the loan proceeds in ways such as--
``(1) for projects to acquire, repair, or upgrade the
systems, facilities, and equipment of the health center;
``(2) to cover the operational costs of the health center,
including supplies and payroll expenses (except bonuses);
``(3) for debt payments, working capital, maintaining
essential service lines, bridging reimbursement timing gaps, or
refinancing high-interest debt incurred for patient care
operations; or
``(4) any other activity as the Secretary may allow.
``(d) Report to Congress.--Within 18 months after the date of the
enactment of this section, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee
on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on
Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report on the
activities and outcomes of the program carried out under this section,
including the effect of the program on stabilizing the finances of the
rural health care facilities assisted by the program, and shall make
available to the public a summary of the report which does not include
any personal information or any financial information about a health
center.''.
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